Kitchens are perhaps the busiest rooms in any home. Whether it’s meal preparation, homework space, or social gatherings, they serve as the hub of family life. And that means kitchen cabinets must stand up to years of heavy use. A constant cycle of opening and closing wears out their finish, pots and pans scratch them, and hinges and handles wear out. But while replacing kitchen cabinets can be a time-consuming, expensive, and difficult task, refinishing kitchen cabinets is not. And, painting kitchen cabinets can deliver stunningly colorful results!
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Here’s what you need to know to get this project done.
Getting Ready: Prep Makes Perfect!
My earliest DIY inspiration came from my father who always said the “gettin’ ready” was the most important part of the project! Years later and no longer an impetuous teenager just looking to get my chores done quickly, I realized how right he was. Before popping the lid of the paint can, set yourself up for success by getting the space and cabinets ready.
First, clear out furniture and clean out the cabinets from top to bottom. Then, remove all the cabinet doors, shelves and drawers, and take off the hardware.
Next, cabinet finishes can be magnets for dirt, dust and grease so wash them thoroughly with a solution of TSP (trisodium phosphate). Be sure to clean the top of the cabinets as well, as dust that gathers here can float down and stick to the finish as it dries.
Evaluate the cabinet surfaces. Applying a new finish on top of an old finish that’s not adhered to the original surface is a recipe for disaster. Any loose, chalking or cracked paint surfaces should be scraped smooth. For most surfaces, and especially those that are glossy, a light sanding will help improve adhesion between the old surface and the primer.
Primer Selection Drives Durability
Selecting the right primer for kitchen cabinet refinishing is critical. The primer helps assure the top-coat of paint adheres to the cabinet, provides durability and helps assure the final finish flows evenly with minimal brush strokes or roller marks.
KILZ 3® PREMIUM Primer is an excellent choice for this part of the project. The primer provides exceptional adhesion with a mildew-resistant finish, making it ideal for projects in moisture prone areas such as kitchens and bathrooms. I also like that KILZ3 is what’s known as a “high build” finish. This means that it can fill in minor imperfections in a cabinet surface, or minimize deep wood grain patterns when painting oak cabinets, for example. KILZ 3® PREMIUM Primer is also water-based for easy clean-up, dries quickly, and has a low-odor, low-VOC finish.
KILZ3 should be applied evenly using a brush, roller or airless sprayer, as specified by the manufacturer. Only a single coat is needed. Set up a space to layout the doors and drawers for priming, and then prime the cabinets working from the top-down.
In this interview with Dr. Greg Williams, the Director of Product Marketing for Behr Paint Company, hosts Tom Kraeutler and Leslie Segrete learn how paint manufacturers create primers with qualities designed specifically for refinishing kitchen cabinets.
Read Transcript
LESLIE: Kitchen cabinet painting is one of the most popular ways to affordably update a kitchen. But can painting your kitchen cabinets provide the same level of beauty and durability of a factory applied finish? They can if you get the painting steps right. And that starts with using the right type of primer.
TOM: Dr Greg Williams is an expert in all things paint. He’s the Director of Marketing for the Bare Paint Company and joins us with tips on achieving Instagram worthy results from your kitchen paint project. Welcome, Greg. Thank you for having me, Tom and Leslie. Good to be here.
I think priming is the step that DIYr’s like to skip, but is really essential for a lot of reasons, right ?
GREG: Yes, it’s absolutely critical because, you know, it’s the foundation of your coat and it gives you that strong adhesion to the substrate.
TOM: Yeah, absolutely. I always say it’s like that’s the glue that makes the paint stick, right. I mean, if you don’t get that adhesion, then everything that follows is not going to be very durable.
GREG: Absolutely. It could peel right off. And, you know, you put in all this hard work, you want to make sure you get a lasting finish for a number of years to come.
LESLIE: So, if you’re trying to convince folks that priming is key, is it one cote? Is it two coats? I mean, we all know it does the good job that you need it to, but is more, better?
GREG: More isn’t necessarily better. So with KILZ3 primer, which, you know, I would recommend, especially for kitchen cabinets, you can tackle the job with one coat and sometimes you’ll see a stain that might be still coming through. But rest assured, it is locking in that stain and it’s going to block it from coming through to the top coat. And that one coat is going to give you the proper foundation and adhesion you need to be confident that your coating is going to last for a long time.
TOM: Yeah, you mentioned adhesion. So we have products out there that are strong adhesion. You have those that are high build. Can you kind of clarify some of those terms that consumers might see when they’re shopping for products ?
GREG: When you see adhesion, you want to look closely to what substrate you’re talking about. So, you know, for example, with KILZ, we’ve got products designed for the right job. You might be trying to tackle an exterior masonry surface. You might be trying to tackle a kitchen cabinet project. So, you want to look for the combination of properties that’s appropriate. In the case of kitchen cabinets, there’s moisture as well.
