Tips on Painting Cabinetry

We’re going to be honest: painting cabinetry is not an easy task. Many influencers tout on social media that anyone can do a simple cabinet DIY project, but there is a lot to consider before you tackle that task. Beginners should leave this job to the professionals, as it’s time consuming and expensive to ensure you do it right. Smaller projects may have a little more room for learning errors, but if your project is large, such as a kitchen or bathroom, you will want those cabinets to be flawless.

Before you get far down the path, make sure you investigate what your current cabinets are made of. The paint you use will depend heavily on the cabinet material. Wood is porous, absorbing some of the paint, but materials like laminate will have a much harder time getting paint to stick. You’ll also need to know what type of finish, such as a stain or glaze, is already on the cabinet. This will help you determine what type of prep work is needed. Most of the time, all finishing layers must be stripped away, which is time-intensive and can be hazardous due to the required chemicals.

You’ll also want to honestly assess your cabinets to ensure they’re in good enough shape to paint them. You don’t want to spend weeks of time and hard work painting cabinetry that really just needs to be replaced. It’s important that you’re solid in your decision as well because once you paint a stained or glazed wooden cabinet, you won’t be able to go back to that. If you want to change them in the future, your only option is to paint them again.

Going Forward

If you’ve committed to painting your cabinets, it certainly can be an awesome change. If you’re ready to invest the time and hard work into painting cabinets, we recommend following these steps:

1. Protect countertops and walls with brown builder’s paper or rosin. You don’t want to ruin your cabinets or create added painting projects in the process.
2. Remove all doors, drawer fronts, and hardware. This may take some time, but it will be worth it for an expert finish.
3. Labels all the doors and drawer fronts and create a sketch that corresponds the numbers so putting them back will be a breeze.
4. Remove the grease and clean the cabinets thoroughly. Sand them down, but don’t go overboard.
5. The first coat should be a fast-drying primer. Then decide if you want to fill the open grain to make the cabinets look smoother.
6. Vacuum and wase a tack cloth to pick up dust to maximize paint smoothness.
7. Double check for defects after the priming process and address them now. Lightly sand between each coat.
8. Paint with a mini roller and follow the wood grain. If you want a brush look, paint with a roller first, then use a brush at the end. If you use a brush, make sure it’s top quality.
9. Wipe the edges to avoid a buildup of dry paint on ridges.
10. Consider a sprayer for large tasks.

If you need a change and are unsure about painting, contact us for some guidance.