Painting Cabinets White

The cabinets in your kitchen and bathroom tend to get a worn out look very easily. This is because they are exposed to lots of moisture, hot and cold temperature, oils, etc. Moreover, you open and close the cabinet doors several times in a day with dirt, oil, etc. on your hands. The simplest way to bring back the attractive look of the cabinets is by applying a coat of paint. When it comes to paint colors for kitchen cabinets, there are wide range of colors available. Still, some people prefer painting cabinets white as it brightens up the kitchen.

How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets White

There are several steps involved in painting kitchen cabinets white. Therefore, you must start the project when you have a few days at your hand. Some basic tools that you need for this task are screw driver, paint brushes of different thickness, sandpaper, multipurpose cleaner, clean rugs, primer and paint. Once you have procured these materials, follow the step by step instructions given below for painting cabinets white:

Step #1: You have to first unscrew all hardware like knobs, handles and hinges from the cabinet. Then separate the cabinet doors and the hinges from the main part of the cabinets. Keep the cabinet hardware in a safe place as you need to install them all over again after the paint job is done.

Step #2: The next step is preparation of the wood surface. For this, you have to sand it with the help of a medium grade sandpaper. On a smooth glossy surface, the paint and primer cannot bond properly with the surface. So, sanding will add some roughness that will ensure better adherence of the paint. Do not forget that you have to sand both the inner as well as the outer surface of the cabinet. After sanding, use a damp cloth and cleaning agent to clean up the debris from the sanded surface.

Step #3: Now, primer need to be applied in order to improve the bond between the paint and cabinet surface. There are different forms of primer available. The primer you select should be suitable for the paint that you are going to apply on the cabinet. In other words, for an oil based paint, you need an oil-based primer. While painting oak cabinets white, you have to use a shellac-based primer. You have to apply two coats of primer. The second coat should be applied only when the first one has dried properly. In general, there should be a gap of 4 hours in between application of the two coats. If you are painting stained cabinets white, then you have to use a lacquer undercoater instead of a primer so that the coarse grain of the stained surface get covered up.

Step #4: Now, it is time to paint the cabinet with white paint. It should start only after the last coat of primer is dry. Paint the inner surface of the cabinet first and then move to the outer surface. For painting big areas, use large brush and for the trims you need a smaller brush. Apply the first coat of paint with even strokes and allow it to dry thoroughly. It needs around 4-6 hours to dry. Still, you must refer to the instructions provided by the manufacturer about the drying time and follow the same. Then the second coat of the paint using the same technique. In general, two coats are enough to get that sparkling white finish. However, if you are working on a dark wood, then you may need a third coat which should be applied after the second coat dries up.

Step #5: Keep the newly painted white kitchen cabinets untouched for at least 24 hours. Then start installing the hardware back to the cabinet. First, put on the hinges and then the doors. Fit the doors properly or else you will face problem while opening and closing the cabinet. Finally, put on the knobs and pulls on the doors. Now you know how to paint kitchen cabinets white.

Thus, you can give kitchen makeovers with white cabinets. After painting the cabinets white, you have to put a little extra efforts to maintain its neat and clean look. Clean the cabinet with water and mild detergent regularly. However, do not use any abrasive cleaner as it can badly affect the paint finish.