Kitchen cabinet refacing painting is one way to keep the cost of your remodel low – instead of ripping out old cabinets and installing brand new ones you will only need to find the right paint and your cabinets will look as good as new. This may sound like a simple enough project, but if you want it to work there are some simple dos and dont’s that you have to keep in mind.
The first is your existing decor. Your kitchen is a space that needs to look great – it is the room where you spend most of your time at home so it is important to make sure that you choose a scheme that works for you. You can get ideas online, from magazines or even from friends and family whose kitchens you admire. Before you start taking apart your cabinets you should make a schema on paper to see what the completed kitchen will look like. Here are additional tips to guide you along:
• One way to make sure that your refurbished kitchen cabinets match with the rest of the kitchen decor is to choose the right colors. Today, the range of colors that you can choose from is limitless but you should make sure that whatever you choose helps the rest of the kitchen stand out.
• Make sure that you choose the right type of paint for cabinets. Not all kinds of paint are meant for wood. If you choose one that is too thin it will seep into the wood and you will need to apply several layers before you can get the desired effect. If you choose a paint that is too thick you will end up with a pasty looking finish. There are specific paint brands that are used on cabinets so do some research before you buy.
• You need to remove all doors from your kitchen cabinets before you paint them. It allows for a more thorough job and you keep paint off hinges. You should also take off cabinet knobs – if you get paint on them you will have to replace them.
• Don’t forget your drawers – almost always, a kitchen cabinet refacing painting project requires that you re-do your drawers to match. Drawers should be removed before they are repainted. Label each drawer and cabinet door to make sure that everything goes back in the right place once you are done.
• Protect your surfaces using plastic sheeting or an old bed sheet. Keep away everything that is on the counters below the cabinets – you can pack containers in boxes to get them out of the way while you work. You should also cover your floors to avoid costly paint damage.
• Many people start reworking their kitchens only to realize that they don’t have a place to prepare meals while they work. You should set aside a space in the home where everyone can grab a meal when they are hungry. Make sure to set up important appliances like the coffee maker, kettle and water jug.
• Find someone to help you – you have probably gathered by now that kitchen cabinet refacing painting isn’t very easy – you have to remove doors, drawers, cover counters, pack away kitchen items and more. You should find someone who is DIY savvy to help you with some of the tasks. It will help move things along faster.
• Make sure that you sand down the cabinets properly before you paint them. Sanding is one of the most important steps in the pre-painting process – it strips away surface dirt and makes sure that the paint properly adheres to the cabinets. You should find the right kind of sandpaper to ensure that you get a proper finish.
• If you don’t want to repaint your cabinets you should consider staining. There are beautiful wood stains available in the market that can make a real difference in the kitchen and they take a shorter time to accomplish than a paint job.
• Choose a paint that dries fast and is safe for use in your kitchen. You may be tempted to go with a brand of paint because it is cheap but keep in mind that cheap paint brands can be quite disappointing; they can be smelly, mildly toxic and they can take a long time to dry.
The best way to make sure that your kitchen cabinet refacing painting project goes as planned is to hire a professional. They will get the work done fast and it will have a professional finish.
