whats the best way to paint kitchen cabinets

avril 10, 2022 Enregistrer un commentaire

Finally – everything I know nigh painting cabinets, condensed into one identify. And information technology all applies to painting furniture too!

Painting your cabinets, especially a whole kitchen full of cabinets, can be a daunting DIY project. Every bit with most things in life, there'due south no one "right" way to do it, but at that place sure are lots of wrong ways!

If this is your first fourth dimension painting cabinets or furniture, and aren't quite sure how to practise it well (so yous just have to do it in one case!) then you've come up to the right place.

I'll show you what supplies yous demand based on the type of material y'all're painting, which method works best for busy families, and answer all the nearly frequently asked questions I hear from readers.

Here's the outline, if you lot want to skip to whatsoever particular section:

The Products
The Method
The Ifs, Ands, & Buts – FAQs

Everything I Know Nearly Painting Cabinets

I'yard not sure exactly how it happened, only over the final few years, I've become reluctantly experienced at painting cabinets. (Mayhap because I proceed buying ugly houses.) I never set out to go a professional person painter, but I've saved so much money over the years that it feels like my second job.

I've painted kitchen cabinets, bath cabinets, RV cabinets, file cabinets, not to mention dressers, chairs and tables. They've been wood, laminate, stained, and unfinished, Oak, Maple, brand new, 40 years old, and everything in between.

With each project I've learned a few things, which I've shared in web log posts along the mode. I'll be linking to those projects in a minute, so you can see all the details.

What you need to know about painting kitchen cabinets, the products, the process and the FAQs.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small-scale commission at no additional cost to yous.

But first, why write withal some other cabinet painting post?

I decided to write this post, by and large to bring all my experience into ane identify for easy admission, merely too because I've noticed something troubling over the years…

The painting products keep changing!

My most popular cabinet painting post uses products that, as of this writing, are condign very difficult to source and purchase.

I tin't stand the idea of someone reading my post, getting excited most the product, and then going off to buy it and not finding it and so they stop up dorsum at foursquare one, unable to start their project.

Or worse, getting halfway through the project and not beingness able to finish!

So hither I'll explain how to notice the right products to paint your cabinets, what methods work best, and reply your about often asked questions about the whole project.

Selecting the Correct Cabinet Painting Products

This is it, y'all. This is why you're here, right? You desire to paint your cabinets, just you don't know what kind of paint, primer, and tools to use.

Maybe you're standing in the pigment shop this very moment, examining your options. The possibilities seem countless, and if you option the incorrect one, you could end upwardly with a mess on your hands and so many hours wasted on an unsuccessful project.

Don't worry, you've come to the right place, and I'1000 not going to let that happen.

I am going to give yous three best-exercise options for chiffonier painting products, ranked in gild of my favorite to least favorite (but notwithstanding useful) options, along with why I recommend each 1.

Plus I'll share more options for painting laminate cabinets, in example you're dealing with cabinets or piece of furniture that aren't real woods.

Let's dive into the options…

Option 1: DecoArt Satin Enamels

Oh Satin Enamels, how do I beloved thee? Let me count the ways.

You don't drip or smudge. You don't need sanding or priming. You lot don't demand a top coat. I can basically just slap you on and stand back and admire my handiwork. And nothing seems to stick to or stain your slick surface.

Why, oh why, have you gone abroad from me?

Painting wood cabinet with dark blue DecoArt Satin Enamel paint

Lamentations aside, permit'south chat most DecoArt Satin Enamels. This is the product I used on my All-time Mode to Paint Kitchen Cabinets (No Sanding!) projection. I loved the easy procedure and the durable finished product, and I still practice.

If you lot can get your hands on DecoArt products, this is absolutely the best paint for cabinet painting projects.

I used to buy them at arts and crafts stores like Hobby Anteroom or Michaels. And they were always available on Amazon. But lately, they've been hard to find. DecoArt assures me that their pigment is all the same available straight through their website, only I've heard that some colors are not listed anymore.

That'due south why I've come up up with the next option, a very shut 2d choice.

Pros & Cons of Option 1 (Satin Enamels)

Pros: very easy to use and apply. Strong durable terminate. No sanding, very trivial prep work, no primer and no elevation coat needed.

Cons: Can exist hard to go the products. Limited color selection.

