So you want to redo your kitchen.
You’re exploring your options – new flooring, new countertops, new appliances, and maybe a fresh backsplash on the wall.
But you’re on a limited budget.
What are your options?
There’s nothing like painting your kitchen cabinets to give you a fresh new look.
Of course, you can always hire a Willow Grove PA painting company to get the job done.
But if you’re interested in a more DIY approach, we’ve got you covered.
Read on to find out how to paint your kitchen cabinets.
There’s No Turning Back
Before you start, it’s important to know that once you do paint your cabinets, they’re going to be that way forever.
You can repaint them later, of course.
But if it turns out that you hate the color, it’s a long and arduous process to return them to their original wood.
You’ll have to sand and strip all the paint away, and then refinish it.
This is difficult enough on a completely flat surface, like what you might have on the end of your cabinets.
But if your kitchen cabinets have routered edges or other more intricate work, as most do, it’s much harder.
You’ll find yourself chipping away at the paint for hours upon hours just to remove it all.
That’s not to say it’s a bad idea to paint your cupboards.
It just means that if that’s what you’re considering, it’s a good idea to make sure it’s what you want.
Get Your Tools Together
Before you start, make sure you have all the tools you need on hand.
This includes choosing your paint.
It might be tempting to just use the bucket of paint you have left over from the fresh residential exterior paint job you did last summer, but this isn’t the best way to go.
You can get paint that’s specifically designed for residential painting for kitchen cabinets – this is a good idea, since this paint is made to withstand the wear and tear that comes with use.
After all, you interact with your kitchen cabinets a lot more than you do the wall in your living room, for example.
But beyond that, you’ll have to decide whether to use spray paint or traditional brush paint.
Each has its benefits and drawbacks.
Spray Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets
The biggest benefit to spray paint is the amount of time it takes.
Rather than spending hours with a brush, you can simply spray a thin coat on, let it dry, and repeat until you get the look you’re going for.
However, spray paint has its drawbacks.
A big one is that it has a broad reach and can get on other things in your kitchen.
As a result, the rule of thumb in general is to use spray paint outside only.
You might be able to remove your kitchen cabinet doors and spray paint them outside (when it’s nice out!) but for the rest of your cabinets that’s probably not doable.
So you’ll have to cover just about everything in your kitchen with drop cloths in order to protect it.
Brush Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets
Brush painting is the classic.
It’s how most painting jobs are done today.
Especially from a DIY perspective, since more people have experience with a paintbrush than they do a can of spray paint.
However, it does take longer to do, and can end up leaving brush strokes if you’re not experienced.
Other Tools
Other than paint, you’ll need a drop cloth as well, and a screwdriver to remove your hardware.
Get some sandpaper as well. Most likely you’ll need a fairly fine grain, unless your cabinets are in particularly bad shape.
Have a cloth nearby as well, and a breathing mask.
That’s it!
Step By Step To Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets
So you’ve got all your tools on hand.
It’s time to paint, right?
Not quite.
First, remove all your cabinet doors with your screwdriver.
Then remove all the door handles, door knobs, or other pieces of hardware from the doors and cupboards.
The idea is to have a clean wood surface with nothing else attached.
Now, put on your mask and sand your drawers, cabinets, and doors.
This will give you a smooth surface for painting.
The mask is because breathing wood dust can be harmful to your health.
The US Department of Labor says breathing in wood dust has been connected with respiratory issues and cancer.
It might not be that big a deal since you’re not creating a huge amount, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Once that’s done, wipe everything down with a damp cloth.
This helps you avoid getting pieces of wood dust in your paint.
Now, prime the areas you want to paint, and let it dry completely.
Now it’s time to paint – follow the wood grain and apply multiple coats if you need to.
Once it’s completely dry, reattach everything, and voila! Your new kitchen cabinets.
Contact PurcellPro Painting
Does this seem like too much of a hassle?
We get it, and we can help.
Call PurcellPro Painting today, and let’s talk about freshening up your home without breaking the bank.