So you want to make sure you’ve got something that’s going to give you good adhesion and durability, but also going to be mildew resistant and moisture tolerant. In addition, when you talk about the high build, this is delivering the amount of paint in one pass. So if you choose a paint that is a higher solids, has more volume solids with every coat, you’re going to get a thicker film applied. So it’s important to factor that in when you’re considering these projects, because the thicker the film, you’re getting better durability. But it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to put two or three coats. You can get by with one thick film that’s adhering very well to the substrate to give you that good interaction between top coat as well as the substrate.
TOM: Now, the top coat actually flows a lot better when you have the primer in place. We’ve known as distinct differences in the way the painting finished dries when you’re going over a primer versus not. So that build really assists in making sure that you have fewer brush strokes and that sort of thing, right ?
GREG: Absolutely. Yeah, that’s a great point. And so one of the main features, in addition to adhesion from a primer, is the fact that it can seal a porous substrate or uneven sheens or uneven finishes. Right. So as you go over that surface, it’s going to fill in any of those imperfections. It’s going to seal some of the porosity that you might have in different areas. Maybe you’ve used some of abrasive in the past and you’ve knocked down the gloss and now it’s more porous.
So in order to get uniform drying, which you’ll and uniform flow, which is really important for to minimize the brush marks, you need to properly seal the substrate. And that’s where the primer really comes in to do that.
LESLIE: Now, what about sanding the primer before you apply the topcoat ? Is this a necessary step to sort of get a better finish or not needed at all?
GREG: Typically, it’s not needed. And the reason for that is this is designed to have a good balance of properties and it’s designed to adhere well to the substrate. But also to the top coat. The primer is designed to stick very well to the top coat. This is what really makes a primer different from a top coat, is that it’s got both the good adhesion to the substrate, but also allows the top coat to stick very well to the primer. But if you were to use these same properties in a top coat, you’re not going to get your desired hardness and durability and performance. So that’s why it’s designed in this way to really maximize adhesion between both the coating and the substrate.
Gregg Williams, the director of product marketing for the Behr Paint Company and the KILZ brand. This guy knows what he’s talking about folks, he has a degree in organic chemistry, and if you want to know what makes paint stick, this is the guy you need to talk to. So, Greg, thank you so much for filling us. This was really, really helpful. And we appreciate your expertise.
GREG: Thank you, Tom and Leslie. Great to be here. Great to talk about KILZ3 with you today.
TOM: If you’d like to learn more about Kills three as the go to primer for kitchen projects, go to the website at KILZ.com. That’s K-I-L-Z.com.
Top Coat Counts
Just like primer selection is based on the product’s adhesion, moisture resistance and high-build formulation, equal care should be given to the selection of paint for the top coat. Over the course of your newly painted kitchen cabinet’s life cycle, doors and drawers will be opened and closed thousands of times. Moisture in the air will be a constant presence, as will oils and grease given off by years of cooking. Therefore, you’ll want to select a paint that has excellent durability, and be very easy to clean.
Look for paints made specifically for kitchen cabinets. Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines® Trim & Cabinetry Paint dries quickly, leaving a hard finish that’s remarkably durable and it is water-based for easy cleanup. For most projects, plan to apply two-coats and follow the manufacturer’s directions for application.
Add Some Bling
Once the painting is complete, you’ll have the option to replace the original hardware or add new. Given the work it’s taken to get to this point in your kitchen cabinet refinishing project, installing new door and drawer pulls adds some bling and provides a nice finishing touch.
This part of the project is easiest if the new hardware fits the holes left by the original hardware. However, if you plan to go in a completely new direction, it’s easy enough to fill and sand the old holes before you get to the priming step above. Personally, I also like to replace the hinges as well. New spring-loaded hinges look good and close nicely. Finally, install bumpers to the drawers and doors for added durability.
Today, solid-color kitchen cabinets are more popular than ever making this an ideal time to take on a kitchen cabinet refinishing project. But the success of refinishing kitchen cabinets depends entirely on the details. With the right prep work, a high-quality primer, and a colorful, durable top coat, you can transform this space with a fresh finish that can last for years to come.
How can you cover a corian countertop? Is it possible without removing it?
I can live with my backsplash but HATE THE COUNTERS!! I just want a white neutral counter.
Hi Tina,
I have very good news for you. There’s a product you can apply on top of that Corian countertop to create a totally new look. It’s called LuxROCK and I used it last year to create brand new countertops in a rental home we own. Rental homes take a lot of punishment, and we found LuxROCK to be both beautiful and tough. Check out my post on the product called “Kitchen Transformation: Create a Granite Countertop in a Weekend with LuxROCK” and be sure to watch the demo video. I think you’ll find this an easy way to refresh your kitchen countertop.