Choice 2: Valspar or Behr Cabinet and Furniture Enamel

Valspar (at Lowe'southward) and Behr (at Abode Depot) both make a practiced cabinet and furniture enamel, similar to the concept of the Satin Enamels in choice 1.

A can of Valspar Cabinet and Furniture Enamel

These enamels tend to exist a little thinner consistency, which can result in paint drips if you're not careful equally you apply the paint. This the only reason they're not still my #i choice.

But every bit long as you utilise the paint somewhat lightly, your finish will turn out great. Yous may demand ii or three coats of paint, which is true of all the paint options.

The great thing about these cabinet enamels is you can have them mixed in any color you lot choose. The Valspar paint is also available in both Satin and Semi-gloss finish, which is prissy.

To use the Valspar or Behr option, you would follow the same process as the Satin Enamels, which you can notice in this cabinet painting post or outlined beneath. As with the Satin Enamels, these paints require no sanding and very piddling prep. It'southward basically the Satin Enamels process, just with a more than accessible paint.

The first brush stroke of gray paint on white cabinets

Pros & Cons of Option 2 (Cabinet Enamel)

Pros: You lot can find this paint at either Lowes or Home Depot and arrive it in almost any colour you want. Simply every bit durable and easy to prep as pick 1. No primer or elevation coat necessary.

Cons: The consistency is a little thinner, then you demand to be a piffling more careful when applying to avoid drips.

Selection 3: Alkyd Paint, Primer, and Sanding

"Alkyd" paint is basically an oil paint suspended in a water base. That makes awarding and make clean upwardly easier, merely gives you the durability of oil paint. Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams both make a great Alkyd product.

This option is perfectly acceptable, and indeed for many years was the "correct" style to paint cabinets. It'southward the production I used on my outset kitchen chiffonier painting project, after much enquiry. Years afterward, it has stood the test of fourth dimension.

White kitchen cabinets with gray granite countertop — We did ane of our flip house kitchens in Sherwin Williams Alabaster

Even so, it'south the near labor intensive method, and requires sanding, which really makes a mess in your kitchen. If you want to go one-time school and get the satisfaction of knowing you've given your project every possible hazard of success, you tin can't become wrong with sanding, priming, and finishing with Alkyd paint.

I personally believe that, while absolutely right, this way of painting cabinets causes the most upheaval on your household and family, so it's not the way I'd practice it again.

Before you make your selection, read more about the whole process in my original kitchen chiffonier painting mail service here.

White kitchen cabinets on dark wood floor.

Pros & Cons of Option three (Alkyd Paint)

Pros: Can be mixed in any color. Easily available at Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams. Beautiful and durable terminate.

Cons: Takes a long time to dry between coats. Requires sanding and primer.

Products for Laminate Cabinet Painting

This mail service would not be complete without touching on the subject of laminate cabinets. These are my two recommended options for painting any sort of not-wood cabinet or piece of furniture:

DecoArt Chalk Paint and Satin Enamels

As in Choice ane above, this is my favorite method for painting laminate, and the method I used on my camper's laminate cabinets. Just alas, the products can be hard to find. So the adjacent option is my new favorite for laminate.

Zinsser BIN primer and Valspar Chiffonier/Furniture Enamel

If you've never used Zinsser BIN primer earlier, allow me introduce yous to a game changer. This stuff is THE All-time for roofing stains or knot holes and adhering paint to slippery surfaces.

I would use it on everything except that it'south overkill for most projects. It's a shellac based product, which makes it the perfect bridge between paint and surface. Simply it'due south too stinky, and cleanup is difficult because it's not water based.

So maybe it's over the superlative for some things, but information technology does a dandy chore of gluing pigment to laminate. I haven't yet written a post about this, merely we used it on a chiffonier at our latest flip house and it worked fifty-fifty better than chalk paint for adhering the enamel to the laminate.

This would be my #1 pick if information technology weren't for the fumes and more than hard cleanup. To solve those problems, simply use acceptable ventilation and plan on disposing of your rollers and brushes subsequently, rather than trying to wash them.

All the Cabinet Painting Supplies other than Paint

Once yous've picked your paint and primer, you still demand tools to utilise them. Here are all the other supplies you'll need. (These are all the same, regardless of which type of pigment you cull.)

