Painting kitchen cabinets is possible either with or without dismantling of doors and drawers, and using key or tape labels to indicate where each hinge needs to go for easy reassembly is recommended.
Start by scuffing cabinet and drawer surfaces with a foam sanding block to provide an adhesive surface for primer to adhere to. Next, prime with high-hiding acrylic primer such as Fresh Start in order to ensure your chosen color lasts as intended.
Preparation
Oil-based paint offers strong adhesion while producing less fumes than its water-based counterparts, but the process requires using chemicals like turpentine or mineral spirits to clean tools and spills, and can produce heavy fumes when painting over large areas.
Before beginning, choose an outside work space outside the kitchen in which to set up your tools and work table. A garage may provide more ventilation or you could choose an unused room within your house as long as rosin paper can be taped down to protect floors from dust or paint drips. Plastic sheeting will protect other areas from paint spillage too!
Start by sanding all cabinet surfaces using medium-grit sandpaper (120-150 grit). This step should not remove existing finishes but instead creates an uneven surface that helps primer and paint adhere more securely. Finally, vacuum or rub down with a tack cloth to eliminate dust generated during this step.
Primer
Primer is essential to creating an long-lasting cabinet painting job. It seals away any imperfections and ensures the topcoat adheres securely, giving a perfect even finish and seamless coverage.
Whenever cabinets are stained, use a stain-blocking primer. These sealants help seal stains including tannins that could otherwise leak through topcoat and ruin its finish look.
Protecting your work area with plastic tarps, rosin paper or masking tape is vitally important to achieving professional cabinet painting results. Failing to do so could result in millions of tiny primer specks in your final cabinet finish which could take weeks (or even months) to remove. Furthermore, allow enough time for both paint and primer to fully cure as most labels provide guidance. This ensures your finished product will withstand daily kitchen wear and tear!
Paint
Once the wood and primer have dried, you are ready to apply a finish. Choose a durable urethane alkyd enamel that can withstand frequent use; at minimum two coats will need to be applied; depending on manufacturer guidelines allow 2-4 hours between coat applications of paint for drying time – using fans or working in low humidity environments can help speed this up considerably.
When painting natural wood cabinets, no prior sanding should be necessary before painting them. Particleboard or medium-density fiberboard (MDF), however, will need an effective bonding primer in order to hold on to paint evenly.
Use a foam roller for the bulk of the cabinetry painting, while an angled brush should be used for detailed work. For optimal results, experiment with various roller sleeves (mohair, microfiber and foam may all create smooth surfaces that require little sanding between applications). If painting over existing hardware, label hinges and knobs with tape so you can reinstall them later.
Finish
Your cabinet finish choice will greatly influence how easy and long-term wear and tear is managed, and should also take into consideration any possible eggshell or flat paint finishes that might rub off easily if they become scratched or scuffed. For optimal performance and ease of cleaning, opt for satin paint finishes instead as these will offer greater scuff resistance and easy wipe-down ability.
Choose a semi-gloss or gloss finish resistant to mildew and stains for long-lasting cabinet paint jobs, as this will protect it against mildew and stains. Also look for high-quality acrylic latex paint designed specifically for wood surfaces or an oil-based enamel and alkyd paint that dries with an elegant factory-like finish.
Oil-based paint dries hard and tough against scraping and rubbing, yet requires chemicals such as turpentine to clean brushes and tools while emitting harmful fumes during drying. A newer hybrid category of alkyd paints called waterborne alkyds emit lower VOCs while drying to a durable satin finish with self-levelling features so the finished look is smooth and even.
