One of the most dramatic ways to improve your wood kitchen cabinets is to paint them. There are other ways to freshen up weary kitchen cabinets, such as by refacing or replacing them. But both of those methods are far more expensive than painting. Plus, refacing and replacing usually require you to hire professionals. When painting cabinets, you can do it all by yourself, if you prefer.
Before You Begin
Painting wood kitchen cabinets usually means painting surfaces that are visible when the cabinet doors and drawers are closed, though some backs do get painted.
Areas that are painted:
- Cabinet doors: front and back
- Drawer fronts: front and back
- Cabinet boxes: sides and bottom
Areas that are not painted:
- Shelves
- Inside of cabinet boxes
- Top of cabinet boxes
Optional areas:
- Cabinet face frame (the horizontal rails and the vertical stiles)
When to Paint Kitchen Cabinets
The quality of the paint job depends a great deal on conditions such as temperature, humidity, and air quality. If you will be painting the cabinets in an open-air covered site, such as under a patio awning, wait for warmer temperatures for better paint curing.
Also, make sure that the air is clear to prevent particles such as pollen from settling on the wet paint. If you will be painting the doors and drawer fronts in a climate-controlled work area, you can paint at any time of the year.
Safety Considerations
Protect yourself when cleaning, sanding, priming, and painting your wood kitchen cabinets by wearing breathing protection. Particulate masks are sufficient for sanding. If you decide to use oil-based paint instead of the recommended water-based paint, protect yourself against VOCs (volatile organic compounds) with a respirator mask.
Use eye protection. When sanding with the oscillating sander, wear hearing protection.
Source: The Spruce
