Epic Wood Work | How To Spray Paint Custom Kitchen Cabinets
It’s tempting to buy new cabinets when we want to change things a bit in our kitchen. However, when we don’t have a budget for new cabinets, we have to adjust a bit. You can always have a DIY project, in this case, spray painting the custom kitchen cabinets.
The following list of items is what you will need for your custom kitchen cabinets DIY project:
Custom Kitchen Cabinets | Tools and materials
- Canvas dropcloth
- Cordless drill
- Fan
- HVLP (high volume, low pressure) paint sprayer
- Latex enamel paint
- Paint primer–either white or tinted to match your color coat
- Painter’s tape
- Random orbital sander, such as a Black & Decker Mouse
- Screwdriver with Phillips head
- Sheet plastic
- Tack cloth
- Trisodium phosphate (TSP)
- Wood putty
- Zip-Loc type bags
Before you begin
Spray can or sprayer?
People prefer using spray cans instead of a paint sprayer. However, you can start spraying your cabinets with an alkyd paint with a range of 75 and 100 colors to choose from. Spray cans are practical for small redecoration projects. If you’re painting all the kitchen cabinets, we recommend you to use a paint sprayer so the work will be lighter and less costly.
Remove cabinet elements:
Don’t start painting until you remove as many pieces of the kitchen cabinets as possible. That way, it’ll be easier to apply the paint without affecting other surfaces. By painting each piece separately, you will have more control over the spray and get a smoother and drip-free paint application.
Pre-cleaning is vital
Kitchen cabinets are exposed to years of grease and dirt. A deep cleaning of the cabinets is necessary to achieve the finish you want with spray paint. Clean the kitchen cabinets doors, as well as the internal and external surfaces to eliminate as much waste as possible and ensure a neat finish when applying the paint.
Tips to follow
1. Clear the area:
Take all the kitchen ítems you keep in your kitchen cabinets and place them in another clean area. Remove all the contact paper from the shelves too.
2. Disassemble the cabinets:
- Begin by unscrewing the doors and drawers from the kitchen cabinets.
- If you can, pull out the entire cabinet.
- Remove each extra accessory from the kitchen cabinet such as handles, knobs, and hinges.
- Store each of them in plastic bags adequately labeled with a Sharpie marker so that you won’t misplace or misuse the pieces.
- Place the removed items in a defined spray area, such as a clean and dry garage, a large workshop or under a covered patio.
3. Mask:
Protect the kitchen areas which you don’t want to stain with paint residue. Mask the walls, counters, windows, appliances and even the floor. Remember that it is difficult to be precise when using a paint sprayer, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Mask the surfaces with plastic sheets and seal them with painter’s tape.
4. Sand, clean and patch:
- Begin by cleaning the cabinet surfaces with fixed grain sandpaper. Remember that it is not about deleting the layers of paint, but to reduce their brightness.
- Clean each of the surfaces with warm water and TSP. Pay particular attention to those areas next to the stove and the oven because that is where most grease accumulates.
- Use the wood putty to patch cracks and holes. Once the wood putty dries, sand the surface to eliminate the excess.
- To remove dust residue, clean the surface with a sticky cloth.
5. It’s primer time!
One of the risks of applying paint to cabinets is that they begin to peel off. To avoid this risk, you need to prime first. Want another tip? When buying the paint, ask to tint the primer to match your paint color. This way, the paint will have a sharper finish.
6. Ready! Set! Paint!
- Once in your paint area and before starting to paint turn on a fan to expel the air from the paint area.
- Wait until the primer coat is completely dry before spraying down with the first paint coating. Remember to go lightly; hurrying up will result in paint spots and drips.
- Estimate about 60 minutes to cover drawer fronts and cabinets doors for a medium-sized kitchen. Wait around 4 hours to apply a new coat.
- Keep in mind that cabinet boxes require a much more careful treatment. Apply a light initial coat of paint slowly to avoid drips. Wait at least another 4 hours to repeat the process.
7. Elite Renovation
What comes next is extremely important. DON’T TOUCH ANY PAINTED SURFACE. It may seem dry but don’t risk to lose hours of work just because you got eager to see the result in a short time. Hold on tight for a whole day before you start assembling the cabinets.
Once everything is in the right place, voila! You now have renovated custom kitchen cabinets, with colors you selected, to give your kitchen a personal touch.
Want to get your custom cabinets in Dallas? At Epic Wood Work, we work with you on every home remodeling project so that the result exceeds your expectations. Contact us!
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