I want to redo my kitchen cabinets and for us the best cost effective way is to paint . But maybe I should ask this is staining cabinets better then painting ?
And if I paint do I need to strip them first or just give them a real good cleaning ?
Check with a pro paint store and for the best advice, carry in a removed door or drawer to show them what you are starting with. They can give you suggestions on your options to either stain or paint.
They will suggest the prep and primer and paint (or stain as well as application tips for the best surface treatment). Go with what they suggest, don't try to save a few dollars on bargain paints. SW just sent me a card for 30 percent off paint and stains, so check for local sales there?
For painting prep on mine, I removed the doors/drawers, and then removed all hardware (hinges, knobs, pulls, catches). Cleaned mine well with a TSP substitute (tri-sodium-phosphate) as it is cheap and removes any greasy residue and soil. Rinsed all cleaned surfaces with clear water and clean cloth and allowed to dry. Sanded all surfaces for a smooth base. (good plan to invest in an electric sander for this job, I got a small belt sander and a small detail sander to make it go fast and easy) Well worth the investment.
Sometimes the doors of the cabinets and the surrounding wood are made of two different things - one is real wood, the other is not - and in that case you may have to paint rather than stain to get a good result.
Re-staining is not going to be a "let's just sand a little bit, or maybe use this little quick stripper" process. I'll say it again -- Staining will be WORK. If you decide to pursue staining, definitely check out the discussion boards at Minwas. www.minwax.com/bbs
The guys there really know what they're talking about.
Bob Fleming on this board gives a lot of good advice on how to paint. So read up on that, too.
check out the posts by daciab on the general decorating board. She did a great job painting her cabinets and posted excellent instructions a while back on how too. The completed kitchen is also in a later post.
Posts: 1657 | Location: Northern New Jersey | Registered: Mar 23, 2008
Rustoleum makes a kit you can purchase and choose the "color" you want from light to dark. It is called Cabinet transformation kit. I have been very happy with the resolutes. I am doing all my bath vanities then I will do mu kitchen.You can google the name and see befores and afters.
I have offered to prime and paint my sons old kitchen cabinets. He said he will give them a light sanding first. My question is: which is better to put the final finish on, a boar bristle brush or a sponge roller?
I actually used a combination of the two, as I needed the brush to work into some of the edges and tight spaces when I painted mine. What I would suggest, is to paint the inside of a door or two first, and allow it to dry. Just to make sure you like any texture of the painted finish? The best quality paints have a great leveling quality by the way, so brush marks are much less of an issue.
I want to redo my kitchen cabinets and for us the best cost effective way is to paint . But maybe I should ask this is staining cabinets better th
What kind of wood is your cabinet made of? Is it stained or colored? These are the questions that you might consider before acting on it. There are some wood that would only look good with staining. It preserves the color of the wood that may go with the theme of your kitchen. If you would consider repainting it, you must use a primer first before applying the real color. This will make sure that you will really get the color that you want. It will cost more to paint a cabinet than to stain it.
-OneThis message has been edited. Last edited by: onelyn,
As mentioned above, be sure first to make sure what material your cabinets are made of. As someone above mentioned they can be made of different materials. .These days its common on builder grade to get a mix of wood & pressboard ( which appears to be wood) but will not restain because it isn't wood.
Like others stated staining is a looooot of work, and you can't cut corners.. SAND SAND SAND.. and be ready for multiple coats. I really like the gel stain.
I paint cabinets almost weekly, lol.. I paint more than stain..I start by removing doors and any hardware. I sand , and sand a lot.I also do any filling of holes or cracks at this time also. I use the BEHR Primer Undercoater Sealer, or ZINSER, . Then i go over again with steel wool and wipe down with a tack cloth. Once I happy with the smoothness I put on my first coat. Then i repeat with sanding with steel woll & wiping with a tack cloth. To paint I have became fond of BEHR HIGH GLOSS ACRYLIC ENAMEL. I have painted many many colors, and haven't found anything yet that will not wipe off. I normally use a FOAM mini roller for frames and doors, and only use an angles brush to blend where needed.
Also remeber . You can also distress your cabinets or add a glaze coat.. Paint isn't as boring as it used to be!
If you don't want brush marks use foam brushes and foam rollers and i even buff between coats and if you want a little antique look you can do that then also .Some people want brush strokes and some don't and that will depend on you but prep is the most important like said by others here as the smallest amount of oil or grease will show in the end maybe not at first but eventually
