Is It Easy To Paint Kitchen Cabinets?
Painting kitchen cupboards and cabinets have become the top renovation project for homeowners, but how easy is it to paint kitchen cupboards and cabinets?
20/07/2021
Is a painted kitchen worth the effort?
As anyone who has recently done a kitchen makeover - including myself - if the project was easy and I'm sure that most will agree that yes, it is easy but it is also a lot of hard work if you plan on doing it yourself. Why would you want to do it yourself? Perhaps for the good reason that you will save an awful lot of money and still have a great looking - refreshed with a new look - kitchen at the end of the project.
So the question should be... was it worth all the hard work?
I think the answer from most would be yes but there are those that would also say that they didn't realise just how much work it could be. Yes, painting is easy but there is also a lot of preparation that needs to take place before you reach the painting stage and that's what we look at in this article.
Plan the vision you have for your kitchen renovation and make sure you have the time to see it through to completion.
Think Carefully Before You Leap
When deciding to take on any renovation project you need to be prepared to put in the effort and have money to spend on the materials and supplies you will use. A kitchen renovation that is more cosmetic than anything else is obviously the easiest way to go but don't think that there won't be much involved. Painting is the easiest step in the process, whether you are painting cupboards and cabinets or walls or both. Make sure you have the time available to finish the project as quickly as possible if you won't want it to drag on and becomes a pain.
Draw up a schedule of what needs to be done to renovate your kitchen. Consider even the smallest details and estimate a timeline for each project.
Preparation Is The Hardest Part
Nadene and her hubby took on the task of painting their kitchen cupboards both wall and floor-mounted, as well as painting the kitchen tiles. She will agree that while the entire project took only 7 days, it was 7 days of hard work. She did mention that they are both extremely satisfied with how the kitchen looked once finished and that's what is important. You want to feel that all the hard work was worth it and you achieve the look you were going for.
Stripping The Kitchen
Before the fun begins, you need to remove hardware and doors. If you plan on keeping the hardware have this cleaned up and put in a safe place. If you are changing the hardware, select the handles and knobs you want for the doors and drawers and make sure that the supplier has plenty in stock.
Hinges can be reused but this is the best time to replace these if you prefer a soft-close door hinge. Even though you may need to drill out holes for Euro or cup hinges, the end result might be worth the effort.
Cleaning The Doors And Frames
Cleaning has to be the most important task when painting kitchen cupboards and cabinets, and tiles as well if you are painting these at the same time. The surface needs to be thoroughly free of grease and dirt or the primer and paint will not adhere properly to the surfaces and will result in peeling paint.
Scrub, scrub, scrub with bicarbonate of soda or sugar soap and Klean Green. This combination will make it easy to remove grease that has built up over the years. Even if you can't see it on the doors it is there and must be cleaned off, so wash all doors and frames - even those that don't look dirty.
Do Touch-Ups And Repairs
Depending on the age of your kitchen changes are there will be a few touch-ups and repairs required before you prime and paint. The top priority is to decide on new handles and knobs and whether these can be fitted on existing holes or will need new holes to be drilled. There are plenty of ways to fix up dings and dents by using epoxy wood putty to build up damaged areas such as edges and corners to wood filler for filling holes and cracks.
Do as the doors, cupboards and cabinets before you sand so that you don't have to repeat the sanding process.
Before applying primer to the doors and frames, allow plenty of drying time
after the cleaning process.
Sanding, Sanding And More Sanding
Everyone loves sanding, right? If you want to save yourself some time and effort, consider using chalk paint on cupboard doors and frames. Chalk paint is an alternative to consider if you really don't want to do too much sanding. It goes on easy and is just as durable as other paints if you apply a clear matt or satin polyurethane sealer.
You will definitely need a multi- or orbital sander to sand down the doors and frames, as well as plenty of sandpaper or sanding sponges to get into raised or decorative details on the door fronts. It is an intensive process but one that shouldn't be skipped if you want a job done well.
Covering Up and Masking Off
If you don't want to be spending hours scrubbing paint off floors, countertop and appliances make sure to apply painter's tape and plastic to cover up those areas not being painted. I prefer to use painter's tape over masking tape as it has better tack but won't damage the surface.
Applying A Primer
Some may say that a primer is not necessary and while that might be true in certain instances, I do believe that a primer serves a purpose and that being to provide a bond between the surface and paint. If you are going to all the trouble to paint the kitchen cupboards and cabinets, using a universal primer will ensure a professional job even if you are doing it yourself.
Use a combination of foam paint roller and paintbrushes to prime the cupboard doors and frames. Use a paintbrush to apply paint around edges and detailed areas and then go over this with the foam paint roller for a smooth, brush-stroke-free finish.
Painting Cupboard Doors and Frames
Nadene and hubby painted the cabinets with water-based Plascon Velvaglo, an excellent choice if you want a durable and washable finish. You will definitely need more than one coat and must allow drying times between coats.
Painting Wall Tiles
If you need to refresh wall tiles as an alternative to ripping out and replacing them, there are plenty of paint products that can be used for this application. Visit your local Builders store and ask for advice on the best products for the job or do some online research. Nadene used Dulux double grip primer and then applied two coats of Plascon Velvaglo.
Wall tiles, cupboard doors and frames primed and ready to be painted
Plan As A Couple
Due to the work involved in cleaning, preparation and painting, it's always good to know that you have someone to help you. There are going to be times when you reach your limit and if two or more people are involved it will lessen the workload. Even employing casual labour to do some of the hard work and where you pay a daily or set rate will reduce the amount of work to be done and speed up the project.
If you want to employ casual labour make sure to include this in your budget. There are plenty of people looking for work that will appreciate the job and it will make your life a lot easier. Having said that, make sure the labour knows what needs to be done and done properly. You don't want to spend money on casual labour only to have to redo the job yourself.
Painting kitchen cupboards and cabinets in two colours is right on trend at the moment
Make It A Fun Project
Any do it yourself renovation project needs to be looked at as something you can achieve if you want to save money on hiring a professional contractor to do the job properly. It shouldn't be viewed as a chore, because if you start out with that mindset it is going to be a loooooong project indeed. Get yourself into the headspace of viewing it as something to look forward to, to enjoy the process and realise what it will take to achieve your vision.
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