Your kitchen serves as the hub of your home, so if you ever decide to sell, make it a “wow”-worthy space. This doesn’t mean you must redo your kitchen completely; instead, something as easy as painting your cabinets might drastically alter the area. Refinishing your kitchen cabinets is one of the best expenditures you can make for your kitchen. We’ll guide you through painting kitchen cabinets step by step.
Step 1: Remove Doors, Drawers and Hardware
Cabinet doors, drawers, and hardware must be taken out before painting. If you want to reuse the hardware, keep it secure by putting it in a Ziploc bag. Numbering your doors will make it easier to recall their locations when necessary. This could seem like a great idea, but it is a waste of effort because you’ll be painting over the numbers anyway. I installed new, black hinges in lieu of the golden ones I had previously removed. Since everything was already in place, reinstalling the doors was straightforward, although I did need to play a little musical door. It will be fine if you wish to use an entirely different hinge.
Step 2: Clean and Sand the Cabinet Surfaces
It’s time to start the power cleaning stage of kitchen cabinet repair after removing every door, drawer, and piece of hardware. Scrub the surface first with a water and Dawn dish soap solution. Scrub using a green Scotch Brite pad, then Dry with paper towels after rinsing with water. Clean the area once again using a green Scotch Brite pad and a 50/50 solution of denatured alcohol and water. Finally, use paper towels to pat it dry. Use a 220 grit sanding pad or sponge to smooth the surfaces after cleaning.
Step 3: Mask the Area
This step is the most time-consuming. The floorboards surrounding the cabinets and window holes should all be covered if you don’t want them painted. After everything has been taped off, it’s time to begin painting your cabinets.
Step 4: Apply Primer to Your Kitchen Cabinets
I suggest using a primer that prevents stains, such as the General Finishes water-borne Stain Blocker.
While you could prime with a brush, I found an HVLP sprayer with a 1.3mm air cap set to be more effective. Spraying the kitchen cabinet doors requires more finesse than spraying the frames. I built a revolving platform out of painter pyramids to paint the doors.
You must also choose a location for the doors to dry. While most cabinet refinishers use drying racks, I drilled a little hole at the end of the door where it wouldn’t be seen, fastened a tiny hook, and used wire to hang the items in my garage.
Applying primer to the drawers in your kitchen cabinets is straightforward. Use masking tape and regular paper to cover the drawer boxes, then prime the faces. It is recommended to gently apply two coats of stain blocker primer, let each skin dry for two hours, and then sand the surface with 220 grit paper. To hasten the primer’s drying time, you may add an accelerator.
Step 5: Apply Cabinet Paint
Use premium cabinet paint, such as General Finishes’ White Poly or Milk Paint. Spray White Poly or Milk Paint cabinet paint in one or two layers, let each coat dry for one to two hours, and then sand with 220 grit paper between coats. At this stage, you can finish or add a clear topcoat like General Finishes Clear Poly. I decided to add a Van Dyke Brown Glaze appearance after completing the Antique White Milk Paint and considering the faded, shabby chic appearance.
Step 6: Apply Clear Coat to Your Cabinets
Clear paint, such as the flat, satin, semi-gloss, or gloss General Finishes water-borne Clear Poly, should be applied in two or three layers. After an hour or two, use 220 to sand between coats. For a speedier turnaround, use General Finishes Accelerator. Install the new hardware about an hour after the final clear coat is applied. Enjoy the stunningly upgraded look of your kitchen straight away.