If you spend a lot of time in your kitchen, you know just how easy it is for a freshly-cleaned surface to get dirty. When it comes to your kitchen cabinets, it doesn’t take too long for things to start looking the worse for wear even after a recent cabinet refinishing austin tx job. Don’t panic: there’s an easy to fix to this. If your cabinets have started to look dirty, faded, or old, there’s a quick and easy way to give them a makeover that doesn’t involve any heavy-duty sanding or stripping. All you need to do is follow these easy steps for painting kitchen cabinets.
Clean First
Start by taking everything off and out of your cabinet, including doors and hinges. This way you can do a truly thorough job. Depending on what your cabinets are made of, you’ll want to use a gentle cleaning solution that’s still able to cut down on grease and built-up dust. If you have wood cabinets, using a good wood oil should do it. For particleboard or another, less expensive alternative, stick to diluted dish soap. This is also a good moment to sand down any flawed or damaged areas you find if you’re working with wood. You don’t have to get out a high-powered sanding tool for this, just a sheet of sandpaper should do the trick. Once you have a clean surface and interior, you’re ready to start priming.
Find Out the Finish
Before you apply any primer or paint to your surface, however, you need to know what you’re painting over. Did you use a high-gloss finish? An oil-based finish? Are your cabinets stained from grease and smoke? If so, using a stainproof primer should help. Your finish will also help you figure out what paint you need. For instance, if you’re painting over an oil base, latex paint with a latex primer is best. If you’re not sure what primer or paint type to use, check with someone at your local paint store.
Paint
After priming, you can start painting in broad, even strokes, saving the trim for later. Before choosing your paint, make sure you go from something with low emissions and low VOC levels. This won’t just make the painting process less fume-y and more pleasant, it will actually protect you and your home from breathing in dangerous, air-polluting compounds over time.
Glaze
After your paint is dry, it’s time to apply a glaze so that everything looks polished and professional. You’ll need to wait a few days for the paint to cure, after which you can start applying either a fresh coat of differently-colored paint for a nice blended effect or a protective coat of water-based polyurethane to ensure a smooth, dust-free finish. Using a gel stain can also be a nice way to bring out the details of natural wood cabinets. If you’re going for an antique look, you can apply a darker coat of paint and wipe it away to create an authentically aged aesthetic.