What paint do you use on kitchen cupboards? With the arrival of the cold season, many are returning to their indoors. It’s a good opportunity to review your interior decoration, in anticipation of the longer periods you’ll be spending there.
The kitchen is a room where we meet every day, so it’s nice to be in an environment with an attractive decor. But you should remember it is one of the rooms in the house that is expensive to renovate.
What Paint Do You Use On Kitchen Cupboards?
It is possible to give your kitchen a major makeover simply by refreshing your cabinets. Here are the essential steps you can take to give your kitchen cabinets a new look without spending a fortune.
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Dismantle the Cabinets and Remove Accessories
Before removing all your cabinet doors, make sure you have a plan of their different positions. Use numbered labels to clearly identify the position of each one.
If you have 25 identical panels, once you remove them, it can be difficult to know which one was in which place! Do the same for drawers and other panels.
It is also best to remove all accessories such as handles and hinges to make your task easier. Moreover, it ensures a uniform and quality finish.
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Preparation
As with most painting projects, preparation is an essential step in the success of your project. If you plan to change the handles and/or hinges when you repaint your panels, you have to plug the holes left by the old accessories.
That is if they don’t match the new ones before proceeding with the painting. To do this, use a latex wood paste and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Next, you should clean your cabinets with a degreaser (for example, T.S.P. phosphate-free). It will enable you to remove all residues that accumulate over time, for example, grease, dust, and food.
Afterwards, a sanding of the surface to paint is necessary so that the new paint adheres well to it. To make your work easier and faster, we recommend using an electric sander and medium grit sandpaper.
Also, make sure you protect surfaces that you will not paint, such as ceramic backsplashes. You can use paper that you will glue with masking tape.
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What Paint Do You Use On Kitchen Cupboards – Apply a Primer
In most cases, the application of a primer is necessary before applying the desired color. For example, we recommend a 100% acrylic primer or an alkyd primer, that is particularly suitable for this type of work.
However, if you stain the wood, it must be “bare”, without any primer, otherwise the stain will not penetrate.
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Determine the Type of Material of the Cabinets
Before undertaking any painting project, be sure to identify what material your cabinets are made of. Is it melamine, wood, laminate, or plywood? Depending on the type of surface, the steps to revamp your cabinets and obtain a quality result will vary.
We also suggest that you perform a color test on a small area of your cabinets to get a glimpse of the result. That is because the final color may vary depending on the type of material on which you will apply the paint.
For Melamine and Laminate
Melamine and laminate are not ideal surfaces for this type of work, but you can still paint them. Keep in mind, however, that this is a temporary solution, as the surfaces you repaint will be brittle to blows and scratches.
To ensure maximum paint adhesion, sand the surface to paint first. You can also clean the surface with a degreaser to remove all traces of food or dirt. Then, apply a specialized primer.
To maximize the durability of your work, choose a specialized paint such as floor paint or paint for furniture and cabinets.
For Varnished Surfaces
For surfaces with one or more coats of varnish accumulated over the years, you must carry out good sanding before applying the primer.
However, it is not necessary to sand all the way down to the wood (this will save you time, as sanding each panel can be a long and arduous task!).
Then clean the surface with a degreaser, and apply a suitable primer to even out the surface, even if some varnish remains. Now, you can proceed with the application of the color.
Normally, two coats of a specialized paint (floor paint or paint for furniture and cabinets) will be necessary.
For Wood
Cabinets made of real wood, such as oak, require special treatment. To ensure a perfect outcome, you should sand, prime and then stain the panels, not paint.
Since wood has “pores”, painting may clog them and cause the wood to crack. Stain (available in a wide variety of colors) penetrates the wood and brings out the grain of the wood.
In the case of pine,you require a specialized softwood primer or uniforming agent, otherwise the paint will be uneven and have imperfections.
Then, you should apply a good quality varnish. It is also possible to replace the paint and varnish with an ecological wood oil, which will provide a beautiful finish with a more matte and natural look.
Painting With a Spray Gun
To quickly paint your kitchen cabinets and for a uniform and completely smooth finish, you should use a paint gun.
Its handling is not very difficult, and you will simply have to practice a little on pieces of cardboard or wood scraps, before starting your work. You can also use spray guns to apply varnishes.
What Paint Do You Use On Kitchen Cupboards – Milk Paint
It is possible to give your kitchen a special look by using paints such as milk paint. This creates an old-fashioned style that fits well with the rustic chic style, which is very popular in today’s kitchen.
Once the paint dries, a light sanding in a few places can also accentuate the old-fashioned effect.
What You’ll Need For Your Work:
- Roller (for smooth and straight surfaces)
- Brushes (for corners)
- A degreaser
- Repair pulp (for example, latex wood pulp)
- Sandpaper or sander
- A specialized primer
- Appropriate paint or stain
Conclusion – What Paint Do You Use On Kitchen Cupboards
In short, there is a multitude of colors, finishes and styles you can make to give your kitchen the look you want and the refreshment you deserve.
