Hey all,
I’m almost done with my first rehab. But…I have to paint the oak cabinets in the kitchen. Is it as simple as removing the doors, scuffing them a bit, and then applying the paint? Same with the cabinet frame? Am I heading down the right path here?
Nate-WI
Nate,
Use a GOOD primer between the “scuffing them a bit” and “applying the paint”. You’ll know it’s GOOD primer when you’re done and your hands hurt! Primer acts as the bonding agent between the surface and the topcoat.
Keith
Nate,
Painting enamel is very much a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) situation. Meaning: any surface imperfections on the doors/frame will show in the final product. Oak tends to be very porous (rub your fingers over the wide, dark grain in the doors) and unless this grain is filled with a sanding sealer or a specific enamel undercoat it will show through your topcoat. If you are looking to freshen up the look and move on, a simple prime and paint will do the trick. If you are aiming for a higher grade finish you may need to spend more time in the prep phase. It may require a couple coats of sanding sealer with a light sanding in between coats.
If it is feasible, I would remove the doors and all hardware, and take them outside to paint. I have very good luck with HVLP (high volume low pressure) sprayers which can be rented from your local paint store. Cabinet frames can either be sprayed or brushed.
Good luck.
MG
Nate
Another option!
There is a product called Howards Wood restorer if you wanted to refresh the current oak cabinets. This product will go over the top of the current oak stain and it will make it look almost new again. It is very easy to brush on and it hardens in about a day.
Use a product like TSP cleaner before you use the Howards. It will clean the wood well and rough it up a bit. Make sure and wear Rubber gloves with the TSP it’s tough on the hands. If your not sure you can try it on the back of a door and see how it works. This process will be much quicker than painting.
The Howards is a one step process once you put it on. The one bad thing about the Howards is that it does not hold up very well over the long term and it will hide a lot of scratches in the current finish.
Good Luck!
NDI
I agree with NDI, refinish not paint!
I agree. I’m going to sand them a bit, get them roughed up, and then clean and stain. Then urathane them to wrap it up. Should get that done this weekend. Landscaping getting done this weekend as well as trim. This should be the last “busy” weekend as were getting close to being done.
Nate-WI
Good luck Nate also good decision!
Painting might be better when dealing with cabinets. My experience is if you don’t know how to do staining or varnishing, you might wind up doing it all over again.
I stained the inside doors and they turned out well. I sanded them, wiped them down, stained them, and then applied the urathane. It was pretty quick and they turned out nice.
Nate-WI