How To Refinish Kitchen Cabinets – When is the best time for my exterior painting project? March 27, 2020 Can open kitchen cabinet hinges be painted? April 7, 2020
Painting the cabinets is a cost-effective way to update the style and decor of your kitchen. If you have outdated kitchen cabinets, repainting them is a great idea. Before painting your kitchen cabinets as a DIY project, it’s important to determine whether you’re using a water- or oil-based primer and paint.
How To Refinish Kitchen Cabinets
If you already have paint on your cabinets, you should check if your kitchen cabinets are painted with oil or water-based paint. Once you understand this, it will help you choose the right color to paint your kitchen cabinets.
Refinishing Kitchen Cabinets
Although latex could be used instead of oil, it may not adhere well to the surface. If you don’t have old paint, you can choose a water-based product that is easier to work with. Although an alkyd-coated oil primer is the best for most DIY situations, it’s not easy for beginners.
After choosing the paint – latex or oil – you need to choose the degree of gloss. We recommend choosing a satin finish for kitchen cabinets. But semi-gloss should be your choice if you want more shine. Cabinets can be easily cleaned later if you paint them with a quality product regardless of the sheen.
It’s always best to shop at stores where professionals do it. Check out our blog on kitchen cabinet primers. If you are using a low quality product, it may be a good idea to use an oil primer. For a DIY kitchen cabinet painting job, you will need a variety of tools and materials including:
Depending on the products you choose, you will need other items as some of them are different. Let us walk you through the steps involved in painting kitchen cabinets.
Kitchen Cabinets: Reface, Refinish, Or Replace? — Wood & Co
To begin your DIY kitchen cabinet refinishing project, follow the nine-step process below for the best possible results:
If your kitchen cabinets are greasy, the primer will not stick to the cabinets properly unless you clean them properly with a grease gun. We use a three-step cleaning process to try to get all the missing spots out, forcing us to go over the cabinets several times.
You’ll also want to clean any areas you may need to tape, as dirty tape has trouble sticking. In short, you may need a dean in more than just offices. Be sure to clean the area around the microwave or stove and any areas where the tape is to be attached.
Trisodium phosphate is usually the preferred cleaning agent. In the US, some states have banned the use of phosphates. So if you can’t find trisodium phosphate at a hardware store, you can choose a phosphate-free product. These products can cause gluing problems if not used correctly, so we do not recommend them for DIY projects.
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For easy grease removal, we recommend using a strong grease remover and a green cleaning pad. You can spray the cleaner directly on the wood cleaner and then wipe them off before using clean water to rinse with a damp cloth to remove the cleaner.
Cover floors and work surfaces before starting to avoid scratching surfaces you don’t want to paint. Scratching is another problem that needs to be addressed before you start. Use rosin paper to cover counters and drop cloths to protect floors. You can use masking tape to hold the form in place.
First, remove all drawer pulls and knobs from doors and drawers. We recommend putting the screws back into the ends and pulling them back. The organization makes installation much quicker as they may not be for everyone.
For all hinges, remove one screw attached to the cabinet frame. Be extra careful not to drop any doors. It might be a good idea to get help. Also remove the two screws securing the hinges to the door. You may need to use a tool to remove the hinges.
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We recommend all screws separated by size in a sandwich bag. All unique souls must be distinguished; you may also want to take pictures before splitting them.
If you have cup hinges, you may see two additional screws that allow you to adjust the position of the door after installation. There is no need to do anything with the adjustment screws. Leave them as they are and be sure to keep the hinges in the cabinet they came from to put them back in the same place.
At this stage you need to sand the surfaces. The goal is to rub the surfaces. This way the primer sticks to it. You may want to purchase a variety of sandpapers to help you choose the right sandpaper. You can use fine sandpaper for contoured or rounded surfaces. Also, be careful with the sandpaper not to leave scratches on the surface as they can show through the last layers.
This step is very important if you are using water-based primers, as they are more prone to sticking issues. Vacuum the surfaces and wipe them with a cloth. This will remove any remaining dust particles.
Comparing Cabinet Refinishing Vs. Cabinet Refacing — Absolute A Painting Company
You can use masking tape and plastic or masking paper to mask adjacent surfaces and the inside of cabinets. Paper, plastic wrap, and tape protect all other surfaces that may be splashed with paint. Masking is useful for leaving areas you don’t want to paint. This can also be the most important step for a DIYer, since they don’t have as much painting experience as a professional painter.
Next, cut where your kitchen cabinets meet the ceiling, wall, or floor. This allows you to use the tapered brush precisely. After trimming the edges with a brush, use a 4-inch mini roller with a foam sleeve to reduce brush marks.
We always recommend applying two coats of primer but allowing it to dry between coats. Two coats are required for oak cabinets to prevent staining and bleeding through the finish layers.
After priming and before painting, take the time to repair any wood defects. Maybe a nail hole in the side of the cabinet. After priming, you need to make sure that the wood putty adheres well to the surface. You can also sand down any areas that may not be as smooth as you would like. If you sand something down to bare wood, prime it again. Before proceeding to the next step, all surfaces should be lightly sanded to obtain the smoothest possible finish.
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After successfully priming, repairing and sanding the cabinets, it’s time to apply the first coat of paint to the prepared surfaces. The best way to do this is similar to priming using a different brush and a mini roller. The mini roller leaves small brush marks and helps achieve a smooth finish. Usually you have to wait at least 3-4 hours.
When the first layer dries, it’s time to apply the second layer. Wait another 4 hours – for the paint to dry properly. Sometimes you may need to do more than two finishing coats. With foam rollers, the finish is close to spraying without a sprayer, making the paint very thin.
Before moving on to the next step of discovery, make sure the cabinets look good. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for coating and drying times.
Stripping is the final step in your kitchen cabinet painting project that you undertake. We recommend waiting at least 24 hours before reinstalling doors and drawers. You want to use a razor blade and carefully cut away the paint between the tape and the cabinets. It would help if you still pull very slowly and at an angle so that the tape is almost folded back on itself.
How To Refinish Kitchen Cabinets Without Sanding
This technique helps because you can remove the paint from the wall or cabinet. Now you can carefully put everything back together, being extra careful not to damage the new finish.
Enjoy your updated stylish kitchen. In summary, painting kitchen cabinets as a DIY project is not easy for everyone. Therefore, careful planning, the right tools and materials, and following the above steps can help you. You can do a lot more research on other topics with the covers and the products used.
Good luck! If you want to know how much it might cost to have your kitchen cabinets professionally painted, schedule an appointment with us if you’re in the Cleveland area. You can find out a lot more on our website, and a lot of information about prices.
This project involved removing the wallpaper to paint the interior, we also repurposed it to paint the oak rail system. Our oak staining process involves thorough cleaning before applying 2 coats of primer followed by 2 coats.
Refinish Dated Oak Cabinets
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