Steps For Painting Kitchen Walls

The first step you need to consider when painting kitchen walls is what paint to buy. Remember that kitchens are exposed to steam and heat from cooking and food can splatter so you will want a paint that is durable and easy to clean. Look for paints made especially for kitchens and bathrooms in your local hardware store and select a paint that is labeled gloss or semi-gloss for a tough and washable finish.

When choosing a color, remember that a darker color will make the room seem smaller - this can be good in a larger kitchen and may help to give it a more cozy feeling. Try to pick a color that will accent your decorating theme.

The most important thing to remember when painting kitchen walls is that there can be a lot of built up grease and residue on the walls which can cause the new paint to not adhere properly. You have to wash the walls thoroughly (we recommend using tri- sodium phosphate and water). Make sure you rinse them well to get all the cleaner off. Also, most kitchen walls are painted with a gloss paint and you will need to sand off the gloss before applying another paint on top or the new paint will have problems sticking. After sanding clean off the dust with tack paper.

When painting kitchen walls, you will have to deal with corners and areas around doors, windows and where the wall meets the ceiling. I have tried those little pads with the wheels that are run along the edge but I always end up dripping paint on the wheels and getting it where it is not supposed to be! I find that the best way to keep the paint where it is supposed to be is to apply the blue painters tape (not masking tape as it is not easy to remove after) to the ceilings, trim and other areas you will be painting around. It does take a bit of extra time but is well worth it in the end!

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