The kitchen is likely the center of your home. You’re tired of the outdated look and want to freshen up, but don’t want to shell out the big bucks to replace your cabinets. And, although substantially easier on the pocketbook, it can still be a significant cost to hire a professional to come in and do the kitchen cabinet refinishing for you. So, you’ve decided to give it a shot yourself. But first you want to find a good process and see if it is something you can achieve on your own.

First let’s set your expectations. This can be fun! With 20 years in the painting business, let me tell you, painting is very rewarding because you get to really see visual results. Paint doesn’t get covered up; it is a show piece! It makes everything look great. Paint your cabinets and enjoy the process. It will take some time, a lot of patience, but I promise you that if you follow my recommendations, you will be happy with the results, and with your achievement.

Let’s walk through the activity of kitchen cabinet refinishing together. Let me give you a procedure that you can follow to add some more years to your cabinets. Let’s go!

 

Time, Tools and Materials That You Will Need to Paint Your Cabinets.

This is a multi-weekend project. Depending on the level of quality that you want to achieve, or the number of corners you want to cut, this could take anywhere from 2-6 solid weekends. So, if you have help, well you know your friends better than I do.

All these tools and materials can be purchased at your local hardware store. I recommend purchasing your paint from Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore. I’m not endorsing them; I have just had good results.

Safety Equipment: 1 charcoal dust mask, 1 pair of gloves, 1 pair or eye protection.

Cleaning Tools and Materials: 1 pair of rubber dish gloves, 1 bucket, 1 sponge, 1 scouring pad, 1 cloth, degreaser (Simple Green is what we use, but any dish soap will do). If you have help, you may want to double-up on some of these to save time.

Prepping Tools and Materials: 1 multi-bit screwdriver (electric option preferable), 2 small Ziplock bags, 2 large Ziplock bags, 1 stiff paint scraping tool, 2 small putty knives, 1 utility knife, 1 sharpie, 3-4 narrow drop clothes, 1-2 large 12×12 or 15×15 drop clothes (you can also use old bed sheets, newspapers, and towels), 2 fine sanding sponges, 2 sheets of 220 grit sandpaper, 2 rolls of 1.5 inch Frog Tape, 1 roll of delicate surfaces tape, 1 roll of brown masking paper (newspaper as substitute), 1 small container or wood filler (Bondo Spot Putty is ideal if you can find it, but any wood filler will do).

Painting Tools and Materials to paint your cabinets: 2 2” paint brushes, 1 small artist brush, 1 4” roller handle, 2 4” velour or mohair roller sleeves, 2 paint trays, 1 quart of methyl hydrate (essentially rubbing alcohol), 4-6 2x4s or whatever you can find to lay your doors on to paint. You want to be able to paint several at a time. 1-2 gallons of BIN shellac primer (depending on the size of your kitchen), 1-3 gallons of the best paint for kitchen cabinets: although there are specialty coatings, they are primarily for professional use with a paint sprayer. For the DIYer, I recommend Emerald Urethane Enamel from Sherwin Williams, or Advance from Benjamin Moore. Both are very durable, level out nicely, have a beautiful finish, and clean-up with water. Satin is the preferred sheen level. Lastly, some touch-up paint for the walls, just in case .

Before We get started, if at any point this is too much for you and you would like to leave it to the professionals, we would be happy to help you. Our kitchen cabinet refinishing estimates are free.

 

Steps For Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing. Here’s How to Do It.

Step #1: Number Each Opening of The Cabinet Body.

  1. From left to right, top to bottom, label each opening of the cabinet body numerically. Tear off a piece of tape from the roll, stick it inside the first cabinet opening, and write #1. Repeat this for each opening, sequentially increasing the number.

 Step #2: Remove The Doors, Drawer Faces, Hardware, and Bumpers.

This is a key step. It is painstaking, but so is trying to cut around every hinge and handle. Paint on the hardware is the biggest telltale sign that it was not done by kitchen cabinet painters.

