How to Refinish Old Painted Kitchen Cabinets

Refinishing old painted kitchen cabinets can enhance your home. This DIY project is not difficult, but can be time-consuming. It’s easier to paint over old, painted wood; painted cabinets can only be stained if you completely remove all of the old paint. The key to refinishing kitchen cabinets is in the preparation. Take the time to properly prepare the cabinets before refinishing them.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Medium-grade sandpaper
• Cloth
• Orbital sander/hand-sanding pad
• Wood filler
• Putty knife
• Light-grade sandpaper
• Primer, paint and brushes/rollers
• Polyurethane topcoat

Instructions

1. Remove doors, drawers and shelving from the upper and lower sections of the old kitchen cabinets, using a screwdriver. Remove the cabinet hardware from the doors and drawer fronts.

2. Sand the cabinet frames and inside the cabinets with medium-grade sandpaper, using an orbital sander or hand-sanding pad. Sand the fronts and backs of the doors and shelves as well as the fronts of the drawers with medium-grade sandpaper. Medium-grade sandpaper can remove flaking paint and other debris from the old cabinets. Wipe away the sanding residue with a damp cloth.

3. Fill in any old dents, gouges and scratches with wood filler, using a putty knife and following the wood filler manufacturer’s directions for application and dry times. Allow the wood filler to dry.

4. Sand the frames, interiors, shelves, doors and drawer fronts with light-grade sandpaper. Light-grade sandpaper removes the scratches that medium-grade paper leaves behind. Sand the wood filler flush with the surface of the cabinets. Remove the sanding residue with the damp cloth.

5. Apply a thin coat of primer to the sanded surfaces of the kitchen cabinets, using a brush or roller. Allow the primer to dry.

6. Apply a thin coat of paint to the primed surfaces, using a brush or roller. Allow the paint to dry. Apply a second thin coat of paint as needed. Allow the paint to dry.

7. Cover the painted cabinet surfaces with a clear coat of polyurethane topcoat, using a brush or roller. This is not necessary, but the polyurethane can help protect the painted finish.

8. Replace the shelving and the hardware. Rehang the doors and insert the drawers.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a commercial paint stripper for wood if you plan to stain the painted cabinets.

References

• Flooring and Carpet: How to Remove Paint
• WoodFinishSupply.com: Finish Removal on Wood Furniture

Resources

• Artsparx.com: Furniture Preparation