Tips For Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets
Most people tend to fall in love with the look of painted cabinets while others are repulsed by the very idea of them. Those who’ve had beautifully painted cabinets show them off to guests who become more interested in the idea of painting their own cabinets at home. So read on as we dive into what could be done differently.
When it comes to painting your kitchen cabinets, it doesn’t need to be too much of a complicated process. Painting prep can be done easily by even the laziest of people and it comes without too much back-breaking work sanding the cabinets. However, regular latex paint and semi-gloss are highly recommended for this job.
Cabinets should be firstly cleaned with T.S.P. After cleaning, most people generally need to apply just one coat of primer to the cabinet followed by two coats of paint. During coats, it is not recommended that you sand the surface. During the entire makeover process, the hardest part is usually taking the hinges and doors off and then reinstalling them when your cabinets are dried.
If you have children or you’re planning to have children, you should consider what type of cabinet will suit your home. When you’ve got kids, you’ll notice the difference in an appearance before and after they’re running around your home. Homeowners tend to usually notice tons of scratches and dents weren’t there before and even tiny splatters were much easier to clean. After having kids, your cabinets are indeed faced with a really tough opponent as they fight to survive.
Painted cabinets usually last for quite some time and can go as much as 4 years or more depending on how you care for them. They’ll easily hold up in pristine condition for at least the first couple of years and then you’ll notice some wear. Within an active kitchen, the doors and drawers tend to take the most abuse from just about everyone in the home.
One main advantage of painted cabinets is that they’re very easy to repair if ever they should get dirty or scratched. Scratched areas can be easily sanded to return them to their former smooth appearance. However, they’ll need to be repainted after you’re finished sanding. If you’re repainting certain portions of the door, the entire door will need to be repainted to ensure that everything looks the same when you’re finished.
Homeowners love painted cabinets since they’re versatile and easy to fix with a simple recoat of paint. It should be noted that if your cabinets are damaged by water, you’ll run into some difficulty trying to repair them.
What I Would Do Differently With My Painted Cabinets?
Since painted cabinets can be easily fixed with just a coat of paint, the following should be considered before starting the process:
- Buy the best clear coat for kitchen cabinets that you can find in the hardware. Instead of just one coat of primer, it’s safer to go with two this time around.
- Ensure that you properly clean the cabinets with T.S.P thoroughly. Don’t be lazy during this step.
- Set a date and time to paint the cabinets. This works really well if you’ve got kids running around all the time.
- Lower cabinets are always suited for dark colors since they hide stains and get the most attention from everyone in the house. However, the upper cabinets look beautiful in lighter colors and even white.
- The major change recommended is that Minwax water-based Polycrylic is used for a topcoat. However, if you’re using white paint, it’s best to test a small area to ensure that it doesn’t turn yellow.
When it comes to redecorating your kitchen, you can easily do so with just a couple of hundred dollars. Painted cabinets are taking over by storm and they’re catching just about everyone’s eye. With kids running around and the usually stained surfaces, you’ll be glad that you decided to go with painted cabinets.
As we conclude, we’ve just looked at what can be done differently the next time you decide to paint your cabinets. Painted cabinets also provide the opportunity for homeowners to save some extra cash since they can work on the cabinets themselves. Painted cabinets are just as beautiful as other finishes and they can be redone in a moment’s notice!