The kitchen is often the most valuable room in your home, and it requires upgrading from time to time. There is no need to replace your cabinets when you can paint them. You have every color and stain option available to you, but you need to know how to complete the project properly. The steps listed here explain exactly how a pro paints kitchen cabinets.
Take these steps to heart, and you can transform your kitchen, the kitchen in an investment property, or begin a complete overhaul or every cabinet in your home. Learning how to paint kitchen cabinets is easier than you think. Just keep reading.
Remove the Doors, Drawers, and Hardware
When you plan to rejuvenate your kitchen, you must start by removing all the doors, drawers, and hardware. By doing this, you also see the face of each cabinet, get a clear view of the interiors, and have a blank slate with which to work.
Remove the hardware, set it aside, and determine if you need to replace it. In some cases, you can use the same hardware because your chosen color matches the hardware. If not, spend a little more money replacing the hardware.
Sand
Move the cabinet doors and drawers to a ventilated space, such as your garage or deck, for sanding. You can get a sander that allows you to scrape paint from every surface. While most kitchen cabinets taper or include molding-style edges, you must sand those areas by hand. Take the time to sand each surface until it is smooth. In most cases, you do not need to sand too much.
Over-sanding ruins your doors and drawers.
You also need to sand the face of each cabinet if you plan to paint it to match your cabinet doors and drawers.
Clean
Once your doors, drawers, and facings are smooth, you should wipe them down with a rag. A damp rag helps you clear away all debris from the sanding process. Debris left on the door during painting will get stuck to the door, and these little bits of wood stand out against a smooth surface.
You must allow your doors, drawers, and facings to dry before priming. Wet wood is not ready for painting.
Prime
When considering how to paint kitchen cabinet surfaces, remember that you have several flat surfaces along with nooks and crannies. You can use a small roller to paint the back of the door, the face of a drawer, and the face of each cabinet. A small foam brush helps get in all those difficult-to-reach creases.
Priming your kitchen cabinets, drawers, and facings requires an interior primer. You cannot simply use white paint. Primer helps cover any coloring or texture on the wood. You need a flat white surface to paint when the priming process is complete.
Start with the back of each door, allow it to dry, and move to the front. If possible, keep the doors elevated. Prime the drawer fronts, and prime the interior of each drawer if you like. You do not need to prime the interior of each cabinet, but you might want to if you find a color that suits your aesthetic.
Paint
Now that you are ready to paint your cabinet doors, remember that you need at least two coats of any color you choose. Dark colors need two coats to get full coverage. Light colors that need two coats of the white primer will show through.
Paint in the same location where you added primer so that you have proper ventilation. You must also open your windows as you paint the face of each cabinet. In some cases, you can paint the cabinets a different color than the doors.
Again, use a roller for the front and back, and ensure you have a clean foam brush for corners and molding.
Replace the Hardware
Allow your surfaces to dry overnight. You may need more than 24 hours to dry all your surfaces, and you should leave your windows open to ventilate the space. When these surfaces are no longer tacky to the touch, you can replace your hardware. Be as careful as possible when replacing your hardware because you do not want to damage your paint job.
You can replace the doors carefully, and you must ensure they hang level as they did before. Slide your drawers back in place, and enjoy your new kitchen.
As a side note—keep your paint cans closed and in a cool, dry place. You may want extra paint to repair your cabinets in the future.
The Bottom Line
Painting your kitchen cabinets like a pro is simple when you follow these basic tips. Set aside space for the project, and ensure that you work slowly so that you see the best results. You can choose any color you want, and you can even paint the faces and interiors of your cabinets to create a unique pattern or style. There’s no need to replace your cabinets because even builder-grade cabinets look perfect after completing this process.
Read more blogs: Kitchen remodeling tips and Kitchen wall decor ideas