Painting cabinets is by far the simplest and most cost-effective method to freshen up a kitchen. While cabinet replacement can easily cost thousands of dollars in labor and materials, repainting your cabinets yourself can get a comparable look for only a few hundred dollars. Best of all, even inexperienced painters may produce a professional-looking finish by following a few easy procedures and selecting the appropriate hue.
Prepping, priming with a bonding primer, and painting with high-quality latex paint can do the work whether your kitchen cabinets are old or simply need a refresh to return to its former glory. When done correctly, you can refinish your cabinets and give them a fresh, durable finish that will endure for years.
Before You Start
Because kitchen cabinets come in a range of materials, it is a good idea to become acquainted with yours before beginning. Wood, laminate, and thermofoil are common materials, and the painting technique varies slightly between them. Most finishes may just need a light cleaning and scuffing before priming, while some may require stripping for the best results. Oil-based finishes will also necessitate the use of an oil-based primer in order for latex paint to properly adhere.
What Exactly Is Thermofoil?
Thermofoil cabinets, contrary to their name, do not include foil. In reality, thermofoil is a technical term for a type of laminate cabinet. These cabinets are often constructed with an MDF (medium-density fiberboard) core and a thin sheet of vinyl laminate covering the exterior.
Doors and drawers are much simpler to work with when you have a defined work space, so set up a table or bench with a drop cloth and a way to elevate the doors and drawers, such as painter's tripods.
Finally, select your paint. You may have heard that cabinets require specialized paints such as chalk paint or heavy-duty oil-based paint, but this is not true. A high-quality latex paint will do the work with appropriate preparation, making repainting your kitchen cabinets even easier.
Considerations for Safety
When sanding and painting, always use adequate safety equipment. Eye protection and a dust and fumes-rated face mask are required. This is especially important if you are working with existing lead-based paint. If you have any reason to believe your cabinets may be covered with lead-based paint, or if the house was built before 1978, you should run a test before proceeding.
You Will Require
Equipment / Tools
- Marker
- Bucket
- Rag
- Medium-grit sanding sponge or sandpaper
- Vacuum
- Tack cloth
- Screwdrivers
- Drop cloth
- Painter's tripods
- Paintbrush
- Mini paint roller
- Caulking gun
- Paint tray
- Handheld paint cup
- Putty knife
Materials
- Water
- TSP (trisodium phosphate)
- Plastic bags
- Wood filler
- Paintable caulk
- Bonding primer
- High-quality latex paint in satin or semi-gloss
- Painter's tape
- Paint stirrers
How Repaint Kitchen Cabinets Instructions
1. Cabinets should be cleaned.
Following the manufacturer's recommendations, thoroughly clean all surfaces of the cabinets with a combination of water and TSP (trisodium phosphate). Cleaning the cabinets is a crucial step in ensuring that the primer adheres well to the surface. After cleaning, blot dry using a cloth.
2. Remove all doors, drawers, and hardware.
Remove all doors and drawers and store them in a dedicated workstation. When painting, raise the doors from the workplace with painter's tripods. Remove all hardware from cabinets, doors, and drawers and place it in plastic bags. If your cabinets have detachable shelves, it is a good idea to remove those as well.
3. Scuff the Cabinet's Surface
Scuff the surface of the cabinet frames with folded medium-grit sandpaper or a sanding sponge. The quantity of scuffing required will be determined on the cabinet's present finish. Most sealed woods and painted finishes only need a gentle sand to roughen up the smooth surface. Scuff the doors and drawer fronts in the same way.
4. Remove All Dust
After scuffing, vacuum the dirt off the cabinet frame, doors, and drawers, then wipe away any residual dust with a tack cloth.
5. Prime Cabinets
Tape off the area surrounding the cabinets and apply a high-quality bonding primer with stain-hiding properties to the whole surface of the cabinets, following the manufacturer's directions. Apply the primer using a paintbrush to tiny areas, but move to a smaller roller for big flat surfaces.
If the current finish is oil-based, or you believe it is, apply an oil-based primer to guarantee that the latex paint adheres. Shellac-based primers are another excellent choice for forming a strong, long-lasting adhesive on a range of surfaces. Rep the priming procedure on the doors and drawer fronts, but leave the sides of the drawers unpainted to avoid an incorrect fit after reinstalling.
6. Complete any flaws
After the primer has dry, inspect all of the cabinet fronts for dents and repair any holes with a water-based wood filler. Simply spread the filler in with your finger or, for bigger holes, use a putty knife.
7. Spot-Prime sand and sand-prime sand
After the wood filler has dry, carefully sand the whole prepared surface with medium-grit sandpaper to smooth off any extra filler. Spot-prime the filled holes and lightly scuff once more when dry. A complete second coat of primer is not required with most primers, although it is not a terrible idea. Using a vacuum and a tack cloth, thoroughly clean off any dust and dirt.
8. Cabinets that have been painted
It's finally time to start painting. Coat all surfaces with a satin or semi-gloss finish with high-quality latex paint. These two sheens are ideal for this application because they create a mix between durability and brightness. As with the primer, coat tiny areas with a brush and larger areas using a smaller roller.
Keep an eye out for drips and runs while painting, especially around corners and in millwork details. Allow the frame, doors, and drawers to dry before determining if a second or even third coat is required. High-quality paints cover more on the initial coat, but successive coats provide substantial longevity, which is quite useful in this application.
9. Reinstall the doors, drawers, and hardware.
After the paint has dried completely, replace all door and drawer hardware and reinstall the doors and drawers on the frames.
After you read our article titled How to Repaint Kitchen Cabinets, you will have sufficient knowledge to do it yourself on a home project on the weekend. I encourage you to try it; it will be a very rewarding venture.
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