Kitchen cabinets are the essential components of every home, affecting the overall design and aesthetics. Thus, any homeowner should match their cabinets with their interior design. Although various durable wood materials are available for the kitchen cabinets, the paint finish can wear or tear over time. Instead of replacing the whole set with new products, which can cause a considerable amount of money, it is better to paint them with high-quality materials. Most people seek a DIY painting guide for custom kitchen designs, and this article provides every essential information that anyone will need to paint kitchen cabinets.
What You Will Need to Paint Kitchen Cabinets?
There are different practical types of tools available for making cabinets. However, you will need a few essential ones to paint your kitchen cabinets, including:
- Screwdriver
- Marker
- Painter’s Tape
- Sponge
- Heavy-Duty Cleaner (All-Purpose)
- Wood Filler (Optional)
- Drill
- Sand Paper or Sanding Block
- Vacuum With Brush Attachment
- Tack Cloth
- High-Quality Primer
- Paint Brush
Cabinets Painting Process (Step By Step)
The cabinet surface people repaint determines how they should approach the job. If the kitchen cabinet door designs are slab or flat, the painting process is more straightforward. In the case of having cabinets with raised panel doors, the painter should put more effort into creating better finishes.
If you want to paint kitchen cabinets properly, it is better to follow the following steps. It is essential to complete every step entirely and precisely.
Step One
Start the kitchen cabinet painting by emptying the boxes. Then unscrew any of the kitchen cabinet doors, and remove the drawers. Label and mark where each component goes with a painter’s tape and marker. To do so, put the painter’s tape in a safe spot, including where the hinges were attached. If reusing the hardware, always mark it in and store it in a bag or storage.
Step Two
The second step to paint kitchen cabinets is to wipe down all the surfaces that need to be painted. The cleaning must be done with a sponge and a cleaning substance that strips down any wood material of grease and dirt. One of the wood cleaning substances you can use is TSP-PF all-purpose, heavy-duty cleaner, perfect for Plywood and MDF kitchen cabinets.
Step Three
Some homeowners plan and prefer to replace the kitchen cabinet hardware such as the pulls or knobs with new ones. In such cases, it is essential to fill the holes that exist from the old hardware with a wood filler and then leave them until they dry completely. Then, drill a new pilot hole with precision and sand the wooden exterior part. It is better to vacuum any dust using a brush attachment to have a more clean workplace. Wipe the kitchen cabinets with a tack cloth.
Step Four
Step four of painting kitchen cabinets is priming all the wood parts with steady strokes. Remember to choose the direction equivalent to the wood grain while working in long.
Step Five
This step is about taping off the kitchen cabinet shelves edges and any wood material existing in your product with the painter’s tape. Then paint the cabinet’s interior and shelves with the preferring color and material. Wait until the paint is entirely dry for further procedure.
Step Six
Now, it is time to paint the kitchen cabinet doors, drawers, and frames with a color that contrasts with the paint used for the interiors and wait for it to dry.
Step Seven
The last step is to reinstall all the cabinet doors, drawers, and hardware. Follow all the marks and labels you put on your cabinets to install everything with the best result.
Note for Sanding: If the old kitchen cabinet surface is in an acceptable condition, you will not need to sand the doors and the exteriors down to bare wood material. All you need to do is rough the surface to allow the paint finish to adhere better and quicker. If you do the sanding, you should remember to feather the edges of the sanding area to enable the paint to lay flat on the surface.
Note for Painting: It is essential to apply primer-sealer to all the surfaces before painting. It is possible to do this with a spray, roller, or brush on flat surfaces.