Krud Kutter – for cleaning before painting
Mohair Paint Roller and handle – for rolling pigment on larger flat areas
Soft Paintbrush – I like a one″ brush for details and edges
Painter's Tape – for taping off edges and for labeling doors
Caulk – for filling seams between and around the edges of cabinets. This clasp tube doesn't crave a caulk gun and tin exist easier to control, particularly for beginners.

A Notation About Wood Grain

I love the subtle hint of Oak wood grain that barely shows through my pigment job. Information technology makes me feel proficient near having solid wood cabinets and adds a richness to the color. But that's merely my opinion. If you want to get rid of yours, I recommend this method for covering wood grain.

The Best Method for Painting Cabinets

Finding the right painting products is only half the boxing. Now you need to know what to exercise with them. Hither'due south the method I use on ALLLL my chiffonier painting projects to save time, infinite, and sanity.

The secret? Unless you are painting the insides of your cabinets (which I don't recommend) yous don't need to motion anything out of your kitchen! No sanding means no dust, which ways all your dishes and food can stay in place.

Even if y'all complete your project a niggling at a fourth dimension over several weekends (considering this is real life), you can all the same melt every night. Not that yous'd want to, simply you could.

This ways you can conduct on with your life, even equally your cabinet painting projection rages on.

Here's how:

one. Prep – The Most Of import Step

Even with the right products, the key to a good cease is in the preparation. None of my recommendations include sanding (yay!), simply all of them include cleaning.

While I know you're itching to get started, painting over dust and grease is a recipe for peeling paint and frustration.

Practise yourself a favor and clean every inch of your cabinet surfaces or furniture with Krud Kutter first. Just spray on lightly and wipe off with a clean damp cloth or newspaper towel, being sure to get in all the crevices of the chiffonier doors and drawer fronts.

A bottle of Krud Kutter, for cleaning before painting cabinets

This is especially important in kitchens near the stove and sink.

2. Paint Door Fronts

One time your cabinets are make clean, you lot can paint the front of the chiffonier doors. Use a roller for large areas, and a brush for smaller detailed spots like raised door frames.

Pro Tip: if your roller leaves spongey marks, you can lightly feather a dry out soft castor over the moisture paint to shine them downwardly. Follow a direct up and down pattern, forth with the wood grain.

Dragging a dry paint brush through wet paint to get rid of roller marks

iii. Label & Remove Doors

While the first coat of paint on the front end of your cabinet doors are drying, label the inside of the doors and cabinets, using the raffle ticket method.

Raffle ticket labels: Brand two pieces of tape with the same number on each. Stick one to the inside of the chiffonier and one to the inside of the door. When it'southward time to reattach your doors, simply match upwards the numbers!

Painting Cabinets: Label Doors Before Removing. 1. Label tape with two sets of each number. 2. Put a number on the inside of the cabinet and its mate on the door.

When your doors take dried to the touch, employ a screwdriver to remove them, along with their hinges. Then remove any pulls or other hardware. Characterization and keep the hardware if you program on reattaching it.

4. Pigment Chiffonier Boxes

Now that the doors and hinges are out of the way, you can paint your cabinet frames. Apply the same process as you did to paint the doors.

5. Paint Sides and Backs of Doors

While your frames are drying, you can paint the edges and backs of your cabinet doors. I similar to spread a sheet on my kitchen table and do a door or two at a time.

Just be sure you have a place to dry them each without leaning them against each other or the new pigment volition stick.

White painted cabinet doors leaning against the wall to dry

Drying fox: One time the pigment is dry to the affect, I use wax paper strips on the flooring and tucked between doors, to keep them from sticking as they cure.

6. Replace Doors

After your doors and frames are expert and dry (about paints will need a few days to really cure hard), yous can replace them. Yous may want to use bumpers on the doors to keep them from sticking to the frames, especially during the first few weeks.

What almost Laminate?

The process for painting laminate cabinets and furniture is exactly the aforementioned, but with the appropriate products, listed in the start office of this post.

Frequently Asked Questions about Painted Cabinets

You tin run across all the comments and questions on my original cabinet painting articles by following the links at the finish of this mail service, simply I've tried to distill them into the main questions here.

Can I use latex paint?

Well aye, you can utilize anything you lot want. But latex paint, as in regular wall paint, will not give yous as smooth or durable a cease as enamel paint.

