Update Your Kitchen with Painted Cabinets

There are many home improvement projects that can make a dramatic change to the appearance of your home. Many home improvement projects costs very little, but require an extended amount of work to accomplish the task. One such project that is becoming increasingly common today is painting your kitchen cabinets.

If you love you kitchen layout, but your cabinets look dated there are a few things that you can do about it. One is full replacements of your cabinets. This is very expensive. Depending on your kitchen size, replacing your cabinets could exceed $10,000. Another option that will save you a little money is to reface your cabinets. This will give your kitchen a new appearance, but will still cost thousands. The final option that is gaining in popularity is to paint your existing cabinets.

Painting you cabinets will give your kitchen a fresh look and you have countless choices in paint colors. The easiest method to complete this task is to begin by removing all of the cabinet doors and drawers. Follow this by removing all of the hardware including any hinges and handles.

Once the doors are removed, you will have to begin stripping the old finish on the cabinets. The easiest method is to lightly sand the door, drawers and frames of the cabinets. By sanding, you will remove the existing finish and provide a rough surface for the paint to adhere to.

Once sanding is complete, you can begin painting the cabinets. Begin by applying one to two coats of primer. This step is essential for durability. Depending upon the smoothness of the finish you desire, you can apply the primer by brush or roller. A brush will give a smoother final product whereas a roller will accomplish the task quicker but give a bumpier final finish.

After priming the cabinets, you are ready to apply the topcoat of paint. It is recommended that you use a semi gloss or gloss paint which has better durability than less glossy paints. You will likely need to apply two or three coats of paint for full coverage. The best method for paint application is by brush. Brush gives you good control and results in a very smooth finished product.

After applying all of the topcoats needed, wait a day or two before reattaching the hardware to the cabinet doors and drawers. Once all of the hardware is attached, you can replace the cabinet doors and drawers and enjoy your new kitchen cabinets.

With paint, you can choose any look for your kitchen that you desire. The entire job will cost less than $100 and result in an entirely new look to your kitchen. If done correctly, the finish will last for years and if at any time you grow tired of the new look, choose a new paint color and start over again.

Painted cabinets are in style now and likely will be for years to come. Many cabinet colors are very light adding an open feeling and spaciousness to your kitchen. So if you have old, dark, outdated cabinets consider giving them a fresh new look with paint and save thousands by completing this project yourself.