Cabinet Painting

One painting project that many homeowners will encounter some time or another is the daunting task of cabinet refinishing. You might have an older home with dated wooden cabinets, and you don’t want to splurge for a whole kitchen reno. Painting kitchen cabinets is a great value, since if done properly you can get an almost new looking kitchen at a fraction of the cost of replacement. This task is not for the faint of heart though; cabinet painting is a process with many steps that must be followed closely if you want to achieve the best results.

Preparing your cabinets for painting

The key to a great finish, as in all painting, is the preparation, and this is extra true in the case of cabinets. You need to thoroughly clean and sand down to a fine surface before even picking up a paint brush. This is the point that separates the professional from the amateur finish. If you hire a painting company (which is a great idea in this pursuit!), they will likely spend most of the time doing preparation tasks, including taping and masking the area to protect what is not being painted; cleaning grease and dirt, sanding and wiping dust away thoroughly afterward, filling and imperfections, and removing hardware. It is also best to remove the cabinet doors and lay them flat for painting.

The finish can be a number of different gloss-levels. Today’s cabinet paints are high performing even at lower sheens, so you don’t have to choose high-gloss in order to get decent durability anymore. Satin is a popular choice, and creates a modern, sleek look. Recent trends encourage venturing beyond the typical white finish towards interesting colours; try an appealing shade of blue or green to make your kitchen catch the eye. You could go even further and try a faux finishing technique such as antiquing to make your kitchen an oasis in your home.

The best method is to spray the paint coatings, as this achieves a very even finish. Though great results can be had by brush and roller: the key is to apply paint evenly and quickly with a wet edge (meaning not allowing the paint time to dry in any part before completing a continuous surface). And you want several thin coats, as opposed to a few thick ones. The prime coat is first after prep, and it should be applied with the same care as finish coats. Contact a professional painting company if you want to get a new finish on your cabinets at a great value, and without hassle. All you need to do is figure out the best colour, but that is a topic for another day…