How to Repaint White Lacquer Kitchen Cabinets
Repainting kitchen cabinets can provide an immediate facelift to your kitchen space, making it more appealing to guests and any future potential buyers. If you have white cabinets that you want to repaint due to damage or lack of color variety, see if they are lacquered before you begin. Lacquered cabinets require special preparation and treatment to obtain successful painting results. Complete all the necessary steps to ensure that your paint job does not chip or appear uneven. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- 1/2 cup TSP
- Bucket
- Rubber cleaning gloves
- Sponge
- 320-grit sandpaper
- Shop vac
- Sanding block
- Terry cloth
- Tack cloth
- Old towel
- Primer
- Paint
- Paintbrushes
Instructions
-
-
1
Clean the cabinet surface thoroughly with trisodium phosphate (TSP). Always wear rubber gloves when handling TSP. Service Magic recommends a mixture of 1/2 cup TSP and 2 gallons of warm water. Clean with a sponge and let it soak for two or three minutes, then rinse with clean water.
-
2
Sand the cabinets once the surface is dry. This step is particularly important for lacquered cabinets, since the lacquer must be completely removed before the cabinets can be repainted. Use 320-grit sandpaper and move in the direction of the wood grain. Remove dust with a shop vac and clean with a tack cloth. Service Magic recommends using wet sandpaper in order to make it last longer.
-
-
3
Dry the cabinet thoroughly with an old towel and let it sit out to air dry for 30 minutes to an hour.
-
4
Apply primer and paint in the desired color. Be sure that your primer and paint are compatible before you begin. As noted at Service Magic, oil-based primer or shellac are ideal primer choices for lacquered surfaces, particularly if they are being followed with a water-based paint. Both types of primer will cling to the cabinets well and provide a smooth surface for the paint. Always let primer and paint dry thoroughly between each coat. A paintbrush is all you really need to do the job, although a paint sprayer might provide a smoother finish.
-
5
Clean the cabinets with a tack cloth. A tack cloth is made of soft fibers that will not scratch the cabinet surfaces and will remove lint and dust effectively. If you don't have a tack cloth, use a clean, lint-free towel to wipe down the cabinets.
-
6
Stain and finish the cabinets for best results. A pigmented stain is easy to apply and accentuates wood grain. According to Ace Hardware, pigmented stains that contain oil or polyurethane are ideal for a do-it-yourself project, since they provide both a stain and a finish in one easy application.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
For heavily damaged cabinets, use 220-grit paper, which is rougher and will require at least two coats of paint.
When applying stain, brush with the grain of the wood and allow at least six to eight hours to dry. Be sure that you stir the stain regularly to prevent settling, which will result in discoloration. Kitchen Cabinets and Hardware recommends using 4-by-3-inch scraps of carpeting to apply the stain, although you can also use a cotton towel.
Handle TSP with care, and avoid contact with eyes and skin.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit kitchen image by Rich Johnson from Fotolia.com
