How To Paint Cabinets
I wish I had before and after photos of our kitchen cabinets when they were painted by Grosse Pointe’s master painter, John McKinley (email me for his phone number). The cabinets were classic “90′s” style, bleached maple. The finish was coming off so they looked pink. Barf. So, we had them painted Male-Approved White. Now they look great. See? Not a single brush stroke showing.
Here’s how to do it yourself the John McKinley Way.
Remove the cabinet doors starting with the bottom hinge. Use a power tool to get the job done fast. Also remove the handles/knobs. Important tip: Put some painter’s tape on the back of each door and label them so you remember which door goes where. If you don’t they won’t close properly.
Wash the doors and cabinets with soapy water to remove any grease and dirt. You don’t have to wash the inside of the cabinets because you’re not going to paint that. Dry them off with a rag.
Degloss the exterior part of the cabinets and the doors with a deglosser (sometimes called liquid sandpaper). It’s a lot faster and a lot less mess. This will make the primer stick.
Prime the cabinets and doors using an oil based primer, such as Kilz. It really smells, but it will give you a much longer-lasting finish than latex versions. As soon as it dries you should be ready to paint. This also serves to make the paint adhere to the primer much better.
Paint the doors and cabinets using a semi-gloss or high-gloss, oil based paint and a quality paint brush made especially for oil based paints. There are two reasons for putting up with the smell. First, the paint job will last a lot longer. Second, oil based paints have a longer drying time, so it won’t show as many brush strokes. They sort of run together. You’ll get a really smooth, even finish. Important tip: If you have a big job, the paint can get gummy, so thin it with a little paint thinner. The guys/girls at the paint store can help you here. A good fan can help with the fumes.
Here’s how to paint. Apply some painter’s tape the other side of the cabinet door (unless you want to paint both sides, which is really a waste of time). Lay the door flat on a raised surface – a few large books should do the trick. Start in the middle of the cabinet door and paint in even strokes, lifting the brush lightly at the end. Work your way out to the edges. Make sure you don’t have any drips! You’ll probably need two coats of paint.
To paint the cabinets, start at the side against the wall at the top of the cabinet and work your way down and over. Check for drips. Make sure the paint is dry before applying the second coat. I’d wait a day. This way you get to go out for dinner.
Clean up is not difficult. It’s actually faster and better for the environment than clean up with Latex (which goes down the drain). Buy a large bucket and a brush cleaner – a thing you stick your brush in and you can spin it to get all the paint out. Pour a little paint thinner into the bucket and swish the brush around until most of the paint is out. Then, spin away! Wipe off the brush with a rag. Don’t pour the thinner down the drain! Take it to your city’s designated place for oil based products.
Does this sound like a major pain? Well, it is. But if you do it yourself it will look perfect, because you now know how to do it right. More importantly, you’ll save yourself about $2,000, depending on the size of your kitchen and where you live. So, make a special Painting Playlist for your iPod and get going.
Questions? Just email me.
