Preparing Your Kitchen Cabinetry for Painting

Many of us consider ourselves novice painters, but when a project becomes overly involved and complicated, we realize a professional would have been a wise investment. If you’ve ever tried to paint your kitchen cabinetry, you likely had one of these epiphanies.

Cabinetry is a large component of our kitchen space, and to paint it well and guarantee a professional end result, there are several steps that should be taken.

Step #1: Determine the best primer and paint for your cabinets. You’ll need to know what your cabinets are made of; what types of paint will look best on them; as well as what type of primer is needed for ideal results.

Step #2: Preparing to paint. You’ll need to spend time clearing off and covering kitchen counters. Remove smaller appliances and ready a drop cloth to cover the floor. Pay attention to the backsplash, stove top and fridge front … all things you’ll want to protect against paint splatter.

Step #3: Disassembling. The best way to paint kitchen cabinetry is while it is disassembled. Take the doors off their hinges; take the hardware of the doors and drawers. Empty the drawers of their contents.

Step #4: Clean everything well to ensure you have a smooth, clean surface to paint on – be sure you give your cabinetry ample time to dry.

Step #5: Apply primer, paint and top coats. This should be done with forethought. What brushes are best to use? How long should the first coat dry? Is there a best practice for applying the paint? All of this knowledge should be laid out before the painting process begins.

Step #6: Ideally, you would make notes that help you reassemble your cabinetry in the right order. Once everything is back in its proper place, give each cabinet a thorough inspection to ensure it wasn’t dinged during the replacement process.

Painting kitchen cabinetry is a time consuming and detailed operation that requires plenty of planning and professional painter know-how. If you’re ready to give your kitchen a facelift, Atlanta’s Paint Doctor can help by bringing new life to your cabinets and drawers.

The Paint Doctor is a licensed, fully insured and proven painting contractor. For more information or an estimate, call us at (404) 524-8283, or click here to send us an email.