How to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets like a Pro!

Painting kitchen cabinets is not as easy of a task as one may think at first glance. As a matter of fact, it is a bit more complicated then it would seem. There is quite a bit more work to be done besides simply buying a can of paint, a paint brush and painting over the original wood, or over a coat of paint that has already been painted on it. Even though it is a tad bit more difficult then a quick and simple job, it can be done properly and successfully by following the advice in the information that I have detailed below:

To begin with, there is some preparatory tasks that needs to be done on the cabinets before putting any coats of paint on them. This will enable the final paint finish to come out smooth and to give it a clean and professional look.

The very first step is an obvious one; that is, empty out all of the cabinets and drawers that you are going to paint, and move these items to an area of your house where they will not get dust or paint on them.

The next preparatory step involves thoroughly sanding down all of the frontal surfaces of the doors of each and every cabinet. This should be followed by completely wiping and dusting off all of the sand residue that is accumulated on the wood from sanding it. Be extra careful that you get all of the dust, as not to leave a lumpy texture under the paint that will follow.

Keep in mind that sanding the cabinets properly can be a bit time consuming because you want to be certain you sand it down thoroughly enough in order for the finish to be just right. Take care not to rush through this task, as your finished project will suffer for it if not done completely. Go over the wood with your sander more than one time if it is required for the perfectly smooth surface.

The next step in the process is to remove the rest of any remaining hardware, then the surfaces will next be needed to be washed down completely. After you have washed these it will be time to do the sanding of the surfaces of the cupboards themselves, while still attached to the wall. No need to remove the entirety of the cupboards if you have a handy electric hand saw.

Next, follow up by wiping away the dust from the cupboards, once again be very thorough by getting every speck of dust left from the sanding process. After you have finished wiping the cupboards, it is time to mask off the parts of the cabinet that do not require being painted.

Now it is time to remove the door fronts before proceeding any further. Be sure that you position them on a completely flat and level surface for perfect results. This will prepare for the painting to finally begin.

It is time now to ever so carefully, put a clean and smooth coat of primer on the surfaces of all the doors and then let them dry completely. (Emphasis is to be put on the word "completely", because if you do not allow enough time for this to happen then all of your hard work and preparation will have been for naught!)

Once all of the surface are dry, the step of the actual painting process may begin. I strongly advice you to paint very thin and multiple layers, allowing more then ample time for each layer of paint to dry before beginning the next layer. This will give your cabinets a much better finished result as opposed to one or two very thick layers! This is an important tip to very strictly follow. I realize it will take a bit more time then the latter, however you will find that you are much happier with the end results.

Finally, keep in mind that when you paint over a natural wood finish, there will over time be some wear and tear and you will periodically need to redo the paint job in order for it to remain looking like new, however, by following these simple tips on first preparing and then painting your cabinets, you will find that your paint job will last a lot longer then if you would have simply painted directly over the wood without any sanding, primer or layering of the paint. In fact, it will last at least 3 times longer.