DIY Kitchen Cabinets Painting
There's something to be said for doing some of your own home improvements; a certain sense of accomplishment. DIY kitchen cabinet painting is no different. Painting your cabinets is an inexpensive way to improve the look and feel of your kitchen and maybe even add some resale value to your home. This can be an intimidating task at first glance, but if you break down the process into several achievable steps, you will be finished in no time with a kitchen you can be proud of. The majority of cabinets are made of wood, so these instructions are geared toward them. There are many places to find information on painting metal cabinets on the internet.
DIY kitchen cabinet painting-before you start
The first and most important thing to know before you begin any diy kitchen cabinet painting project is that paint won't stick to dirty cabinets. What you use to clean them could make a difference in your end result. Besides dish soap and water, which works because of the grease-cutting abilities of the soap, a commercial cleaner called TSP (trisodium phosphate) is recommended by several home improvement specialists. Whichever you choose, make sure all the grease build-up has been removed, then rinse the cleaner off with a sponge and clear water.
The next step is to take off all the doors and remove the drawers. It's best to have somewhere like a garage, basement, or extra room to lay all of the pieces out in. Once you've done that and covered all the countertops with a drop cloth, sand the cabinets with a medium grit sandpaper to "rough" the surface up. Doing that makes it easier for paint to stick to.
DIY kitchen cabinet painting
After you've cleaned the dust off the cabinets, you're finally ready to paint. If you have chosen to use a primer, apply that and allow it to dry overnight. The next day, sand the primered surfaces and apply the first coat of paint-latex based is most popular, though enamel works well in kitchens. You will probably need at least two coats. If you decide not to use a primer or are painting the cabinets white, you may need 3 to 4 coats. Once the paint has dried, all that's left to do is reattach the doors, replace the drawers, and maybe replace the knobs and pulls as well.
