# Paint Kitchen Cabinets ?



## TxGal2 (Jul 15, 2006)

House built in late '70's & kitchen is alley type in center of house, so dark.
Cabinets are dark wood & am thinking about painting them white, but don't want to have to re-paint them every 2 yrs or so.  Is there some type of finish or ??? that can put on them to protect them?
Also, what are steps needed to prepare them for painting?
Thanks for any help, suggestions!


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## CraigFL (Jul 15, 2006)

I painted mine with a high gloss epoxy with good success. The finish was very durable.


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## Square Eye (Jul 15, 2006)

To prepare for painting;

Clean clean clean. A good kitchen cleaner and complete wipe down followed by a damp wash of TSP will cut the grease. I'd repeat the TSP at least once. 
Let it dry for a day or two. Then maybe another wipe down with mineral spirits. After another day or two, you will need a good quality stain blocking primer. I prefer to use an oil base primer because there's less chance of raising the grain of the wood. Then a light sanding followed by a good wipe down with mineral spirits or a tack rag. Then you should be able to use just about any good quality paint, a semi-gloss or a gloss ( I prefer an oil base again because of the hard finish it provides). Leave the cabinet doors open for at least a day or two to prevent sticking. I've used wax around the doors where they close against the frame to prevent sticking.

The most important part is the prep. If you can get a good non-peeling surface to work with, you will have a better chance of having a long lasting finish.


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## Square Eye (Jul 15, 2006)

Hey Craig!


Yeah, epoxy is great! BUT, if it's a two part epoxy, it has to be used within a certain time period. If I could spray all of my cabinets at once, I'd use that too. What type did you use? Did you spray it or brush it on?


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## asbestos (Jul 16, 2006)

I just did some cabinet doors for someone. I sanded, primed with bond coat solvent based and painted with solvent based ben moore apint that I tried to brush on, but ended up spraying with a little speedway air sprayer, worked great. finish was good. with oil (solvent) paint you need to let it dry *and* cure. it will be soft for a couple _days_ so if you can let it sit for a couple 3-5 days that will help, if not use it gently. Also think about just doing doors. You can take these outside spraying in the house is a problem, and spraying with a flammable paint is an issue.


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## BridgeMan (Jul 7, 2012)

I had a dark, narrow galley type kitchen in a former home (also built in 70s).  I brightened the kitchen up considerably by installing a 4' x 2' skylite in it, oriented in the long direction, and then painted just the cabinet doors and drawers using a good quality, off-white, semi-gloss oil-based enamel.  Added some fancy filigree moldings stained to match the cabinets dark color--the contrast was striking, and really dressed the place up.


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## CallMeVilla (Jul 15, 2012)

I have had great success with epoxy spray cans.  Prep is crucial and so is a dust-free spraying environment. 

Here is an unusual tip:  I heated the cans using a pot of hot water for just a few minutes.  Don't get stupid and boil the water!  However, the warmed paint lays down like glass on horizontal items such as doors and drawer fronts.  Use multiple coats and the finish will be bullet proof and perfectly flat.

Good luck!


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## Joshga (Aug 9, 2012)

CraigFL said:


> I painted mine with a high gloss epoxy with good success. The finish was very durable.



 I would also go with high gloss epoxy as it is durable and dirt resistant. Or you can also paint the color first, then top coat it with clear paint.


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## TramondKrick (Sep 5, 2012)

Hello guys, 

The dark cabinets have sucked all the light out  of the kitchen. A fresh coat of paint can go a long way toward  transforming the space without draining your bank account. You can hire a  pro to spray-paint the kitchen. Hiring a pro is a costly process. To  solve this problem you can use brush and paint the cabinet yourselves.  Before starting your job you should empty the cabinet, clear off the  counters and remove freestanding appliances. Relocate tables and other  furniture to another room. You should cover tape rosin paper to protect  the rest of things from dust and dirt. Finally, set up a worktable form  painting doors, drawers, and shelves. 

Thank you 
TramondKrick

Kitchen Range Hood


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## timmy-otoole (Sep 14, 2012)

make sure you test the finish on similarly textured wood if youre inexperienced with painting, just to make sure you're satisfied with how it looks. 

one of my neighbors brushed on regular latex paint over some old wood paneling and you can see the texture of the wood showing through. it looks pretty bad.


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## staceybrown281 (Sep 18, 2012)

My cabinets in my kitchen are colored with wood brown. Because  I thought that it would more refreshing and feels pleasure every time I open it. And it really worked. It's like I always want to go to my kitchen to get relaxed and enjoy.


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