HOW TO PAINT YOUR KITCHEN CABINETS

Painting kitchen cabinets can be a relative easy and straight forward job provided that you follow the basic steps as discussed below. These are general guidelines but kitchens are manufactured in different materials such as MDF (medium density fibre) board, laminated particle board and hard wood and each can present different problems when paint is applied. The finishing on cabinets can also be of a wide variety such as varnish, furniture oil or wax and other clear finishes such as lacquer. Each of these also need to be treated differently before applying paint. It makes sense to do a bit of research before you jump in and start painting. I have been painting all kinds of kitchens as part of my business and published a book “PaintingKitchen Cabinets – a do it yourself guide” in which you will find everything you need to know to paint your kitchen cabinets.

Painted kitchen cabinets

1. Stripping and cleaning

This is the first step and all doors and drawers should first be labelled before disassembled. Also remove all hardware and hinges before cleaning. Cleaning is vital because kitchen cabinets collect a lot of dirt and grease over time that must be removed before you start painting. I use or All Surface Prep.

2. Fixing and Repairing.

If you have cabinets that are damaged or have dents or scratches, you should now do repairs. Dents, holes and scratches can be filled with wood filler and sanded to a smooth finish before proceeding.

3. Sanding

I list this as a separate step because of its importance. No matter what type of existing finish you are dealing with, sanding is absolutely essential to get a smooth finish or when paining smooth finishes such as melamine, to roughen up the surface to provide a key for the paint to stick to. Start off with a 220 grit sand paper and finish with a 360 grit paper. Also always sand between coats with a 220 grit sand paper. If you have a lot of cabinets to paint you should invest in an electric orbital sander.

4. Priming

If you are painting a new surface, it is best to apply a wood primer. On previously painted surfaces you can use an under coat. The general rule is that a under coat is always a primer but a primer is not always an under coat. Different surfaces may require different under coats but in general it is best to use  a multi surface undercoat such as  Rust – Oleum Bulls Eye Multi Surface Primer. This is a water based product that is easy to apply and brushes and paint equipment is cleaned with water and soap.

5.Best paint for kitchen cabinets

You are now ready to start painting. The question is what type of paint will be best for kitchen cabinets? In the past most kitchen cabinets were painted with oil based paints but in recent years there was a shift to more eco-friendly water based paints. I would suggest a water borne Alkyd paint such as Benjamin Moore’s Advance range of paints. Other manufacturers such as Dulux also have a specialized kitchen paint.

To find out more about painting your kitchen cabinets get my e-book  "Painting Kitchen Cabinets - a do it yourself guide"

Kitchen cabinets refinished in white distressed

Painting Kitchen Cabinets - Plan Before You Paint

Do not believe people who say that you can paint kitchen cabinets without preparation. Preparation is the key to getting a professional looking end product. Time spent on preparation will be time well spent.

  

Planning

Before you jump into painting make time to plan the job and resolve issues such as:

Choosing a paint color. This is a personal preference but as a general guide pastel colors go well with differe kitchen styles. Bold colors such as red, blue etc. can be more difficult but it remains your choice. If you are unsure of the color, get a sample from your paint dealer and test it before you decide.

Painted kitchen cabinets

Where to paint. Get a convenient space (such as a garage or basement) to do the preparation and painting. Remember it is going to take you the best part of a week or two to get the job done and you don’t want to move all your stuff after each painting session.

What paint to use. This issue will be discussed in more depth in chapter 4. Not all paints are the same. My advice is to stick to well known brands and do not buy the cheapest you can get. Your best choice will be a water based acrylic paint that is suitable for kitchen cabinets.

How much paint to use. To determine the volume of paint required, you will have to calculate the square footage/meters to be painted. The best way is to measure the total visible area and multiply by 2 (Length x width x 2) to cover the inside of doors and drawers. The steps are as follows:

Step 1: Measure the length of the top cabinets (in inches) and multiply by the height and by two (for both sides).

Step 2: Measure the length of the bottom cabinets and multiply times the height times 2.

Step 3: Ad the two totals and divide by 144 to get the square feet that needs to be covered.

The directions on the paint can usually indicate the area that can be covered by a liter of paint. Try and buy enough paint from the same batch to ensure color consistency. Keep surplus paint for future touch ups.

Numbering the doors and drawers to be painted. By numbering the doors and the corresponding cabinet boxes, the re-assembling of the doors will be easy.

Getting tools and equipment together. Apart from brushes, rollers, masking tape etc. You will also need floor covering such as plastic sheeting or a drop sheet from your paint dealer.

Before you can start painting the following should be done:

Disassemble doors and remove hardware

All the doors and drawers must be removed. Make sure that you have numbered the doors so that they can be replaced in the same positions. Remove all handles, hinges and other hardware. Put these in plastic bags and number each plastic bag the same as the door so that they don’t get mixed up.

Clean up

This can be a messy job but it is essential to clean doors, boxes etc. It is amazing how much grease and dirt collect on kitchen cabinets over time. Use a strong detergent such as TSP or sugar soap. Wash with a firm brush or scrubber. Rinse with clean water and let it dry completely before the next step. Remove as much as you can from the kitchen boxes and also clean the insides. Most boxes are white on the inside and do not necessarily have to be re-painted. Cleaning the insides will be more than enough.

Masking

To protect areas such as floors, walls, countertops, appliances etc. proper masking is vital. Make sure that adequate floor covering is put down. A drop sheet or a plastic sheet is ideal.

Repair cracks, dents and scratches

Since you are painting the cabinets, watermarks will be covered by the paint but other blemishes can now be fixed. Use wood filler to fill dents and scratches and when dry, sand to a smooth finish with 220 grit sand paper. Re-glue wobbly door frames if necessary.

Pianting kitchen cabinets can be a major project and making the wrong decisions may cost you dearly. In my e-book  "Painting Kitchen Cabinets - a DIY guide" you will find all the information ypu will need to avoid costly mistakes.