Do your kitchen cabinets need updating? Are they Stained and may be looking a little worn? Well we have some good news! Plasters of Italy owner Vallie Duncan is a professional cabinet painter with over 30 years of experience in the industry. This article is based on painting cabinets, all surfaces vary to some degree, and we recommend hiring a professional to do the job. Plasters of Italy is located in Mckinney, TX and serves the Frisco, Plano and Dallas areas. The beauty of a successful cabinet painting project is in the details, Of course, we use quality paint specifically recommended for your project.
Updating wood stained grade kitchen cabinets
Stained cabinets are being painted more often than ever, especially for brightening up your kitchen. Adding new hardware and painting your cabinets is a good investment as well. We have a unique proven system for painting kitchen cabinets. Its not all in the painting… It is however, in the prep and the detailing you put into the work. Going from stain cabinets to paint is called a “conversion”. Meaning, converting from one medium to another. Stain is not thick, the lacquer or top coat is heavier and must be removed before or scuffed prior to moving to the next step! On the other hand, Painting cabinets is usually a 3 coat process. First, the primer, not applied to thick. Secondly, two coats of paint.
The details that go into painting cabinets and why it is so important.
Ok, so I don’t want to bore you with all the technical stuff that goes into painting cabinets. However, what would happen if you just painted without prepping first. First of all, the paint would not adhere very well. I have seen a thing or two in my painting career. Such as using latex paint on top of oil paint, will peel right off. Improper sanding, cleaning off the grease, prime before painting, clean caulking, dust free surface, are all very important steps to achieve the ultimate results. Surprisingly, this may seem like a lot of work, however staying organized and paying attention to the details will result in a beautiful new looking set of cabinets.
Unlike painting walls cabinets have a lot of steps
Here is a list of the steps involved for painting cabinets going from a stain grade to paint grade. Painting cabinets that already have paint is another topic but follows the same general guidelines.
- Remove doors and drawers and mark where they go
- Remove hinges and hardware
- Set up a designated area for sanding (we use a dust free system seen in the above photo.)
- After sanding, vacuum doors and wipe with a tack cloth
- Prime with a bonding primer
- If the wood grain has raised after primer application then repeat steps 3 and 4
- Caulk all seams neatly, using a damp rag to stay clean
- putty all nail holes and imperfections, inspect before painting
- Paint first coat of paint, inspect for any runs or sags, sand any imperfections
- Paint the second coat (brush or spray depending on your method)
- Install the hinges and hardware
- Re-hang the cabinet doors and slide the drawers in place
The above process is also done to the cabinet shells, the insides are optional depending on the type of wood the cabinet maker used.
So, a 12 step process in painting kitchen cabinets, not bad for a conversion painting project. It actually goes fairly quick if you are well organized and have the right equipment. Festool is our choice for prepping cabinets.
Contact Plasters of Italy for your kitchen cabinet painting.
If you are trying to paint the cabinets by yourself you can email me with your questions. Or simple give us a call for your free consultation.
Choosing the correct paint for the project
This is a topic all painters have an opinion on, however these opinions could be based on what they like to use, or that they are comfortable with. The most popular types of paints used in residential homes are; latex, which is an acrylic water based paint. Oil, a petroleum based product, and lastly, a hybrid called a “waterborne alkyd”. So which one do you choose. Well, you must know that a latex paint is the lesser quality in my opinion. Oil based products are popular, the only plus in using oil is for durability. Oil is very toxic and is outlawed in the state of California.
My choice is the Waterborne Alkyd. Specifically the Benjamin Moore Advance. I have been using this paint since it came out, as many contractors are moving to more environmentally friendly products. It is durable and lays down like butter. However, be sure not to keep overworking your strokes. Make long passes then lay it down, do not try to go back into the same area. It has a quick set time and requires getting familiar with the product. Applied correctly it produces an amazing finish. To sum it up, there is so much more involved in painting than meets the eye.
