Do you have some drab looking cabinets and the thought of buying new ones is just out of the question. One very simple answer is to paint over your old cabinets and breathe some new life into them. Painting over cabinets is really easy and if you follow three simple steps you will have some great looking cabinets that will last a long time.
Some folks just throw some paint on the cabinets and leave it at that. The problem with this is the coat of paint that has been applied just may not last long because there will be some issues with bonding. In order to get good bonding there are some steps that must be taken.
Painting Over Cabinets – Step 1 Cleaning
Before anything the cabinets doors and drawers must be cleaned as well as the face of the cabinets. Using some TSP and a rag will work, any grease or grime must be removed. The cabinets probably have a clear finish on them so for that they should be lightly sanded with some fine sand paper. This will help with the bonding. Also all hardware should be removed, such as door and drawer handles.
Painting Over Cabinets – Step 2 Priming
Once the cleaning has been done all of the surfaces need to be primed with an oil based primer. This can be accomplished with a brush and small cloth roller. The cloth roller needs to be of the finest nap so that when you roll the primer on it has a very fine smooth texture. Of course some areas need to be brushed on but going over all you can with a roller will produce a finer finish.
Painting Over Cabinets – Step 3 Painting
This will be the last step to having some beautiful new looking cabinets. As with priming the paint can be applied with a brush and a roller that again has a very fine nap for a smooth look. The paint should be a good quality oil based paint. The color is obviously your own choice. Just brush on the paint where you cannot reach with the roller and then go over the rest with the roller getting as close as you can to the brushed in areas for a nice smooth look. For an extra touch if you wanted to protect the finish you could put a protective clear coat of poly over top, however, this is not necessary. You should now be able to enjoy the new look of your cabinets at a much reduced cost than if you were to replace them.
