Your kitchen is one of the most utilized rooms in your home. Here is where you spend a lot of time preparing food for your family. Giving it a nice makeover will always be a worthwhile activity. There are several options available for you to paint kitchen cabinets perfectly. You may hire a professional painter to paint kitchen cabinets. However, if you choose painting kitchen cabinets yourself, here are several kitchen cabinet painting tips to ensure that the heart of your home is a pleasant place to be around for a long time.
Preparation is key to saving on cabinet painting cost and time. Ensure that you check the prices of paint by visiting paint stores. Moreover, you need to make sure that you have all the tools and equipment you need before starting your painting projects and to paint a cabinet perfectly. For instance, you may need to rent a paint sprayer to ensure the best paint finishes.
Benefits of Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets
Aside from the obvious reason of saving the cost of hiring a professional painter, painting your kitchen cabinets yourself can be an empowering experience. It gives you the creative freedom to come up with any color scheme you like. Moreover, it can be an enjoyable activity that gives you a sense of accomplishment when done.
Before moving forward to some tips, here are some other benefits of painting kitchen cabinets:
Much Faster Process Compared to Demolishing and Removing Old Cabinets
Remember those times when you have to install or have someone install your new kitchen cabinet? How long did it take? This is also true if you want to get rid of your old cabinets. Demolishing takes too much time and effort. This is where painting cabinets come in. All you need is to prepare your supplies, clean the surfaces, sand, prime, and paint.
Allows You to Avoid Major Renovation
The thing with home improvement is that it can be an expensive and time-consuming process. With paint, you can give your kitchen a brand-new look without having to do major renovations. In addition, if you love your current kitchen layout, you will be able to keep it as it is without having to make drastic changes.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting is an Environmental Friendly Move
Demolition, taking out your old cabinets, and replacing them with new ones produces more waste than necessary. This is a major contributor to global warming and other environmental issues. With cabinet painting, you can restore your kitchen’s beauty without wasting new materials. Plus, there are many green options when comes to choosing the paint to use. So, if you are conscious of the environment, painting your kitchen cabinets is the way to go.
Paint Supplies You Need
Of course, you can just jump right into the action without all the necessary arsenals. To make sure you get a perfect finish, here are just some of the supplies you need for kitchen cabinet painting:
- Drop cloth
- Painter’s plastic
- Masking tape
- Sandpaper and sanding block
- Paint primer
- Paint
- Paintbrushes, roller covers, and foam applicators
The good thing about these supplies is that they are highly accessible and are available to virtually every hardware or paint store near you.
3 Painting Methods for Painting Kitchen Cabinets
If you are unfamiliar with the process of painting kitchen cabinets, it is important to know at least three different ways of doing so. Painting your kitchen cabinets can be a challenging task, especially if you are not familiar with the steps involved. Here are three methods to make things easier for you:
1. Paint Brush Method
Arguably the most common and simplest method, the paintbrush method is also the least expensive. All you need to do is prepare the surfaces before applying a primer coat and painting with brushes on all sides of your kitchen cabinets. Using a paintbrush allows you to reach those hard-to-reach corners and edges.
2. Paint Roller Method
If you want a more faster and even finish, the paint roller method is the way to go. This method is best used for flat surfaces and allows you to cover a large area in less time. Paint rollers are also great for applying primer coats. Make sure to prepare the surfaces properly before painting with the roller. Also, use a new roller cover for each coat.
3. Sprayer Method
The sprayer method is the most efficient of all three methods and produces the best results. This requires more skill and a bit of practice, but it definitely pays off in the end. A paint sprayer can help you get into hard-to-reach places on your cabinet doors and produce a smooth and even finish. Most paint sprayers have adjustable options to help you control the flow of paint, which makes it easier for you to achieve the desired finish.
Now, let’s proceed to some of the tips to help you get the best results when painting your kitchen cabinets!
