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Kitchen Cabinet Painting Surface PreparationsSurface Preparations and decisions to consider before you select your kitchen cabinet painting color or finish. Cabinet material, previous finish, grain and hardware should be considered beforehand. Different surfaces require unique surface preparations. preparations. Deciding on any repairs, hardware changes, and adjusting of grain or resurfacing kitchen cabinets, will require preparation steps before proceeding to the kitchen cabinet painting and refinishing. You can also get more information about
Kitchen Cabinet Painting Surface Preparations
by checking out our Before You Paint page.
Surface Preparations for:FOR ALL SURFACES, you must first clean the cabinets. Use a mixture of Simple Green or TSP and water. These can be founds at any paint or large hardware store like Home Depot or Lowes. Prepare mixture according to the product. Then wipe down each cabinet surface with a terry cloth rag and scrub brush. Follow this with a wipe with a clean rag with water alone. Let this dry overnight. Then, go to the next step in your Kitchen Cabinet Painting Surface Preparations. Raw Wood Surfaces -For all Kitchen Cabinet Painting you should begin the surface preparation with light sanding with 220 grit sandpaper, wipe down with clean cloth. Fill any imperfections like holes or cracked areas.For Painted Finishes: Roll or spray on a coat of Set Coat in a color light or dark color depending on the finish selected. Let dry overnight. This product seeps into the porous areas of raw wood and acts like divers to create a clean even layer. Then proceed with two additional coats of set coat in desired color finish. If using a paint color do two layers of paint. Do not skip the first set coat layer, this is very important as a primer surface. For a stained surface: Use a clear set coat layer mixed with 25% water. This will serve as a primer but allow some of the grain to show for movement in the stained finish.
For Prevously Painted -Previously Painted - If the cabinet is painted in oil based paint, sand slightly with 300 grit sandpaper. Apply by Roll or spray on a coat of Set Coat in a color light or dark color depending on the finish selected. Let dry overnight.Then if you desire a painted surface, then proceed with two additional coats of set coat in desired color finish. If using a paint color do two layers of paint. If you are just adding a glaze, add a layer by roll or brush of clear set coat to seal color and prepare surface for glaze. Follow directions for glaze based on the finish selected. If you desire a stained surface, your best option is to apply a painted surface that looks like stain. See the Stained options on the DYI page.
For Previously Stained -Previously Stained –Make sure you know what kind of stain is on the surface – if it is traditional stain, proceed as below. If it is waxed, see wax section.Sand surface with 220 grit sand paper or electric sander. Wipe down with a mixture of Simple Green and water. Let dry overnight and wipe again with a clean white cloth rag. To paint this surface, then proceed with two coats of set coat in desired color finish. If using a paint color do two layers of paint. If you want to stain this surface, AND want a grainy surface, you may apply a stained mixture now according to your finish directions. If you want a clean, non grainy stain, then apply two coats of set coat in the desired finish color. Follow directions of your selected finish. **Important note, if the cabinet is very grainy or has unattractive “mountain peak” grain, then you may want to fill the grain before proceeding. In many kitchens, the large flat spaces, (on the ends of cabinets or sometimes at end of islands, or under bar areas) the wood here may be a different type from the rest of the cabinetry. In this case, usually the wood is a cheaper or grainier than the other. SO you may want to consider filling the grain here. To fill the grain in a large area, like the side of a cabinet, use the large area grain fill below. For Non Porous SurfacesPlastic, Thermo Foil and Waxed surface –These are the only situations that I recommend an oil based primer for surface preparation. This is the only thing that will adhere to the oily, non porous surfaces. After this coat dries overnight, you may proceed to the finish of your choice. I have had great success with Sherwin Williams Oil Based ProBlock for kitchen cabinet painting on these surfaces. **Do not try to skip this step, or you will waste your time and product. You may tint it slightly to a gray if you are doing a dark finish.
MDF, Micro Density FiberboardMDF, Micro Density Fiberboard This surface can be painted but not stained. You may do a painted surface that looks like stain, but you cannot use stain on this super porous surface. The surface preparation steps include: Roll or spray on a coat of Set Coat in a color light or dark color depending on the finish selected. Let dry overnight. This product seeps into the porous areas of raw wood and acts like divers to create a clean even layer. Then proceed with two additional coats of set coat in desired kitchen cabinet painting color finish. If using a paint color do two layers of paint. Do not skip the first set coat layer, this is very important as a primer surface.
Filling holes, cracks and unwanted Grainy Areas for Kitchen Cabinet Painting Surface PreparationsTo Fill Unwanted Grainy Areas for large areas: Purchase some Venetian Gem Untinted Base product. Mix this with a little base color you will be applying. Trowel this on with a putty knife or a wallpaper plastic applicator. Sand the edges of these as to not leave marks. This works great. Apply this in downward even motion. Let dry overnight. Sand slightly with 400 grit sand paper just to remove rough areas and create a clean flat surface. To fill holes from changing hardware, cracks or hinge holes-Use the Venetian Gem process listed above in large flat spaces on the cracks. Sand carefully to feather the edges out as it blends into the rest of the cabinets. See note below about hardware. To fill holes, use latex based spackling to fill the holes with a plastic putty knife. After dry, sandy and repeat with the Venetian gem plaster step above. This is one of the most important kitchen cabinet surface preaparation.
Marking Cabinet doors for removal -Marking Location of Cabinets – when removing cabinets from the bases, be sure to write the location so when you are done, you will know where to put them back. Most cabinets do not go just anywhere and you will regret not doing this step. This is a very important kitchen cabinet painting surface preparation.We remove the cabinet from the hinge, leaving the hinge on the base of the cabinet. In the space where the hinge was, we write U1, U2, U3 (for upper) and usually start with the left side of the kitchen. Then repeat the steps for bottom B1, B2, B3 and so on. And do not forget to label separately for the island, I1, I2, I3 and so on. If you are using a different color or finish on any part, be sure to mark it in a special way. When removed from the bases, the doors all start to look alike! And you must put a small piece of blue painters tape on the writing or it will be covered with paint. Use a permanent marker.
For more detailed, must have information:Hardware = knobs, handles and pullsNew hardware and replacing old hinges can make a major improvement in your kitchen cabinet makeover. See our decorator and designer advice about hardware, here.Very important: You need to decide whether or not you will change hardware BEFORE you paint. If you select a hardware style that requires the holes to be in different places, the old holes will need to be filled. Do you want to change the hardware? Look at these styles for inspiration. Sometimes just changing the knobs, it the best budget kitchen makeover you can do to update your kitchen. The decision of changing or not changing the hardware is one of the very first decision you should make in Kitchen Cabinet Painting Surface Preparation. To get more detailed information, be sure to look for the the ebook, "Kitchen Cabinet Painting and Resurfacing Furniture, How to Do It Yourself", here soon. It will include more details on Kitchen Cabinet Painting Surface Preparations. If you would like to reserve a copy with this information on link below to be added to our mailing listing list.  For Email Marketing you can trust
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