Painting Wooden Kitchen Cabinets

Painting wooden kitchen cabinets aren’t that a difficult task, but it can be quite a messy and tedious job if you are not entirely familiar what to do or how to approach it. By simply following the steps below, painting your wooden kitchen cabinets will become a stress-free and organised job without any unnecessary hassle.

• If you have a breathing problem or are pregnant painting your wooden kitchen cabinets now is not such a good idea.
• Having proper ventilation in your kitchen during the entire painting process is essential as some paints can be flammable if exposed to high heat, and will also prevent any health problems that could occur from inhaling the paint for a continues amount of time.
• Cover all the surfaces in your kitchen, from the countertops to anything on it. If there is anything else that you think could possibly run the opportunity of getting paint on it cover that as well.
• Once everything is protected and covered it is now time to remove the shine off your wooden kitchen cabinets. The product to use is called TSP and can be found at any hardware store or home improvement store. Be sure to read the instructions carefully before you apply it.
• Decide before-hand whether you are going to paint the entire cabinet, inside and outside or just the doors and face frames. Although it is much harder work to paint the whole cabinet it will look more professional, and at the end of the day you are going to have to look at those cabinets every day.
• Remove everything including the handles, the hinges and the cabinet doors themselves. Don’t try and paint them while they are hanging on the cabinet frames. Cover the painting area with drop clothes and place the cabinet door on a block horizontally, preventing droplets of paint gathering at the bottom of the cabinet. It is also important that the area you paint in are dust-free and free from dirt.
• Reuse the hardware by soaking it in paint remover overnight, and buff it with steel wool or rub it with a metal polish to restore its lustre.
•  Prepare the doors by filling any dents or holes, sanding it afterwards. For severe scratches sand it with medium-grit sandpaper and to finish the surfaces use a fine grain sandpaper.
• Once you’ve covered all the surfaces and other surfaces with masking tape or painters tape you can start painting the stiles. First paint the hard-to-reach areas and work your way out, paint the inside before painting the outside and paint the framing with long, smooth strokes.
• Cover all surfaces with a primer, one that is mixed almost similar to the colour you’ll be using for the cabinets. You can apply two coats primer for the rougher surfaces. A roller can also be used for the larger surface areas but keep the brush handy for the smaller areas.
• Choose the type and colour paint that best work for you. There are basically two types of paint: acrylic (water- based paint) and oil-based paints. Acrylic paint is easier to use and than oil paint, but doesn’t leave as hard surface as oil which you’ll need for kitchen cabinet doors that undoubtedly will be used a lot. Acrylic will also not give you that glossy finish.
• Buy enough paint for two coats. Apply your first coat of paint exactly as you did the primer and if it doesn’t cover adequately, apply a second coat. One also wants to have some leftover paint for touch ups at the end.
• After the paint has dried and hardened re-attach the hardware.

• Scrapers
• Sandpaper
• Blocks for hand-sanding or an electric sander
• Wood putty
• A screw driver
• Paintbrushes
• Rollers
• Masking or painters tape
• Drop clothes or newspaper
• Paint remover or fine steel wool

Visit Warrior Paints or any of their stores nationwide to discuss the correct colour of paint for your wooden kitchen cabinets. Their sales consultants would gladly provide you assistance in purchasing the correct equipment for your specific painting job.