Check the Condition of Your Kitchen Cabinets
Do your cabinet doors close correctly? Does each cabinet door have damage? Is your kitchen cabinet in good shape? Moreover, do you have previously painted cabinets?
Cabinet painting, or any painting project, requires much preparation. Before starting to paint kitchen cabinets, you need to ensure that your kitchen cabinets are in their best shape. Moreover, before proceeding to prep work, you need to ensure that the surface condition of your kitchen cabinets can take on the paint you select. You may paint over previously painted kitchen cabinets if these are in good condition. However, you may need to remove the paint, especially if you switch to lighter colors. Use a stripping product to remove the paint. Lightly sand the remaining paint before proceeding to prep work.
Another item to consider is what kind of finish you want for your kitchen cabinets. Since you frequently use your kitchen, you may feel a glossy finish for your cabinet doors. You may consider using a uniform color for your cabinets to save on cost. If you choose enamel paint for your kitchen cabinets, you need to think about acquiring safety equipment. Wet paint gives out harmful volatile gases you need to protect yourself from.
Repair Damaged Kitchen Cabinets
The first thing you need to do is to ensure that your existing cabinets are in good shape.
Ensure that your cabinet doors close properly. Ensure that all the cabinets are dust-free with no grime and grease. Place wood filler over any holes or dents that you find. If your new cabinet hardware doesn’t match the holes in the previous set-up, fill the holes with wood filler as well. There may be instances when you need to replace the hardware. Ensure that your cabinet frames are in perfect shape. Label your handles and fixtures to ensure that the right ones are placed once the painting project is done.
Prep Work
To prepare the cabinet doors and drawers for painting, you need to sand the painting surfaces lightly. Use sanding paper and a sanding sponge to ensure you produce a smooth surface for more challenging parts and edges. For flatter surfaces, use a rotary sander.
Apply Primer Before Painting Cabinets
Regardless of the paint you will be using for painting your kitchen cabinets, you need to ensure that the wood grain will take the paint well. Certain hardwoods are not paint-friendly. For instance, oak cabinets may not accept paint as well as birch cabinets. However, applying a primer coat before you paint cabinets is best to spare you the trouble of going through trial and error. You may use a roller or a paintbrush to apply the primer coat. You don’t need to worry about the unequal application. The point of using a primer is to prepare the cabinet surface to take paint well. Ensure that all painted surfaces will receive a primer coat.
Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets
The first place you will need to paint is the cabinet frames. You may use a paintbrush or a foam roller for those surfaces.
You may need multiple coats to ensure that your final coat can bring the best out of your kitchen cabinets. Apply the first coat with a foam roller. You may use the same foam roller for your second coat. However, you may need to spray paint your kitchen cabinets for the final coat to ensure the best finish.
When painting cabinet boxes, always start by painting the insides first. For cabinet doors, you must paint the back before painting the front. Note that you may apply one coat to the back surface of your cabinet doors. However, you will still need to use a primer coat to those unapparent surfaces.
Reassemble Your Kitchen Cabinets
If you want to refinish your kitchen cabinets:
- Apply spray paint before reassembling them. Once the paint is dry, you may clean the surfaces first.
- Reattach the handles and hardware according to how you label them.
- Reattach your kitchen cabinet doors once all the cabinet hardware is in place.
Cleaning Up
At this point, your kitchen will be ready to use! With a tack cloth, wipe out all the dust from your countertops once you remove the covers.
Final Thoughts
You can get so much satisfaction when you paint your kitchen cabinets. You can achieve the professional finish you are always looking for with high-quality paint and some acquired skill. However, any painting project takes time and effort. If you want to save time while ensuring a smoother finish for your kitchen cabinets, you can always call dependable painting professionals to paint kitchen cabinets for you. Chandler480 has decades of experience in a wide variety of painting jobs, including painting kitchen cabinets. We can assure you of good value once we work on your kitchen cabinets or other house painting needs. For a free estimate, call us at 480-930-2360, or contact us.