5 Tips to know before you refinish your kitchen cabinets

5 Tips to know before you refinish your kitchen cabinets

​1. Wood is the ideal kitchen cabinet surface to paint.

​Undone, painted, and stained wood all work fine, as does MDF, compressed/faux wood. Any material that you can scuff up with sandpaper is viable. That’s why laminates aren’t a good option. You can paint them, but it won’t be as durable.

​2. The prepping is as relevant as the painting itself.

​Start by emptying the cabinets entirely and then clean completely, making sure to clean all the grease and dirt. Remove the knobs and handles and check the hinges. Remove the kitchen drawers and make sure to label so you know where each goes. Cabinets, as well, can be removed entirely and spray-painted in a commercial setting, but that’s a significant job, and it is difficult to pull off on your own.

Thoroughly tape off any paint-free parts, such as counter tops, hinges, and appliances. Apply a wood filler to patch holes and imperfections. Lastly, sand cabinets. A rotary sander operates well on flat surfaces. Hand sands the problematic parts and don’t miss the cabinet door edges. If your cabinets are stained, apply a 220 sandpaper. If they’re painted, and there is a harsh stipple that looks like orange peel, use 120-grade sandpaper before going to a lighter one. If the surface looks like crocodile skin, consider stripping, Rock Miracle is especially good.

3. Priming is crucial

​After you’ve completely prepped, priming is important. All-in-one primer and paint products are to be evaded; they don’t do either task well. In fact, oil primer and paint adhere the best and give the longest-lasting effects on cabinets. A good option is water-soluble waterborne paint, such as Benjamin Moore’s Advance, which is something like a latex-oil combo. But note that it dries fast, so it’s smart to add an extender that provides you to the time to get a fine finish without brush marks. And if you’re painting something plastic or otherwise difficult to paint, Stix is a good primer to use.

Changing from a dark cabinet to light? Consider tinting the primer to even the final color. If your color change is extreme, you might rather add a coat of under body, such as Fresh Start, a thicker, concise transparent primer that hides more. You can have the tinting done in the paint shop; I ask 75% of the final shade, so it’s lighter but close.

​4. Spring for quality paint.

​Don’t be cheap regarding the paint you use. You’ll get a way better results using quality paint. I recommend Fine Paints from Europe for oils and primers. The one we apply the most is often Benjamin Moore Advance. Two coats of paint are indispensable for cabinets; you are building a surface. To get a superior finish, employ a brush, a 2- to 2 1/2-inch fine hair brush.

Whichever paint you apply, make sure to vent the room. Direct a fan out the door, and use the masks they sell in paint shops.

​5. Semigloss, gloss, or satin. The stronger the finish, the better.

 ​Matte paint on kitchen cabinets is not practical. We wouldn’t recommend using eggshell finish. You want a surface that is durable, so you don't have to repaint for at least a few years.

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