Changing the look of your kitchen doesn’t necessarily need major changes such replacing old kitchen cabinets, accessories and appliances with new ones. By doing little things like repainting your old kitchen cabinets, you can enjoy a major change in your kitchen. To paint kitchen cabinets without hassles, here are some steps you need to follow:
1. Remove all cabinet doors
The first step you need to do is to remove all cabinet doors. It will be much harder to prepare and paint them with the doors still attached. Remove the handles of knobs as well. Collect all the screws and set them aside so that you won’t have difficulties when reattaching them later.
2. Clean the cabinet parts
Old cabinets will most probably have a buildup of dirt, grease, food remnants and other residue. Cleaning them thoroughly is very important since the paint won’t adhere properly to these things. Wipe all parts with a rag dipped in an all-purpose cleaner and scrape or rub stubborn, dried grease spots with a Scotchbrite pad. Allow them to dry thoroughly afterward.
3. Sand the cabinet parts
After all the parts are dry, use a 150-grit or finer grit sandpaper and sand all of the surfaces, including the cabinet doors and drawer boxes. Sanding the surface will allow the primer stick better, thus resulting in a more durable paint job.
4. Apply the Primer
A primer helps the paint to adhere better to the surface. If the color you would like to repaint the cabinets matches the old color, this step might be skipped. Serious dents can be filled with putty. However, if you want to cover up any blemishes or defects, applying primer is crucial.
5. Apply the paint
After the primer is dry, start painting the cabinets using a pneumatic sprayer or a brush. A sprayer will give you a smooth finish, but if you don’t have one at home, and you don’t want to rent one, you can opt for 2.5″ to 3″ paintbrush. When applying the paint with the brush, start with a very thin coat. Use paint thinner if the paint seems too thick. After the first layer dries out, repeat with a second layer and so on. Painting kitchen cabinets layer by layer will result in a more durable painting job compared to an all-at-once thick coat.
6. Add glazing or coat
This is an optional step. For glossy looking cabinets, sand the newly painted cabinets with 400-grit fine sandpaper and apply the coat or glaze. The sanding is not aimed at removing too much paint. Instead, it is done so that the coat or color glazing adheres better to the surface.
7. Reattach the doors
After the painting steps are done and each item is thoroughly dry, reassemble all the cabinet doors to their proper places using the original hardware.
Now your kitchen makeover is finally done. Congratulations and enjoy your new kitchen.
Painting kitchen cabinets is one of the easiest ways to do a makeover of your kitchen. See more ideas on kitchen makeovers by clicking our link.
