Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets in Six Steps

By Tony Evans

Painting your kitchen cabinets is a great alternative to purchasing new cabinets. Not only can you save a lot of money but if done correctly the results are fantastic.

The most simple way to complete this project is leave the inside of the cabinets unpainted . The inside is only seen when the cabinet is open so I would suggest that you not paint the inside. Plus if you don't paint the inside you don't have to remove everything from inside the cabinets.

Be sure the room is well ventilated because the primer and paint have a strong odor. You may need to use a fan placed close to a door or window in order to pull some of the fumes out of the house.

Step 1. Take off all of the cabinet hardware including all knobs, handles and pulls. Cover all counter tops and flooring using drop cloths or tarps. Leave the doors attached. Using painters tape, tape all the hinges on the doors.

Step 2. You will need to clean the cabinets using a cleaning solution such as TSP. This is a cleaning agent which is readily available at most hardware stores. Wash the exterior of all the cabinets that are to be painted using your cleaning solution. Allow the cabinets to fully dry and then sand them to a dull finish using a fine grit sandpaper.

Step 3. Prime cabinets using a good oil based primer such as BIN or Zinsser primer which you can also purchase at most hardware or paint stores. Apply a thin coat of primer using a short nap roller and a brush. Prime the front of the doors first then open and prime the backs of the doors. After priming the doors, prime the remainder of the exposed cabinets. After the primer is completely dry, take your fine grit sandpaper and lightly sand the cabinets.

Step 4. Paint the cabinets using a brush and short nap roller the same way you applied the primer. You can use either oil or latex (water based) paint. The oil is going to be more difficult to apply but will be more durable than the latex. If you do use oil paint, you may need to thin the paint using paint thinner so that you can achieve a smooth finish. Be careful and do not thin the paint too much. Start out by thinning the paint a very small amount and thin more if necessary. You will also need paint thinner for cleaning up the paint and primer.

Step 5. Once the cabinets are completely dry, lightly sand any bubbles that formed in the first coat of paint using fine grit sandpaper. Do not sand so hard that you remove the paint you just put on. Paint the final coat using the same method as before. Allow the cabinets to dry at least 24 hours before reattaching the knobs and pulls.

Step 6. If you used an oil paint, clean the brush and roller sleeve using paint thinner. If you used latex paint you can use regular tap water to clean your brush and roller sleeve. If you used an inexpensive brush and roller sleeve you may want to discard them instead of trying to clean them.

Painting cabinetry can be a tedious task so just take your time and follow the steps in this article. Following these guidelines I believe you will be pleased with the outcome.

Copyright (c) 2008 Smoky Mountain Painting
The author is the owner of Smoky Mountain Painting and has over thirty years experience in the home improvement industry. For more information visit http://www.smokymountainpainting.com
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