5 Kitchen Cabinet Painting Tips
Introduction
Kitchen cabinets can single-handedly switch your whole home’s color scheme. This blog will give you 5 tips on how you can paint your cabinets.
Done right, painting your cabinets is an amazing way to really add character to your home.
1.) Remove Cabinets
Removing hinges will make this project easier, you won’t need to worry about masking the hinges off or painting over.
You can tape the hinges over, but the final product never looks as good as it is portrayed.
Also painting around the hinges will another layer of paint. Paint can easily chip and tear over time as the hinges are used.
Painting around the hinges adds another layer of paint to the surface. This paint can chip and tear easily over time when the hinges are used, reasoning is because this is above the metal hardware.
For a more professional finish take the time to remove the hinges, handles, and hardware, from all cabinets. This will provide the cabinets a cleaner look.
2.) Lay Cabinets Down Flat
Easiest and most effective way to paint or spray cabinet doors is to have them down on the ground or a flat surface.
Misconceptions are if it is a light coat, or that if the temperature dries the paint rapidly then it is a non-factor.
Keep in mind, when doors are vertical, gravity is a natural occurrence, which then the paint will drip and dry unevenly.
To avoid this, make sure you take time to paint the correct way.
Make sure cabinets are dry completely before painting the other side. One hour of drying time until it is dry to the touch.
3.) Primer
If you are using chalk paint you won’t need primer.
Priming your cabinets before painting will be beneficial.
When you paint your kitchen cabinets the goal is to do correctly the first time and make sure you would not need to do it twice because of paint peeling.
The job of primer is two-pronged, not only will primer make sure that quality paint adhesion occurs, but also increases the durability of the paint.
Primer will also protect the wood underneath the paint.
When needed provide a 2nd coat of primer to your cabinets.
Also make sure if you are painting your cabinets white you avoid oil paint, because yellowing will occur, only use latex paint.
4.) Clear Coat
Use a coat of wax for chalk paint or for a matte finish.
Re-wax your projects once a year to keep the finish fresh.
Waxing requires maintenance.
Wax is wonderful protection from water and stains.
Kitchen cabinets will make sure that your cabinets will remain durable with a little more work put towards it, make sure you add this to your painting project as it will provide you longevity.
5.) Curing Time
Wait for your cabinets to be cured fully before using them.
Even though your cabinet will be dry to the touch, it takes a couple of days for your cabinets to fully dry.
Letting your project cure will make sure that the finish is smooth with no chips.
Curing time on a latex paint will take 3-7 days to fully cure.
If you are using chalk paint, it drys a little faster.
