Painting kitchen cabinets is a great refresh to update tired, wood cabinets. It is an undertaking, but the results are worth it! This client kitchen had dark, ’90s oak cabinets and the client was getting the property ready to rent. The appliances and countertop were also replaced.
I have painted several kitchen and bathroom cabinets for my own investment properties and I continue to learn! Here are some tried and true strategies that continue to work well for me!
Surface Preparation
Preparing the painting surface is everything! This sounds basic, but, taking short cuts on this step may lead to re-work in later steps.
- First Cleaning – Kitchen cabinets, in particular, can have oils and other dirt imbedded in the grain. I use TSP to clean the surfaces of the cabinet doors and boxes. (Use gloves! It is a strong cleaner!)
- First Sanding – After the grime is cleaned from the surface, I use a sanding pad to sand the detailed areas of the cabinet doors. And, I used the orbital sander (150 grit) on the flat surfaces. The surface needs to be rid of the slick surface (varnish).
- Second Cleaning – I cleaned the surfaces again with TSP after sanding. Invariably, more dirt and sawdust is created.
- Second Sanding – The grain may be (likely) raised after cleaning the surface. I used 300 grit sandpaper to knock down the grain and the surface was smooth again.
- Caulk – I caulked the inside, cabinet panels. And, the 45 degree joints, as needed. I also caulked where the trim met the base cabinets.
- Prime – I used Sherwin Williams Wall and Paint Primer. It worked well in the paint sprayer. I lightly sanded after this coat was dry.
- Paint – Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane is my favorite paint. The color is March Wind. It is self-leveling and forgiving. I avoided having to fix drips altogether. The finish is amazing. It is pricey, but in the end, it saved time which offset the material cost. Always buy it on sale. I applied two coats on the cabinet doors and three on the bases. The painting went quick with the sprayer.
I also painted the backslash. It was an affordable refresh…more on that in another post.
The client was very happy with the transformation!
