How Hard is it to Paint Cabinets?
Painting cabinets is not as difficult as you think. In fact, several homeowners prefer to work on the painting project on their own. Not only will it save you the costs but as well as the time that it takes to get the job done. If you have the means to hire a professional, there is no harm in that. But, working on painting the cabinets on your own is not rocket science. All you need to do is to follow a guide that will make it easier to get it done. Besides, it is more fun to do things on your own, especially in painting projects like this. We have spared you the time in looking through the internet with tips on how to make it easier to paint cabinets.
Know the Type of Paint to Use
Latex paints have progressively improved over the years, prompting several professionals to abandon the use of oil-based paints completely. Latex paints are more friendly for beginners compared to oil-based paints due to the fact that they cure rapidly and can be cleaned off with water. Several professionals, on the other hand, continue to choose oil-based topcoats, believing that these generate a tougher, longer-lasting paint layer and even off to produce a finer final finish. Latex paints also require an extended amount of time to cure than oil-based paints. In the interim, they’re vulnerable to injury or death. Both oil and latex will work well as a finishing agents. Unless you do decide to use latex paint, ensure it’s an acrylic composition with 100% acrylic pigments, which has excellent resistance and adherence compared to vinyl acrylic paints.
Label the Cabinet Doors
As you explore how to paint cabinets, simply draw a rough sketch or three of the cabinets, including all of the cabinet doors. It would be best to label them in numbers or letters in any way you wish. Once you take the cabinet drawers and doors out of the cabinet, identify each with the correct number. Underneath the hinge places, wherever it will not be seen, write your note. Afterward, tape the numerals with adhesive tape to keep them from being damaged as you start painting.
Sand the Surface
Once you start how to paint kitchen cabinets endeavor, sand the cabinets to ensure that the new paint has a smoother appearance to stick and adhere to. However, you do not need to use sandpaper on the board to smoothen the bare wood. If the cabinets have such a manufacturer appearance, gently sand them using 120-grit sandpaper or a sand sponge to remove any imperfections. If the base is uneven due to a recent paint job or a poor refinishing technique, begin by removing bumps using rougher 100-grit paper. After that, polish with 120-grit paper to remove any remaining sandpaper traces.
Identify the Preferred Finish
Faux finishes may shift the aesthetic of the kitchen from midcentury modern to antique to medieval to contemporary if you’re receptive to experimenting with different styles. Roaring varnish, which is widely available at paint shops, can be used to provide the cabinets with an aged appearance with the least amount of effort.
Immediately apply the glazing over a dried undercoat, stroking only in a single path (heavy for wide gaps, thin for small cracks), and allow it to dry completely before continuing. A smooth topcoat of the base color, applied with a paintbrush in a transverse direction to the glaze, is applied last. With drying time, the paint will begin to fracture, which will take approximately an hour to complete.
Shabby looks are another primitive aesthetic that doesn’t necessitate the use of specialized paint. This polish is composed of a variety of stacked hues and darker paint that has been smeared around. Once the paint is cured, distress the surface by striking it with a chain and gently sanding in the areas in which the cabinetry is most frequently used to show the colors beneath.
Invest in a Primer that Dries Quickly
For the initial layer, invest in a primer that dries quickly. Check the label for instructions on how often to recoat and to ensure that the primer is suitable for the paint you intend to apply.
Get an enamel underbody primer to protect your paint job. Water-based paint has made great strides, as well as some high-quality acrylic alkyd blends, are now on par with oil-based paint in terms of performance. Despite this, many professional painters choose oil-based paint, particularly for priming purposes.
Oil-based paint cures slowly and gently, and it is easy to work with. This enables you to work for longer periods of time while reducing human paintbrush traces. Oil-based primers and sand readily once they’ve dried, resulting in a flawless basis for your finishing layer.
Fill the Creases
Some varieties of wood possess grains that contain a large number of enlarged pores. The oak tree is a nice illustration. The pores are visible throughout coatings, and they are particularly obvious under painted surfaces. Keep the grain visible if you prefer a rustic look, however, if you want a flawless, grain-free finish, you’ll need to close the gaps first before you start painting.
There are a couple of options. If necessary, use multiple layers of a high-build primer, sanding in between applications, until all of the gaps are fully covered. Alternatively, spackling might be used to cover the roughness. It is more challenging to spackle around slopes and curved edges on cabinets that have a lot of bends and molding. Once the filler has dried, sand and prepare the surface as normal to complete the task.
Spray Paint for Beginners
By spraying the doors, you may create a factory-finish appearance with just a little expertise and a decent sprayer. Spraying unthinned coatings with an airless sprayer of excellent quality will yield the greatest results. HVLP sprayers, on the other hand, can produce excellent results when used properly and in large quantities. Just ensure to thin the paint as per the manufacturer’s directions and to apply several thin layers instead of a single heavy coat.