How to Paint Birch Wood Kitchen Cabinets

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Things You'll Need

  • Painter's tape

  • Very fine sandpaper

  • Tack cloth

  • Flat primer or paint

  • 00 grit sandpaper

  • Interior enamel paint

  • Assorted brushes

Painting birch wood cabinets is a simple project that you can take on yourself, allowing you to save money and bring new life to your kitchen. Birch is regarded as one of the finest woods to paint because it accepts paint well and will stand up over time. You will need to properly prepare the cabinets before painting, but if done right, the finish will be beautiful. Interior enamel is recommended to give you the best finished product.

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Step 1

Mask any areas of the cabinets that you do not want painted. Knobs, handles, hinges and other areas can be masked using painter's tape. Surrounding areas can be masked with masking paper available from any paint store.

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Step 2

Sand the cabinets with a very fine sandpaper to remove any imperfections in the wood, using long smooth strokes. If there is old paint on the wood, you will only need to sand it enough to remove any shine, allowing the new paint to adhere better.

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Step 3

Wipe down the cabinets with a tack cloth after sanding to remove any dust that may be on the surface from the sanding process. Any dust that is not removed will cause the finish to be rough and may show through the paint.

Step 4

Apply several thin coats of a flat paint to the wood. Use a paint that is the same color as the enamel final coat so that the color is even after painting. Allow the primer coats to dry for 24 hours between coats.

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Step 5

Sand the cabinets again with 00 grit sandpaper to rough up the primer coat. You do not want to sand the paint down or remove any of it, you just want it rough enough for the final coats of enamel to adhere.

Step 6

Wipe the cabinets down again with a tack cloth, removing any dust from sanding. This is especially important for the finish coats of paint.

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Step 7

Apply your first coat of enamel paint using a brush, working in thin, even coats of paint. Thick coats of paint tend to develop runs and do not dry evenly. Continue applying coats of paint, allowing a drying time of 24 to 48 hours between coats until you achieve the color and coverage desired on the cabinets.

Step 8

Remove any masking materials and allow the paint to dry for 48 hours before using the cabinets.

Tip

Interior enamel paints are slightly transparent, so be sure to use the same color primer or flat paint under it to achieve even colors.

Warning

Make sure to use proper ventilation when painting inside. It is not healthy to breathe fumes from any paint for long periods of time.

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