How to pick Kitchen Cabinet Paint

Kitchen cabinet paint can easily change the entire feeling of your room. Kitchens are usually the most expensive room to remodel, but a little paint can go a long ways. If this is you first time painting kitchen cabinets you might be a little lost at the paint store, wondering where the special cabinet paint is. Here is how to pick the right paint for the job.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Don't skimp on the primer. It may be tempting to just skip the primer altogether. You can just do touch ups if the paint doesn't turn out the way you want, right? However, if you don't prime, you may have to do several coats of regular paint to get an even color. Then, your paint might not be true to the paint chip depending on what color or surface you are painting over. Plus, the paint might chip off if it hasn't been primed properly.

2. Find what works best for you. Some people recommend that you use oil kitchen cabinet paint. Others swear by a latex kitchen cabinet paint. Oil supposedly forms a harder surface, but it can be more difficult to work with. Also it can be hard to get a smooth finish without any brush strokes using oil paint. It's definitely a lot more difficult to get off your hands.

3. Go for higher quality paint. Yes, it costs a few dollars more. A 15 year paint might seem like it will last forever. However, painting kitchen cabinets is a really tough job & you don't want your paint to let you down.

4. Choose modern finishes. In recent years, shiny finishes seem to have taken a back seat. Flat paint has become very popular, but it isn't really suited to the kitchen. You need to find a kitchen cabinet paint that you can wipe down when it needs a good cleaning.

5. Pick the proper equipment. You'll need plenty of tarps to protect your kitchen surfaces from a messy paintbrush. If you use a roller, be careful that it doesn't leave marks. A nice brush is usually recommended to apply kitchen cabinet paint, but it's a slower process.

Tips & Warnings

• Since painting kitchen cabinets works, painting other things in the kitchen should work too, right? Some decorating shows tell you that you can paint linoleum, counter tops & even appliances. Avoid painting the stove because this can release toxic fumes. Linoleum & counter top paint is quite expensive & won't stand the test of time.