  1. Label one small Ziplock bag “Hinge Screws.”
  2. Remove the first door. If the hinge pops apart, do so. Then remove each side of the hinge from the cabinet door and body, then put them back together. If they don’t pop apart, unscrew the hinge from the cabinet body first, from the door second. This way you won’t accidentally damage the door.
  3. Put the screws in the Ziplock bag.
  4. Inside one of the hinge holes, label the door with the number corresponding to the opening that you removed it from and an “L” or an “R” signifying the left or right door. Do this with your sharpie pen.
  5. Pro Tip: Label each hinge in like fashion, also noting if it was the top or bottom hinge with a “T” or a “B”. Although all the hinges look the same, they are not configured the same. This tip will save you many hours at the end of the job.
  6. Put the hinges inside the cabinet opening that they belong to. Also, a time saver.
  7. Label one large Ziplock bag “Handles.”
  8. Remove the handle, screw the screws back into the handle, and place it into the Ziplock bag.
  9. Take your stiff paint scraper and remove the bumpers from the backside of the door or drawer. They are often found in the corners. Try to remove as much of the adhesive from the bumper as well. If a tiny bit is left, it can be sanded off in step #4.

Step #3: Cleaning Before You Paint Your Cabinets

Let’s be real. Refinishing kitchen cabinets is only good if the paint sticks. This is a very important step in kitchen cabinet refinishing projects. Making sure that the primer bonds well to the substrate is critical! Cooking grease, oils, and soap residues will inhibit this. Even the best paint for cabinets will not dissolve these, they must be removed.

  1. In your bucket, mix degreaser and water as per the directions on the label. Err on the side of more concentrated than less.
  2. Use your sponge and scouring pad to thoroughly clean the doors, drawer faces, and portions of the cabinet body that you will be painting. Paying special attention to the surfaces above and belove the stove, and below the sink.
  3. Pour out the bucket and refill with clean water.
  4. Rinse all the surfaces with clean water to remove degreaser.

Step #4: Sanding The Kitchen Cabinet Surfaces for Primer

The goal here is to dull the surfaces down, not to completely remove the existing coatings. Kitchen cabinet refinishing projects require that we create a profile for the primer to adhere to. Cabinet painters typically finish cabinets to a very hard, slick surface which is difficult to bond to. We need to change that.

  1. Place your narrow drop cloths on the floor and counter tops.
  2. With your fine sanding sponge, sand every surface that you will be painting. The sponge is very effective because you can use it on flat the flat surfaces as well as mold it to rounded ones.
  3. Continue to sand until the surfaces are dull.
  4. Submerge your cloth in clean water and wring it out completely.
  5. Wipe down all the surfaces that you sanded to remove all the dust.
  6. Inspect all the surfaces for imperfections.
  7. Pro Tip: Shining a light at a shallow angle to the surface will help you to spot the nicks and dings.
  8. With your flexible putty knife, apply wood filler to the imperfections.
  9. Allow to dry and then sand smooth. Wipe off dust with your damp rag. Repeat if necessary.

Step #5: Masking

This step is important because you are refinishing kitchen cabinets, not the floor .  Doing this well will protect the rest of your kitchen and save you time trying to remove paint later. Frog Tape has a powder coating on the edge so paint will not blead underneath. It will leave you with sharp lines if you seal it down well.

What you want to protect: The insides of the cabinets, the walls, the backsplash, the counter tops, the floor, the sink, and the appliances.

  1. Apply your delicate surfaces tape on the walls where they meet the cabinets, all the way around.
  2. With your Frog Tape, line the edge of the interior of the cabinet openings.
  3. Frog Tape the floor, contouring the cabinets.
  4. If possible, pull out the appliances. If not, Frog Tape the edges of them so you don’t get paint on them.
  5. Lay down drop cloths on the floor, counters, over the sink and stove. Make sure the stove is off and cold .

Step #6: Priming For The Best Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing Results

The primer is your undercoat. Think of it like double sided tape. It will stick to the cabinets; the paint will stick to the primer. BIN shellac primer cleans up with methyl hydrate. This is why you bought some.

Caution: it is very hard to remove BIN shellac primer if you get it on something. Double check that your tape is sealed down well and that your drop sheets are in place. If you do get it on something, use methyl hydrate to remove it, but use sparingly as it is an alcohol and can dull painted surfaces. It also smells, so make sure to have adequate ventilation and to wear your gloves, eye protection, and charcoal dust mask.

