What is the Best Way to Paint Cabinets?
A fairly easy and inexpensive remodeling option for a kitchen or bathroom is to paint cabinets. Applying a fresh coat of paint to cabinets will freshen the look of old, chipped, or faded cabinets and using a new color will completely change the look of the room. While painting cabinets is simple, it is a lengthy process that is done in stages, so keep in mind that whenever you paint cabinets, it is a good idea to set aside a few days.
The best way to paint cabinets is to start by gathering the necessary tools: several paint brushes, painting tape, several rags or paper towels for clean-up, floor protection, a can of bonding primer and a can or two of glossy paint. Set up several tables covered with newspaper or some other protective covering. This is where you will paint the cabinet doors.
The next step is to take apart the cabinets in a systematic manner. Take off all doors and hinges. Put all doorknobs, hinges and their corresponding screws into small zippered sandwich bags and then put all the sandwich bags together in a larger bag. Taking the time to do this will keep everything organized and the re-attachment phase will be much easier.
Before you paint cabinets, you need to prepare them. If the old paint or wood finish is exceptionally smooth and glossy, some mild sanding will be necessary; just enough to roughen the surface, to allow the new paint to adhere more easily.
After the doors and surfaces of the cabinets have been sanded, clean them with soap and water from top to bottom. Remove any debris, cobwebs, dust, or build-up. When the cabinets have dried completely, apply painting tape next to the edges of the cabinets on the walls, counter tops, floor or other surfaces. This will prevent paint going where you don't want it. Lay the doors flat on the tables covered with surface protection.
The cabinets are now ready to be primed. Brush on the bonding primer just like paint. Use one brush for primer and different brushes for paint. Two coats of bonding primer are recommended, with a four-hour drying time between applications. This is where it becomes time consuming to paint cabinets. If you choose to paint the inside of your cabinet doors, you will need to apply primer to one side, allow it to dry for four hours, and then apply it to the other side, with another four hour drying time. If you time it correctly, two coats of primer can be applied to both sides of each cabinet door in one day.
After the primer has dried completely on both sides of the cabinet doors, the real fun begins! Paint the cabinets with steady, easy strokes. Watch as the room is transformed with a fresher, better look. Allow each coat of paint to dry for at least four hours between paintings, and play to apply two to three coats.
Wait at least a day for the paint to dry before re-attaching the doors to the cabinets. First put the hinges on the doors and then put the doors back on the cabinets. Make sure hinges are tight so the doors will hang correctly. Then put any doorknobs back into place and remove the painting tape. Lastly, sit back and enjoy a job well done!
Written by Paulla Estes
