Painting Wood Cabinets

The most obvious reason for painting wood cabinets is that every new coat of paint is going to help to breathe fresh life into your old and worn out cabinet. Not only will a new coat of paint add life to your cabinet but it will also increase the appeal of your home. If you are looking to paint wood cabinets, the following tips will help in doing a good job.

What you need

Before doing anything else, it is important to have the following on hand to help you do a good job:

Screwdriver
Fine and medium sandpaper
Plastic bag

1. Remove cabinets

Start the task of painting wood cabinets by first of all removing the cabinets. A screwdriver should do the job of helping you to remove the cabinet. Be sure to remove hinges and all screws and place these in a plastic bag. At the same time, remove knobs, pulls and then place these in another plastic bag. The best way to remove these items is by using an electric screwdriver. It will save you time and effort and make the task of taking out the cabinet and hardware a lot easier.

2. Sand the surface

Having removed the hardware and cabinets, it is now time to sand the surface of the cabinet. This helps in removing the finish. When sanding, be sure to do so in an even and thorough manner. Also, sand the surface in the direction of the wood grain as this helps in minimizing the chance of scratching the surface.

3. Apply denatured alcohol

After sanding, clean the cabinets with a sponge that is dipped in water mixed with a cleanser. To ensure that paint adheres to the surface, you will need to remove every last trace of dust from the surface. Wipe the cabinets clean before you start to paint the cabinet. The best way of cleaning the cabinet is by using denatured alcohol. Wear rubber gloves when applying the denatured alcohol.

Cover the work area with a drop cloth and then start to prime the cabinet. When applying the primer, use a disposable foam brush and apply between two and three coats of primer and paint in the direction of the wood grain. It will take at least eight hours for the primer to dry. It pays to allow the primer to dry overnight.

4. Paint the wood cabinet

After the primer has dried up completely, you can start painting the wood cabinet. Again, when painting the wood cabinet, be sure to apply the paint in the direction of the wood grain. A paint roller will do a good job of applying the paint on the surface of the cabinet, especially the large surface. A brush should be used to paint the crevices and grooves. About two coats of paint will be enough to get a decent finish.

Sand, prime and paint the cabinet base and the drawers in the same way as you did for the cabinet surface. Next, allow the cabinet and base as well as drawers to dry up completely. You may have to wait for two days for this to happen. After that, replace the hardware and attach the knobs and pulls that had been removed prior to painting the wood cabinet. Finally, reinstall the cabinet.