8 Mistakes you want to avoid while painting kitchen cabinets

The very idea of giving your kitchen a makeover over the weekend without spending more than a couple of hundred dollars sounds so alluring, that people are jumping into it headlong without fully realising the pitfalls.

We are talking about painting kitchen cabinets, an idea that has taken off, thanks to social media.

DIYers love it.

But can you really paint your kitchen cabinet and end up with results that you can show-off?

Experts doubt it.

Because painting cabinets requires a fair amount of expertise and without it, you may end up with an eyesore that you will want to get rid of.

All said and done, if you have decided to go ahead and wield the brush, then here are 8 potential pitfalls that you would want to avoid while painting your kitchen cabinets.

Unrealistic Expectations

If you have old worn cabinets then painting it will not give it the super glossy uniform surface that you may expect. Many old cabinets have a very visible open grain which can be filled with putty. But that only makes the task more labour and time intensive. It may not be a weekend affair that you expect.

Not removing the doors and drawers

Is it really necessary to remove the doors and drawers? Can’t I just paint everything, hinges and all? Not a good idea. Removing the doors, drawers and hardware is a very important and crucial step of painting kitchen cabinets. Do not skip it.

Not labelling the removed doors and hinges

I just cannot emphasize enough on the importance of this step. Despite the fact that all hinges and doors may look the same, you need to label them to ensure that you fit them back in the right places. If you mix them up, they will not fit as well as they did earlier. You will be left with a cabinet door that sits a quarter of an inch higher than the rest.

Not laying them flat for painting

Laying the removed doors flat is the best way to ensure that you do not leave any area untouched. You can use a worktable or lay down some cans and keep the doors on top of it to paint. Once you paint one side and it dries, turn it over and paint the other side.

Not Cleaning Well

The cabinets will probably have layers of muck and grime that has built up over a period of years. If you just wipe it down, it will not clean the surface. You need to degrease the surface with a TSP substitute or a stronger degreaser if need be. Else the paint won’t stick on the surface.

Not Sanding

Irrespective of how good your cabinets are, you need to sand it to enable the paint to stick. While a 100-grit sandpaper works fine, you can even use 150 or 200 grit and buff it quickly. Ensure that you reach all nooks and crannies.

Not Priming

The quality of the paintjob will depend on the kind of prep work you do on the wood. Priming the wood might seem like an added task. But it is one of the most important ones. You do not want to see blotches on the cabinets a few weeks down the line. So prime it well. Use two coats if its needed.

8 Mistakes you want to avoid while painting kitchen cabinets

Additional Articles about Kitchen Cabinets: