Painting kitchen cabinets

[Aggie93]

My wife finally got sick enough of our dated kitchen and has decided to put in new floors, counter tops, backslash and paint the cabinets and walls. The plan is to paint ourselves.

What is the best way to paint the cabinets? Initial plan is to brush paint the boxes and rent a sprayer for the doors. Sunbelt has a HVLP sprayer for $46 per day or $140 per week. Are these better than airless sprayers for wanting a smoother finish?

I do have a small compressor (4.5 gal, 6.5 cfm @ 40) and thinking about buying a LVLP sprayer. Is anyone familiar with these?

Would I be better off using a sprayer for the cabinet boxes?

Any tricks for sanding the door profile? Oscillating or rotary tools too aggressive?

Any thoughts on brushing putty or similar product for minimizing grain? Cabinets are oak.

Thanks for any help.

[scottmandue]

This is on my honeydo for 2015, I was thinking of just rolling everything... but then I'm a cheap bastage.

[LakeCleElum]

Chad: Way back in the Early '90's, I painted kitchen cabinets/trim in a house I was selling. I had painted several cars over the years and decided to use a White automotive paint I had left over. I brushed it on w/o any brush marks at all. There are also marine paints that will leave a very high gloss finish.....

You might also get a quote from a cabinet company for a quote to spray the doors.

I have a compressor and HVLP gun, but didn't want to mess up my garage again......

Oscillating or rotary tools too aggressive? You don't want to leave any sanding marks whatever you use.....

[porsche4life]

Timely question. Ours are painted white and could use a refresh when we get new counters and tile soon. I'm thinking of pulling the doors off and spraying them, and then brushing the facia

[dad911]

I'd clean it with an aggressive cleaner, like paint thinner or alcohol to make sure all grease is off. Then sand(rub) them with 3M scotch brite pads.

Good primer, and paint. Harbor freight HVLP guns are not bad, I have used it for rollcage and some auto paint, but your compressor won't have the volume.

I also have had good results with a Campbell Hausfield HVLP setup, sells for around $200 at home depot (no compressor needed, supplies it's own air).

[intakexhaust]

Too much to cover here but have done many new and refinish, stain and paints, spray and brush. Anyhow, just wanted to state that there's some folks who specify NEW custom cabinets with hand brushed paint finish. They WANT to see the hand finished brush strokes! We're talking $50k cabinet jobs from bath's, pantry's, kitchen's. Laughable but hey, whateva' floats their boat.

[Robert Adams]

Benj Moore as does HD I think, makes a cabinet paint that goes on like a spray job with a brush or roller depending on the door style. I forget the name but the Benj Moore paint store can help you. Not cheap paint but goes on real nice and dries nicely to.
There are also places where you can order new cabinet doors, just be sure you measure carefully and replace all the hinge hardware too. That can be a very economical solution as well.

[Aragorn]

I usually go with: fill and drill for new hardware first, pull the doors and drawers, sand and strip (if painted) the doors and drawer fronts, primer the surfaces, and put a top coat of paint. (Number the doors and drawers with a piece of blue painters tape and make a diagram of where they go. Remove the tape before painting and put it back on after the paint has fully dried.)

The cabinet doors will probably need the most work to get them smooth. This is mostly what you are going to see so spend the time getting the finish smooth and uniform before applying the primer. A 3M sanding pad works well to get rid of the shine and give it some tooth. Usually I prefer the brush-stroke look so I paint with a good quality brush. If the cabinets have a recessed panel, paint around that first and then move to the flat surfaces. For the cabinets themselves, I usually use a small roller and go over that with a brush to get the desired look. Some stores sell a cabinet paint. I usually just use regular latex paint in either semi gloss or gloss finish. Some people say you need a top clear coat on the paint on cabinets. I never have used it and will defer to someone with more expertise to say if it is really needed or not. I have painted roughly 5 kitchens in the last few years and never have used a top clear coat. All of the cabinets still look good. Paint guns will use more paint and will get it everywhere if you are not careful. Brushing takes a little longer but provides a more uniform finish.

If you are going to put in new hardware for the pulls, fill the old holes with putty and drill the new holes before you paint. They have templates for door and drawer pulls for sale, but a homemade one out of some scrap furring strips and luan screwed together will work just as well.

Prep is key. Without a good under surface, the paint will just peel off and gum up in a few years.

[aigel]

What is the surface? Wood? Is it grainy?

I have had good luck taking brown furniture and painting it white. Just sand, scotch brite, paint thinner for de-oiling and then prime / paint with a brush. Same on brown door frames when throwing the brown door out for a white 6 panel replacement, keeping the frame. A good paint will flow to where no brush marks are seen. I would not eff with a sprayer.

AAMOF I am planning a bathroom refresh with a brown vanity that will get this treatment. I'll report back!

G

[jyl]

The high end treatment is base coat then brush paint, to get the subtle signs of hand finishing, and incidentally match the trim and other cabinet work in the house, which was probably brush painted, especially if the house is older.

I've often thought if I got new kitchen cabinets I'd find a way to have them very lightly distressed, like a few subtle dents and nicks before brush painting, so they looked original to the house. In an older house (mine is 100 years) I don't want really "new" looking alterations.

[911_Dude]

Primer with Liquid Sandpaper, spray or brush with your fave color semi gloss latex. All this talk of sanding is way too much work unless they are really rough. Also, forget about hiding the oak grain. Doesn't matter. Its wood, so its normal and you wont even notice it when your done anyway.

[1990C4S]

I would use Benjamin Moore oil base and a flow additive like Flotrol. Roll with a short nap roller and then brush once. Two or three coats, the paint can be very thin, almost like milk.

[Nickshu]

I did some with a friend years ago. We sprayed them, but used a pretty thin mix of Gemini Kad-a-Lac lacquer paint from Kwal Paint and the oak "cracks" bled thru giving it a white-distressed look. I thought they looked great when done.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by Aragorn

. Some people say you need a top clear coat on the paint on cabinets. I never have used it and will defer to someone with more expertise to say if it is really needed or not.

I sprayed mom's with Sherman Williams water-based a few years ago.
Within a week they had coffee, wine, and jelly splashed all over and were permanently stained again.
After half a year they hardened up and became surprisingly resistant.
Clearcoat is much shinier and will change the look though.

I used a 25gal compressor(barely enough) and a $90 HPLV gun from Lowes. I got the primer tinted which helps. Faces were raised and put on old doors on stands. Garage with plastic on the floor. Make sure there is room to move around.

Roughed with scotchbrite first and cleaned with thinned TSP. The paint was too thick at first even at 90psi and needed to be thinned 5-10%. I tried to always spray towards the open door and light because this revealed coverage best.

I had the gun too close at first(1 foot) and ended up with orange peel and sideways sags so I let it dry a day and sanded them off. Then I sprayed with a thinned misting style from above(2+ feet), watching for the droplettes to join and become a surface. It's very easy to create a super slick mirrored surface this way.

[Aggie93]

Thanks everyone. I think I'll try brushing first and see how that looks. Going to talk the Benji Moore and Sherman Williams this weekend, but thinking about their alkyd products. Sounds like it is very good leveling, but takes a while to cure. Wife is scrubbing with TSP substitute while I watch football. Not sure if I should feel bad or smile.

[JJ 911SC]

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