SHOULD YOU REPLACE OR PAINT YOUR KITCHEN CABINETS?

Have you ever looked at your current kitchen and feel like it needs an uplift but then you go back to attending your morning coffee and breakfast? This blog will aim to inform your curiosity so that you can know what to expect and make an educated decision to put on your DIY hat or get it done professionally. Painting your kitchen cabinets is easily the most cost-friendly yet biggest impact in renovating your kitchen. We’ve painted numerous wood stained kitchen cabinets to a nice clean white look or the popular forest green and navy blue colors with brass or gold-toned hardware, and every homeowner falls in love immediately!

First thing you need to do is look at your current kitchen cabinet situation. You need to look and see if there’s any damages to the doors, drawers, and even frame. Most small chips in the wood can be filled with wood filler, but much bigger chips or any doors or drawers that are warped or water damaged may have to be replaced. If there is any veneer peeling off, that might have to be replaced as well. Basically, any sort of defect in your cabinet doors will stick out like a sore thumb once you're all done with your project and trust me, you would hate that. Of course, depending on the number of damages, you can easily determine if painting your cabinets is the best option or completely replacing the set. If you feel like damages are minimal, you can start the painting process. The type of cabinets you have is not really that important. With the proper prep and paint material, most kitchen cabinets can be painted.

Next thing you need to thing about is the cost, the labor, and your time. Painting kitchen cabinets is not an easy feat like what HGTV and the two brothers make it seem. Plan on eating out for a few days or more depending on the size of your kitchen. Making it a DIY project is obviously more cost-friendly than hiring professional cabinet painters, but again this blog will help you determine what course of action to take. Labor is probably the biggest part of tackling your kitchen project. The most important step is the preparation. In fact, preparation is the most important step in any exterior or interior paint projects. You will need to removed all the hardware, doors, and drawers. Then, you would have to clean and sand them, including your cabinet frame. No need to sand the inside boxes but maybe a good cleaning is necessary. A kitchen cabinet project will probably take 3 coats. To ensure a fine smooth finish, sanding is necessary between the first and second coat. After your initial sanding, you gradually go to finer on the grit, ending with a 320-grit ultra-fine paper.

Lastly, you want to consider the materials to be used. Most non-professionals will use brushes and rollers. You need to consider the right type. You need to have your cabinets as smooth as possible. Your finish will have some sort of shine, from gloss to satin. Blemishes and paint strokes will show if not done properly and using the right tools. Of course, the best recommended tool is a spray gun. These can be rented in most box stores. Keep in mind, if you are spraying, a designated space in your home needs to be a “spray booth” area for your doors and drawers. Whether you are spraying or rolling paint on, you need a respirator for the dust and fumes during the entire process. Plastic, paper, and tape are essential to covering your workspace and protecting the surrounding areas. We like to cover the entire kitchen area with plastic from floor to ceiling to quarantine the site. We recommend for the primer, Sherwin Williams extreme bond primer or Zinsser BIN primer. They are both water-based latex primer that is easy on the nose. For the topcoats, we recommend Sherwin Williams’ Emerald Urethane enamel. Our favorite and most popular sheen is low luster or satin.

Visit any Sherwin Williams store in your neighborhood. It is a great place to ask for help or advice. Also, if you feel like you’d be better off with a professional, we’d love to help. You can book a free estimate and a color consulation for your kitchen cabinets anytime! Brandon, co-owner of Accents Painting Company, has been with Sherwin Williams for over 15 years and he can help with colors, questions, and advice. Book an estimate online or call Brandon at 704-254-4147.