October 25, 2002, Newsletter Issue #41: Painting kitchen cabinets

Tip of the Week

> How should I prep kitchen cabinets to be repainted? The cabinets are old
> and at one time they were pine stained. Some years ago they were painted
> a dark mauve (rose) color. They have years of grime, grease, etc.
> build-up. I am preparing to move into the house and want to clean it up
> first. I also want to repaint the cabinets white to lighten up the
> kitchen. How should I prep the cabinets and what type of paint, tools,
> etc. should I use?

The first step will be to get the cabinets clean. I suggest using a
de-glosser. Your paint store will carry it. It is used to etch a smooth
finish so that a new finish can be applied. It is pretty volatile, so use
chemical rated gloves (also available at the paint store), and plenty of
ventilation. Be sure to follow the directions.
It will be a lot of work to make the cabinets look new, but it can be done.
An alternative would be to give them "character". I assume the wood is pine,
which is a soft wood and takes on "character" easily. Also, since they are
painted over stain, I am guessing that there are spots where the paint is
chipped.
To make them look new, you will have to fill the bad spots and sand
everything to a perfect finish. To fill the chips, I suggest a product
called Plastic Wood. You overfill the bad places and sand smooth after it
has dried.
To give the cabinets character, you can leave the chips and dings, and even
add more. This process is called distressing, and is a lot of fun. Use a
small hammer, or a small chain, or whatever you can find to make marks and
dings in the wood. Use sandpaper or a small plane to round off "wear marks"
on irregular edges. In other words, make it look like your Grandmother used
the kitchen for years.
The next step in either process is to prime the wood. The type of primer
will depend on the type of finish paint you want. Your paint store will help
you decide.
For a new look, apply the finish coats with a spray gun, which you can rent
at a rental yard.
For a distressed look, select two colors which are close to each other, but
different enough to be obvious. The darker color is applied first, filling
all the dings and chips. It can be brushed, rolled, or sprayed. The second,
lighter color is applied with a short napped roller, so that the second
color is applied to the high spots, but not to the dings. Then use fine
sandpaper to sand away the second coat in the places which should look worn.
Distressing is much more art than science, is a lot more fun, and at least
to my eye, more attractive than a sterile kitchen.

About LifeTips

Now one of the top on-line publishers in the world, LifeTips offers tips to millions of monthly visitors. Our mission mission is to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Expert writers earn dough for what they know. And exclusive sponsors in each niche topic help us make-it-all happen.

Not finding the advice and tips you need on this Home Improvement Tip Site? Request a Tip Now!


Guru Spotlight
Byron White