Even the best quality paint job can not restore damaged, old kitchen cabinets to their former glory. Thin wood veneer tops, wafer-core door fronts, or particleboard drawer slides fail in both looks and longevity. Even if those are the only issues you’re dealing with, you could be better off simply replacing your kitchen cabinets altogether. There are many other options available at Kitchen Cabinet Austin for fixing up a home with kitchen cabinets, however.
One of the best ways to get your kitchen cabinets looking as good as new again is to cover them in one of several kinds of paint. All you have to do is purchase a paint sprayer and some primer. Primer makes the paint adhere to the surface better, which prevents drips and runs. The benefit of using primer is that you can paint cabinets virtually anywhere, even around mirrors and cutouts.
It may sound counterintuitive, but painting kitchen cabinets before you paint the rest of the house may be the best thing you can do. If there is a great deal of deteriorating wood in your kitchen cabinets, the paint will stand out even when the rest of the house is painted a neutral color. It will catch the grain of the wood and give your cabinets a worn look. In the process, however, you’ll also raise the value of your home. So an otherwise unattractive house could become attractive with a paint job that lifts the appearance of the cabinets and other flooring and countertop surfaces.
The benefit of using primer to touch up kitchen cabinets is that it is easy and inexpensive. Plus, it allows you to prime all of the surfaces of your cabinets at once, eliminating the need to prime each separately. However, if you have damaged or chipped cabinets, you should probably still replace them rather than try to prime new ones. If you decide to go ahead, however, I highly recommend that you prime the cabinets first by dipping a cloth in mineral spirits, petroleum solvent, or turpentine.
Although it is possible to purchase both latex paints and oil-based acrylic paints in most hardware stores these days, I recommend sticking with the latex paints for your kitchen cabinets. The reason I recommend oil-based paints is that they are sturdier, can last longer, and are easier to find. Unfortunately, they do have a tendency to peel off too quickly when they come into contact with heat, which makes repainting them more difficult.
Before you start the painting process, make sure to prime the kitchen cabinets as well. Apply, at least two coats, but don’t wait longer than four or five hours. Once the priming is dry, you’ll be able to apply the final color. Question is the third step in the painting process, and it should be applied just like the priming.
Once all the dry areas have been painted, let the cabinets dry overnight. The next day, apply a coat of finishing urethane, which will protect the paint from becoming chipped or flaking. This coating should be, again, applied over the previous coat. Finish coats should be allowed to dry between coats, using fans to speed up the process.
As with any project, keeping the kitchen clean and organized will help to keep your paint cabinets looking great. A good, regular cleaning schedule will also help the paint last longer. The easiest way to clean your new kitchen cabinets is to vacuum all the dirt out of the surfaces, then wiping them down with a wet rag and a wood cleaner. Other options for cleaning your cabinets include washing them in your dishwasher, placing them in the oven on low heat, and wiping them down with a sponge mop made especially for paint jobs.