DIY: Painting Laminate Cabinets

Painting laminate cabinets is a quick way to give inexpensive cabinets a face lift. Although painting your kitchen cabinets will require several days of work, with a little patience and a lot of time you can achieve professional results. The key to painting laminate kitchen cabinets is the preparation and products used. Therefore, the most important work has already occurred before you pick up a brush.

Step 1: Clean all of the laminate cabinets with warm, soapy water. Scrub away any food particles or grease. Rinse off the kitchen cabinets using a sponge and clean water.

Step 2: Mix a solution of TSP and water. While wearing rubber gloves, clean the laminate cabinets a final time, using the TSP solution and a sponge. This step will remove any lingering grease, as well as break up the shine on the laminate cabinets.

Step 3: Take off the cabinet doors and remove any hardware. Label the hardware for each door for easy re-installation.

TIP: Now is a good time to clean the hardware. Try boiling sets of hardware in hot water for 5 minutes, then removing the hardware and setting it on a towel. The hot water will loosen any debris on the surface of the metal: all you should need is an old toothbrush to remove it completely.

Step 4: Scuff sand the laminate surface with fine grit sandpaper. This will further remove the shiny surface of the laminate, allowing the primer to adhere properly. Wipe away any dust with a tack cloth before proceeding.

TIP: Don't over sand; it could permanently damage your kitchen cabinets. Your goal is just to make the surface appear matte, not shiny.

Step 5: Apply primer to the surface of the kitchen cabinets and doors. Choose an oil based primer suitable for use on laminate. Use a high quality brush, making sure to maintain a wet edge to prevent excessive brush marks. Wait for the primer to dry completely before continuing.

Step 6: Sand the primer with fine grit sandpaper, removing any brush marks and making the primer completely smooth. Clean the surface with a tack cloth.

Step 7: Apply a coat of oil based paint over the primer. Try to achieve a thin, even coat with few brushstrokes. Let the paint dry.

Step 8: Sand the paint with fine grit sandpaper, then clean the kitchen cabinets with a tack cloth to remove any dust.

Step 9: Apply a second and final coat of paint. Once again, try to apply a thin coat and work to hide your brushstrokes. Let the cabinets completely dry and cure for at least 48 hours.

Step 10: Re-install the doors and hardware you removed during the earlier steps.