How to Paint Bathroom & Kitchen Cabinets
Change is good, sometimes, because it can provide you with a brand new outlook -- a new paradigm. Similarly, changing the look of your kitchen or bathroom cabinets can cause your house to feel new. Updating a dated color, or providing a vibrant splash of spot color, can do wonders for a kitchen or bathroom's appearance. Better yet, it doesn't have to cost much. Get some pails of paint and a roller and brush -- it takes only a few more supplies if you're willing to do it yourself. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver
- Plastic sheeting or drop-cloth
- Household cleaner
- Wood filler
- Sandpaper (coarse to fine)
- Clean cloths
- Oil-based primer or brushing putty
- Nylon/polyester paint brushes
- Paint rollers
- Oil-based paint
Instructions
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Prepare Your Cabinets
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1
Empty your kitchen or bathroom cabinets if you plan to paint the inside of the cabinet as well. Move the contents to another location where they will not be in your way.
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2
Remove the hinges attaching every cabinet door to the cabinet, then detach the hinges from the doors as well. Take cabinet drawers out of the cabinets. Remove all handles and knobs on the doors and drawers. Set the hardware aside if you plan to reuse it, and discard it if not.
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3
Pull out any appliances if you are painting kitchen cabinets. Move anything in the bathroom that is close to your cabinets, if possible. Lay a plastic drop-cloth over the floor surrounding your cabinets, along with covering nearby surfaces. Add a plastic covered area where you can paint your doors and drawers -- a table may provide a good work surface.
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Use any ordinary household cleaner you choose to wash the outside of the cabinets, doors, drawers and the inside of cabinets as well. Oil and other residues can prevent paint adhesion. Avoid ammonia-based cleaners as they can cause yellowing of paint. Rinse with water after cleaning.
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5
Apply a wood filler, according to product instructions, to any cracks, voids or screw holes (if you plan to replace cabinet hardware) on the doors, drawers and exterior of your cabinets. Level the putty off as you work. Wait until it dries, then use 150-grit sandpaper to smooth and level it completely.
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Sand your cabinet exteriors, doors and drawers, using coarse-grit sandpaper to start, and changing to a fine grit to finish. While sanding is not strictly necessary if the cabinets were previously painted, sanding will help to provide a professional finish. (Alternatively, chemical strippers can be applied if you wish to completely remove paint or other finishes. Neutralize chemicals completely according to instructions.) Wipe sanding dust off surfaces thoroughly when complete.
It's Time to Paint
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Brighten your bathroom by sanding and painting the cabinets. Apply either an oil-based primer or brushing putty to all surfaces you will paint. Oil-based primer works well on tight-grained woods such as cherry, maple and birch; brushing putty will work well for open-grained woods such as oak, ash and hickory. Use a brush or roller with oil-based paints, but select a nylon/polyester brush for brushing putty instead, and throw brushes or rollers out between coats of primer or between primer and paint. Let the primer dry completely (time will vary), then sand between coats of primer if you choose to use two coats.
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Use an oil-based paint to paint first the inside, then the outside of the cabinets. Oil-based paint is more lasting and easier to clean than water-based, and will not soften in heat or oily environments. Apply two or three coats of paint with a roller or a brush according to your preference. Use a brush on small detail work. Dry and then sand between paint coats. Repeat on drawers and doors, letting one side dry before applying paint to the other side to avoid mistakes while moving the cabinet pieces.
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Reattach hinges and knobs once the paint is entirely dry. This will vary according to the paint and even the temperature or humidity in your room, but it may require up to three or four days. Rehang your doors, slide drawers in and replace items within the cabinets and drawers.
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Tips & Warnings
Use goggles, masks and gloves when working with chemicals such as strippers and cleaners. Always ensure adequate ventilation as well.
Work from the inside of the cabinet outwards, and from the top down, to avoid spills, splatters and mistakes.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images bathroom image by nutech21 from Fotolia.com
