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Painting kitchen cabinets and installing new knobs is the perfect way to update an older kitchen without spending a lot of money. And, painting kitchen cabinets is easy to do.
First – remove the cabinet doors
The first step to painting kitchen cabinets is to remove all of the cabinet doors, followed by unscrewing the hinges and removing any hardware. Once this is completed, take the doors outside and wash then with a product like TSP to remove any built up grease or oil. Then lightly sand them with a fine grain sand paper – this will ensure that the paint adheres when you are painting kitchen cabinets. Second – sand the cabinet bases themselves
After you have sanded the cabinets, sand the bases with the same grade of sand paper, followed by taping off, with masking tape, any areas where the kitchen cabinets you are painting touch the walls or ceiling. This will ensure a professional finish and minimize any touchups that need to be done last. (If you are planning on permanently removing door handles, make sure that you fill the holes with painter’s putty and sand it flat before painting kitchen cabinets the new color.) Third – prime the cabinets and bases
When painting kitchen cabinets you don’t need to use a primer, but it is recommended. Primer is designed to bond to surfaces, and ensures that your actual paint color will go on smoother and easier. (Note: you can use either latex or oil-based paint and primer, but not both. While a latex paint dries much faster, within an hour or two, oil-based paint can take up to 24 hours. However, oil-based paint is more durable and it is generally recommended for high traffic areas such as when painting kitchen cabinets.) Fourth – paint the kitchen cabinets and bases
Once the primer has dried, begin the first of two coats of your finish color. Even though it is tempting to start the second coat right away, when painting kitchen cabinets you want to ensure that each coat is dry, otherwise the undercoat may smudge, leaving an ugly mark requiring you to sand it down and start all over. Fifth – reinstall the kitchen cabinet doors
Once the final coat of paint has dried for 24 hours, reinstall the hinges, and remove the masking tape. If you are planning to add new door handles, now is the time to do it, before the doors are re-hung. And lastly re-hang your painted kitchen cabinets and reposition any appliances such as your stove or refrigerator that you had moved out of the way. Sixth - enjoy!
Now, sit back and enjoy your updated kitchen with a cold beer or glass of wine and know that by painting kitchen cabinets yourself, you have a saved a small fortune. |
