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Article
from Rockler.com
Painting
Your Cabinets
A Swift and Simple Update
Update a dreary and dim kitchen by giving it new color with a
coat of paint. It's a swift and simple solution that requires no
construction or other major undertaking. a wonderful alternative to buying
new cabinetry.
Select Your Painting Alternative
You can paint your
existing doors and drawer fronts in addition to your cabinet surfaces and
casework, or buy them new through Rockler's door and drawer program.
Replacing your cabinet doors and drawer fronts enables you to update the
style of your cabinets, and save a significant amount of time in the
process. You'll need to remove the old doors and drawers to paint them
anyway. Rockler offers a wide variety of ready-to-paint styles to choose
from. Or, you may want to consider Rigid Thermo Foil (RTF) doors and
drawer fronts for a durable white matte finish without painting. Simply
determine the size, style, and edge option of the door and drawer fronts
you need for a striking new look. New hardware will add the polish of a
professional kitchen update.
Choose Your Paint
You will need to consider three paint type alternatives. They are:
- Epoxy paint
- Oil-based paint
- Acrylic water-based paint
Epoxy
Epoxy paints are the hardest form of paint finish, but are usually
spayed on. Unless you're willing to spend a lot of time preparing adjacent
areas from over spray, we recommend another alternative.
Acrylic Water-based
Acrylic water-based paints. latex paints, offer ease of use and clean
up with soap and water, but take up to 7 days to cure. They do not adhere
well to previously painted or finished cabinetry so an oil-based primer
must be used first. The final finish is not as hard as provided by an
oil-based paint.
Oil-based Paint
Oil-based paints produce a beautiful luster and dry in a relatively
short time. They require more intensive clean up (petroleum solvents), but
reach final curing hardness within 48 hours.
The Painting Process
Preparation is the key to a successful paint job. It's easy when you
observe the following 6 steps.
Step #1: Remove door and drawer hardware and take all doors off their
hinges.
Step #2: Wash and degrease all surfaces to be painted with a trisodium
phosphate (TSP) cleaner to remove dirt and grime from old surfaces. (Make
sure to wear
rubber gloves and
safety glasses).
Step#3: Lightly sand all cabinets with
120-grit sandpaper to roughen their surfaces, and wipe with
tack cloth. This will assure the adherence of a new paint covering to
the old surfaces.
Step#4: Prime all exterior surfaces using a high quality paintbrush or
roller and allow the primer to dry thoroughly. Use a second coat if
necessary to cover original finish or stains.
Step#5: Apply two coats of a high-quality paint and allow it to dry for
24 hours before reassembling components. Be sure to sand between coats
with 220-grit sandpaper to remove dust nibs and/or drip marks.
Step#6: Reassemble doors and drawers, and install
new hardware.
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