How to paint kitchen cupboards: Painting Kitchen cupboards is a tricky job even for people who have done it before!
Kitchen cupboards need fresh paint every few years to give them a new look and keep them looking great. This is the easiest and probably the cheapest way of giving your kitchen a new look. However, you need to give a lot of attention to some details before starting it or else you might end up ruining your cupboards.
To avoid potential blunders in doing so, we have some tips and tricks to cover those cupboards in beautiful, even layers of paints. We have also mentioned some common mistakes that you need to look out for.
I suggest using a coat of a universal natural primer, and then two coats of a natural wood paint such as this. This will give you great results, with a gorgeous 10-13% sheen. Have a look at this range of natural kitchen paints.
Prepping kitchen cupboards before painting:
Cleaning the wood before painting the cupboards:
If your cabinets are made of wood then there are chances that the old paint is stuck there along with oil and grease. A scrub is needed before you begin the painting process, as clean cabinets will let the new paint stick to them and last for a much longer time, otherwise the paint will come off within a few months leaving you with uneven patches of the new paint.
Take out the cupboard drawers and hinges before painting
You might have heard someone recommending painting the hinges along with the cupboards but let me tell you why that is not a good idea. The paint on hinges and other hardware will start to chip very easily. Taking them out early will save you the arduous task of sanding the parts afterwards. You can simply put them back in place once you are done painting your cupboards.
Sanding the cabinet doors and drawers
Sanding is required so that the paint sticks to the cabinets. Keep on sanding until you notice that the glossy surface of your cupboards change to matte. Choosing the right sandpaper is also important so use one which is just enough to key the surface.
After you are done with sanding, take a damp cloth to wipe the surface. This will remove the dust from your cupboards.
Applying the primer or undercoat
A primer or undercoat acts as the base to your paint. An undercoat will help your paint remain smooth on the surface and help adhesion. There are paints which have these properties in them so they don’t require a primer and that may be mentioned on the tin. If you want to paint your cupboards with a strong colour paint, a primer will help you give it a better base. Leave the primer for 2-4 hours so it dries before you paint.
The universal primer is designed for all kinds of surfaces, such as wood, metal, melamine and UVPC, which will help adhesion and help get an even coat of paint. A single layer of this primer paint followed by GrafClean Midshine will give your kitchen a whole different look.
Start Painting:
Painting the kitchen drawers:
With the help of a paintbrush, roller or a spray gun, start applying the paint on your cupboards. While painting your drawers remember that you only need to paint the front of the drawers not the sides. The GrafClean MidShine is a paint safe for any kind of surface. The first coat of this paint will cover the surface but may not give a clean even finish. This coat is just to cover the porous area.
Why one coat is not enough
● Applying one coat will not give the solid colour that you want.
● It is not durable enough in case your wall gets dirty. Cleaning the wall will become very difficult.
● There are chances that you will miss some spots with one coat. The original colour of the paint won’t last long enough. Colour builds with coats
Why 2 coats are better
A double coating will last longer and will be more durable as compared to one coat. Kitchen cupboards are vulnerable to all types of heat and humidity and so the paint should be chosen very carefully. You need two coats to build up the colour and protection.
Painting the backs of the kitchen cupboards
Now paint the back side of your cupboards, turn them over to paint the other side the same way. Let the dry and toughen for a night before applying the second coat.
Fit the cupboards doors now they are painted
Now that the painting is behind you, time to put the cupboard doors back in their place and appreciate the finished look!
● Add new hinges to your cupboards to give them a brand new look or you could also use the ones that you took off.
● Attach the handles and drawer pulls on your cupboards and drawers respectively.
● An additional step would be to add protective bumpers on your kitchen cupboards and drawers.
The prepping time for painting your cupboards is the most important because that is where you set up your base The sanding and cleaning of cupboards followed by the primer and first coat of paint will take the most time. The second coat will take the least amount of time in the whole process. If this is one of those projects that you have been putting off for a long time then I hope this article gave you some motivation to begin!