How To Paint Kitchen Cabinets

Learning how to paint kitchen cabinets is easy - even a novice painter can get good results if you follow a few simple steps. Painting kitchen cabinets can be a very inexpensive way to give your kitchen a new look - you can brighten up a dark room with a coat of light paint or add drama with a vibrant color. If you are tackling this project, why not think about also replacing your drawer pulls and knobs, you'll have to remove them anyway so you are already half way there!

How To Paint Kitchen Cabinets

Preparation
The first step in painting kitchen cabinets is to prepare the surrounding area and your cabinet surface. This involves removing the cabinet hardware, and protecting the countertops and floor with a dropcloth or newspaper. If you will be painting underneath the top cabinets, you will want to run some painters tape on the wall underneath the cabinet so that you don't inadvertently get paint on the backsplash wall. If the cabinets have exposed hinges, cut out some painters tape to match the shape of the hinge and stick it on the hinge so it won't get painted.

If you are painting the insides of the cabinet you will need to remove everything from inside. In most cases you will not need to paint the inside, as it is rarely seen and hidden by the contents when the doors are opened.

Cleaning
An important step when learning how to paint kitchen cabinets is the cleaning. You need to make sure all stains, dirt and grime are washed clean. You can use TSP and water to do the washing and don't forget to do the outsides and insides of the doors as well as the cabinet frame. Once the cabinets have dried, sand down the surface so that the primer will have something to grip to. Make sure there are no shiny spots on the cabinet. Clean up any dust from the sanding

Primer
The next step in painting kitchen cabinets is to apply primer to all surfaces that will be painted. Generally an oil based primer will work best but be careful to ventilate the room properly. You can use a roller or brush, but make sure you get every spot. Don't forget to do the insides of the cabinet doors as these will be seen when you open the cabinets. It is important to make sure the doors stay open when the primer is wet as closing them can ruin the primer coat and cause them to stick shut!

Paint
An important lesson in learning how to paint kitchen cabinets is letting things dry properly. I always want to rush it and get on to the next step so I can see what they look like when they are finished but it is important to let the cabinets dry overnight in between coats and after applying primer. So, once your cabinets have dried overnight it's time to apply paint! An oil based paint is best and you'll probably want a gloss or semi-gloss as they will be easier to clean fingerprints and food from. Brush or roll on just like the primer and let dry overnight. Again - don't forget to leave the cabinets open!

Second Coat
The first coat has dried overnight and the final step in painting kitchen cabinets is to apply the final coat. First, however, you must sand off any bubbles with a fine grit sandpaper (actually it's not a bid idea to lightly sand the whole surface). Clean up the dust from sanding and apply the second coat. Once that has dried overnight you are done! Finally you can close the cabinets, stand back, and enjoy your new look.

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