Difficulty: Beginner
Now that you are ready to prime and paint your cabinets there are some steps you should follow to ensure a great finished product. Before we get started be sure that you check out these posts to avoid the mistake I made the first time I painted my cabinets and find out how to prep and what tools to buy.
Here we go time to get to work. Ideally you would do as much of this work outside or in a workshop or garage. I, however decided to do this project in March, in Pittsburgh, which means outside was not an option. Not a big deal, it just meant my kitchen and dining room looked like a war zone for a little over a week.
Prime
The first thing I did was prime the boxes. Top and then bottom. I wasn’t super careful. I tried not to drip primer everywhere, but my actual painting was somewhat uneven with brush strokes. The priming doesn’t have to be perfect you just need to make sure that you cover every surface smoothly. If you end up with drips that dry you will need to sand the drips smooth before painting.
Once the boxes are primed move to the doors. Stay organized when painting the doors. Start with the fronts and make sure you cover every inch, but check the edges for drips before you move to the next door. Catch the drips before they dry to minimize sanding.
By the time you have primed the last door front the first door front will be dry enough for you to flip it over and prime the back side. Use paint triangles to hold the door up from the floor to prime the back side. The triangles will minimize smudging.
Once the boxes and doors are primed let everything dry over night. If you finish at 4am like I did you’ll need to wait longer than overnight, since overnight won’t be that long.
Paint
Time to paint. Check every surface for drips before you go to paint. If you find any drips sand them and wipe them with a damp cloth before you start painting.
Use your paint brush to paint the boxes. Cut in around the edges of any large areas and fill in with the mini foam roller. Again use caution to avoid drips. The more careful you are when painting the less sanding you will need to do.
Give the first coat of paint at least 4 hours to dry before painting the second coat. A longer dry time between coats will ensure better paint adhesion and a better finish.
Notice how I hold the brush. Your fingers should be touching the metal. You have much more control if you “choke up” on the brush.
Time to tackle the doors. Start with the back of the doors. If your doors are flat without any trim you can paint them entirely with the mini foam roller. Make sure to paint evenly and don’t over load the roller with paint.
If your door has trim start with the paint brush and paint the trim. As much as you can try to paint in the direction of the wood grain. Take care to avoid drips around the edges. Use the brush to cut in the middle of the door. Push the brush into the corners and paint right up against the edge of the trim all the way around the door. You can switch to the roller after you have cut in or do like I did and stick with the brush. Leave doors to dry for at least 4 hours before painting a second coat.
You can switch to the roller after you have cut in or do like I did and stick with the brush. Leave doors to dry for at least 4 hours before painting a second coat.
Before painting a second coat check for drips. If necessary sand and wipe with a damp cloth before painting the second coat. Repeat the process for the second coat. Then leave the doors to cure for a week.
Cure
After I had painted two coats on the backs of my doors I transferred them to the basement and left them with the paint side up to dry for a week. Ideally you would leave them for 2 weeks, but one is good if you can’t wait that long.
The reason that I started with the backs of the doors is because that is the part of the door that will touch the painted surface of the boxes. Leaving the backs of the doors to dry for a week and the boxes to dry for a week meant that the paint would be less tacky and less likely to peel. I have read that it takes two-four weeks for paint to cure, but I do believe it depends on the type of paint. If you can give it two weeks to dry go for it. If you’re anything like me you’ll be going crazy waiting after a week.
More Painting
Once it’s time to paint the door fronts take your time and use care when painting. This is the part that everyone will see, so if you go a little slower you will avoid drips and create a nice even surface of paint.
To paint the door fronts use the same technique that you did for the backs depending on whether your doors are flat or have trim. Remember to watch for drips and catch them before they dry and let the fronts dry for at least four hours before painting a second coat. If you can leave them to dry overnight that would be better, but I know how it is, at this point you just want to be done.
After the second coat of paint on the drawer fronts has dried you can add new hardware or put back the existing hardware. Then hang the doors. Remember that if you are reusing the hinges that you should have labeled them so you know which hinges go with which doors and in which position. It may seem tedious and unnecessary at the time, but trust me when I say you will be so glad you took the time to organize.
Job Well Done
With your freshly painted doors in place your kitchen will have a new lease on life. You would be amazed at the transformation just from painting your cabinets and it is pretty inexpensive when you consider some of the alternative options. Step back, admire your handiwork and then take a much needed break, because you deserve it.
