Is your kitchen cabinets old and outdated? Painting your kitchen cabinets is a excellent way to add new life to your kitchen without the cost of purchasing new cabinetry. The most simple way to paint your kitchen cabinets is to leave the interior of the cabinets unpainted. The interior is only seen when the cabinet doors are open, also it will allow you to leave all of the items inside the cabinets without having to remove them.

The first thing you need to do when you decide to paint your kitchen cabinets is to make sure that your kitchen is well ventilated because the paint and primer both have strong fumes. You may want to open your windows and place a fan close by in order to remove the fumes.

Step 1. Remove all of the knobs, pulls and handles from the cabinets. Cover all of your floors and counter tops using plastic covering. You can remove the doors if you wish or you can leave the doors attached. Cover all of the hinges on all of the doors using a masking tape.

Step 2. Thoroughly clean all of the cabinetry using a mild detergent. This is a very important step because if the cabinets are not cleaned thoroughly the primer or paint will not adhere properly. Once the cabinets have completely dried, sand the cabinets using a fine grit sandpaper. Sand the cabinets to a point where the finish is dull.

Step 3. Apply a thin coat of an oil based primer to all of the cabinets. If you have removed the doors, prime them first and then apply the primer to the remainder of the cabinets. If you have left the doors attached, prime the fronts of the doors first and then open the doors and apply primer to the backs of the doors.

Step 4. Once the primer has fully dried, use a brush and roller and apply the paint in the same method that you applied the primer. Be careful and don’t overload the cabinet with paint so that you can avoid runs and sagging. It is much better to apply two thin coats of paint instead of one heavy coat. Allow the paint to fully dry and check for any runs or areas that are sagging. If you have any trouble spots, use a fine grit sandpaper and lightly sand. At this point you can determine it you need any additional coats of paint. If not, just touch up the areas that you have sanded. Once the cabinets have fully dried, reattach all of the cabinet hardware.

Step 5. The final step is to clean your brushes and rollers. For the brushes that you have used in any oil based product, you will need to clean your tools with mineral spirits. For any brushes or rollers that you have used in latex, you will need to clean them with water.

It is a tough job to paint cabinets but the benefits are well worth the time and effort that you invest in it, plus you will save a lot of money over new cabinetry.

The author is the owner of Pigeon Forge Painting in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and has over twenty five years experience as a professional painting contractor. For more information visit Pigeon Forge Painting

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