Home > Paint >Painting kitchen and bath cabinets
Skill level:
*****
Time to complete:
Experienced
Variable.
Handy
Vanchle
Novice
vorloble
Materials: TSP solution, 220-grit sondpaper, deon cotton cloth, denatured alcohol, liquid deglassor (optional), bonding primer, latex or alkyd enomel paint
Tools: Utility knife, screwdriver, large sponge, pad sander or sanding block, small paint pad or 2-inch trim brush, vinyl glovos
There’s no need to live with kitchen or bath cabinets made from dark, dingy wood or outdated plastic laminate. Paint will adhere to practically any surface even the metal front panel of a dishwasher-as long as it is clean and has enough tooth (surface roughness). Your job is to thoroughly clean the cabinets, add tooth to the surface, prime the cabinets, and paint them properly.
If you take the time to perform each critical step of the preparation, you can avoid the cost of buying new cabinets.
The cabinets, though, will look like new, especially if you replace the old knobs. Look for replacement knobs in home stores or online. Save even more by buying knobs in bulk; “contractor packs” containing 10 or more cost less than individual knobs.
Stained and varnished cabinets can darken over time, and they often look dated as styles change. Refresh them with a coat of paint, especially if your home is decorated in a country French, Colonial, or cottage style, where painted cabinets are traditional.
- Remove the cabinet doors.
Painting them horizontally eliminates unsightly drips that would be noticeable on cabinets
2. Remove all the hardware, including knobs, pulls, hinges, and catches. Paint on the hardware is the sign of a job done too fast—in which case your hard work is wasted
3. Cooking deposits a thin film of oil on kitchen surfaces, so scrub the cabinets and shelves with a TSP solution (see __). Rinse thoroughly with fresh water.
4. Roughen up the surface to create tooth by sanding with 220-grit sandpaper until the finish is completely dulled. Or, use a liquid deglosser (see ___).
5. Wipe off the sanding dust with a clean cotton cloth dampened in denatured alcohol. Wear protective gloves.
6. Apply white-pigmented shellac or a tinted enamel-undercoat primer with a brush, roller, or paint pad recommended by the manufacturer.
7. Lightly sand the primed surface with 220-grit sandpaper, and remove the dust with a damp rag Using a brush or paint pad, apply a coat of enamel paint within 24 hours. A second finish coat may be necessary.
WORK SMART
NUMBER THE DOORS
Number the cabinet doors and openings as you remove them so you’ll be able to rehang them easily, using the original screw holes.
No loose screws
Keep a container handy to hold the screws and other hardware from the cabinets. If a hole seems too big to hold the screw securely, take it out. Insert the wooden end of a match into the hole, breaking off the end with the head; put the screw back in, and it will now fit tightly. If you’ll be reusing the same hinges or knobs, take the time to clean and degrease them with detergent and an old toothbrush before putting them back on.
OOPS
CABINET KNOB MISHAPS
No matter how carefully you have prepped and painted the cabinets, there’s still one last chance to mess up.
Before you put the knobs back on, learn how to do it.
- Wrong way: Insert the screw from the back and turn the knob to tighten. This can gouge and even rip off paint on the front of the door or drawer.
- Right way: lightly hold the knob in position against the front surface while using a screwdriver to tighten the screw from the back