BIN will adhere very well and stop any wood tannins or remaining minor bits of grease from bleeding through the topcoats of paint. Once your kitchen cabinet refinishing project is complete, you want a nice solid, streak free appearance that has bonded well to the doors, drawers and cabinets.

We want to apply 1-2 coats of primer. Two thin coats is recommended; however, one solid coat is sufficient for adhesion.

  1. Pour some BIN shellac primer into a paint tray.
  2. Take one of your velour or mohair rollers, put it on the frame and dip it in the primer.
  3. Get one of your 2” brushes and dip it in the primer.

Cabinet Body

  1. Apply primer to the body of the cabinets. Use the roller for the flat parts, and the brush for the edges and corners that the roller can’t get into.
  2. Pro Tip: Tackle this one section at a time. Apply the primer in one section and then try to erase as many of the brush marks as possible with the roller while the primer is still wet. Roll out the flat surfaces in that section with the roller. Move to the next section.
  3. Repeat steps d and e until all the cabinet body has been primed. One section at at time.

Door and Drawer Faces

  1. Put down the large 12×12 or 15×15 drop cloths on the floor, wherever you can find room.
  2. Layout the 2x4s parallel to each other two feet apart on the drop sheets, or whatever you have decided to use to paint the kitchen cabinet doors on.
  3. Pro Tip: kitchen cabinet painters will paint the back side of the cabinet doors first. Lay them face down across the 2x4s. Prime the back side first, so that when you turn it over, any imperfection that may be created by the 2x4s will be on the back side.
  4. Apply the primer one door at a time. Using the brush for the corners and the roller for the flat parts. Erasing as many brush marks with the roller as possible.
  5. Wait about 45 minutes or until the primer is completely dry.
  6. Flip the doors over and paint the front sides.
  7. Allow 45 minutes to dry.

Second Coat of Primer (recommended)

  1. Take your 220 grit sandpaper, or your sanding sponge if it is warn out, and lightly sand all the surfaces.
  2. Wipe them all down with your clean damp rag to remove the dust.
  3. Repeat the above steps for the second coat of primer.

Step #7: Painting

Kitchen cabinet refinishing is a lot of work, but you’ve made it this far. Congratulations! Now it is time to apply your colour. Oxford White, Chantilly Lace, Revere Pewter. It’s going to look great!

Using the best paint for kitchen cabinets is going to help you in a lot of ways. Not all paints are created for the same purpose. Wall paints are softer than door, trim, and cabinet paints which are harder and level out better. As mentioned earlier, Sherwin Williams’ Emerald, and Benjamin Moore’s Advance are great options.

  1. Paint your cabinets. Take a fresh brush and roller, and repeat all of Step #6, only with the paint instead of the primer.
  2. Apply 2-3 thin coats.

Step #8: Remove Masking

The painting is all done. Now it is time to clean up and put everything back together.

  1. Gently pull up all the tape that you laid down.
  2. Be careful when pulling the paint from the walls. Sometimes the tape will pull up some of the wall paint. This is why we used the delicate surfaces tape. If it does pull up some of the paint, you will need to touch it up with some wall paint.
  3. Throw all your used tape into a garbage bag.
  4. Leave the drop sheets down until the very end in case you drop something.

 Step #9: Reinstall Doors, Drawer Faces and Hardware

  1. Next, one door at a time, reinstall the hinges and hardware.
  2. Hinges: make sure to reinstall them to the same place that they were originally before you took them off. Each hinge is adjusted individually.
    1. If the hinges pop apart, then do so. Install the door side to the door, and the cabinet side to its proper place.
    2. If the hinges don’t pop apart, then install the hinge to the door first. It is a lot easier to do it this way.
  3. Install the handle.
  4. Add a new bumper pad to the corners of the inside of the door.
  5. Install the door.
  6. Rinse and repeat for each door.

If You’ve made it, you are amazing! Way to go! Was it fun? How do your cabinets look? Did you enjoy the kitchen cabinet refinishing process? Write me an email and let me know if this article was helpful, I’d love to hear from you.

Let Us Help You! If painting isn’t your thing, we are here to help. Get A Free Estimate! Let us paint your cabinets from start to finish with professional results. Or give us a call! 604-779-0040

 

Jeremy