I'll admit that, in a pinch, I've painted cabinets and furniture with latex paint that I had on hand. Generally I've had good experience with Valspar Signature in Satin, just I wouldn't trust a whole kitchen remodel to information technology.

I've been much happier with the cabinets and piece of furniture I've painted with the Satin Enamels and the Valspar Cabinet Enamel, specifically when it comes to a smooth stop without brush strokes.

Dark blue cabinets with silver mercury hardware

Tin I spray my cabinets?

Aye, y'all sure can! I just bought a sprayer and am not the person to inquire about how to spray anything (still), but I know many people swear by it. The difference is in the prep.

With a sprayer, you lot'll need to remove all your doors and hardware offset, and be sure to embrace everything else to prevent overspray.

Some sprayers require you to thin the paint, but I know the HomeRight Finish Max (that I bought) is supposed to be great for chalk paint and I'd assume it would exist for enamel paint likewise.

Practice I demand a primer?

This is the big question – what does primer actually do?

Primer is good for iii things: sealing natural wood and then the paint goes on evenly, roofing stains and so they don't show through the paint, and creating a surface the pigment volition adhere to.

In other words primer has 2 jobs basically: to go the surface ready, and to help the paint stick.

If your surface is woods that'southward in good shape with any kind of previous stop on it, y'all don't need primer.
If your surface is wood that is quondam and dry out, or new and completely unfinished, you need primer.
If your surface is laminate, or certain kinds of older wood with tannin stains showing through, you lot need primer.
If you have any doubtfulness and don't always want to second guess whether you lot did things right, you lot demand primer.

Past primer, I mean either actual primer or chalk paint, as detailed in the product options higher up.

No sanding? Actually?

Really! Unless you choose option iii above, with the sanding, priming and Alkyd paint, y'all don't need to sand.

You lot might want to lightly sand if yous tin see or feel imperfections in the wood you're painting, but if your wood is in good shape, so become ready to throw on the paint!

One note most sanding: if you are sanding paint that may be older than 1978, be sure to test first for pb. It'south quick and easy with this domicile lead examination kit. If your pigment contains pb, you lot'll need to contact an abatement team to remove it for you. Or you tin decide non to sand, and use either of the first ii methods above to pigment over it safely.

Do I need a top coat?

No. None of these options need a top coat. In fact, they are all special paint formulated for their durable end.

I don't recommend a superlative coat at all, merely if you just tin can't stand it, y'all can use Polycrylic. It won't yellow over fourth dimension like polyurethane will.

What if my cabinets are not in expert shape? Will painting over them fix that?

If your cabinets are peeling, chipping, or flaking, that'southward a whole 'nother problem, and no magic combination of primer and pigment is going to fix that.

(With the possible exception of Peel-Finish, which I haven't tried just I've heard information technology'southward formulated for just this problem. If you endeavour it, permit me know how information technology goes. I believe it's best for applications that don't require a polish detailed finish, since I think you'd still see the edges of the peeling paint as texture under the new paint.)

Before you start even cleaning your cabinets to pigment them, you'll demand to scrape off any peeling paint and patch with woods-filler. Then you'll need to sand them to a smooth finish and utilise a primer over the forest filler.

Will the paint chip over time?

OK, this is the tough ane, and I'g going to be completely honest with you lot. The answer is yes, a little. And anyone who tells you differently is selling something.

Any paint job on anything has the potential to chip over time with heavy wear and tear. Every production, method, and painting professional aims at reducing this problem to almost zippo, but I'd be lying if I guaranteed your pigment job would never chip.

I usually find that the cabinet housing the trash nether the sink, and the drawer belongings the silverware are the first to show signs of honey. So I proceed a little jar of the paint I used on the project to touch up every year or and then.

White painted cabinet shows chips in the paint on a well-used edge.

That's the uncomplicated truth, and the reason nosotros don't pigment our countertops, usually. Things that get a lot of beatings volition somewhen testify their age. Hence the demand for dwelling house maintenance.

Simply like you clean your gutters, or empty your dryer vent, you'll occasionally need to attend to your paint job. But these methods will cut downwardly on the need for that job significantly, if you do them correct.

The best way you lot tin can avert chipping pigment is to thoroughly make clean your cabinets earlier even touching them with paint. Spend a footling time on prep, and you'll spend less time later on bear on ups!

Williams Gleir1983