Are your kitchen cabinets too dark? Are they scratched, chipped or nicked? If the cabinets in your kitchen look more like they belong in your garage, read on.
A few minor repairs, along with a fresh coat of paint, can make your old cabinets look new, brighten up the room and make them easier to care for. And, for the avid do-it-yourselfer, replacement of the cabinet doors can give cabinets, and the kitchen, a fresh new look.
For starters, remove the cabinet doors and drawers and work on them in your garage or workshop so that disruption in the kitchen will be minimal. This will also give you the freedom to apply the new paint with a sprayer making the job a lot easier and resulting in a finer finish.
Remove the pulls from the cabinet doors and then the doors themselves together with the hinges. You'll want to do this even if the doors won't be replaced with new ones, since it will facilitate applying paint. A cordless screwdriver will make removal and replacement of the doors and hardware a whole lot easier. You may also find it necessary to remove the refrigerator, range, vent hood or other appliances in order to properly complete the job. This gives you a great opportunity for a thorough cleaning.
Once the pulls and hinges have been removed from the cabinet doors soak them in a mild solution of ammonia and water. You may choose to bypass this step and use new pulls and hinges to match your current decor. Or you might wish to replace the hinges with the new Euro-style concealed hinge.
To remove surface grease and grime, wash all surfaces to be painted, including doors and drawers, with a solution of trisodiumphosphate (TSP). Then, using 100 to 120-grit sandpaper, lightly sand the doors and all exposed surfaces of the cabinets. The goal is not to remove all of the paint or varnish, but rather to create a smooth and uniform surface to which the new coat of paint will adhere. All nicks and blemishes should be filled with a vinyl spackling compound, and lightly sanded. A second application of spackle may be required if the first application shrinks. Remove the sanding dust by vacuuming the cabinets with an upholstery brush and wiping them down with a tack cloth or a soft cloth dampened with mineral spirits.
Before applying new paint, protect your surroundings. The floor should be covered with a canvas or plastic drop cloth. Use masking tape and masking paper to protect counters and cabinet interiors. Drawer bodies should be wrapped in plastic or paper and tightly masked at the inside edge where the drawer front meets the drawer body.
When working with a painted cabinet, apply a coat of oil base primer to all areas. Cabinets with a dark stain should be treated with a heavily pigmented shellac-based primer to help conceal the stain. In either case lightly thin the paint with mineral spirits and apply with a natural or china bristle brush. Never use a polyester or synthetic bristle brush when working with oils.
For cabinet doors and drawers use an airless sprayer, being sure to follow the manufacturer or rental store instructions to the letter. A painter's hood or hat, a respirator, safety goggles and plenty of ventilation are needed when spraying oils with an airless sprayer. Also, make sure that you have the proper tip for the spray gun. There are a variety of tips for paints and finishes.
Once dry, lightly sand the primer with 150-grit sandpaper, remove all of the sanding dust and apply a finish coat of high-gloss oil base enamel in the color of your choice. Use a semi-gloss for a less shiny finish. Apply the finish coat in the same fashion as the primer. To wrap up the job, attach the hinges and install the doors. Reinstall the drawers and install door and drawer pulls if desired.
When shopping for new cabinet doors try a custom cabinet shop. In addition to supplying hinges, they can bore the doors to accept the new Euro-style hinges, should those be your choice.
