Kitchen Pantry Cabinet Ideas

Kitchen cabinets have to endure a lot of extreme temperature conditions. Sometimes, they have to bear extreme dryness, like when you set your oven at a high temperature, whereas the next moment they are left alone to fight moisture and humidity resulting from the steam from the boiling vegetables. Rough handling and an exposure to a variety of stains are other damages that we inflict upon our cabinets. Needless to say, your cabinets need to be extremely sturdy to withstand all this. Although the material may be strong and shows no signs of withering even after years of use, the surface of the cabinets is more likely to fade and become unattractive. Painting these cabinets is a great way of altering their worn-out appearance. Oftentimes, you may give a fresh coat of paint to your cabinets just to change the look of your kitchen.

How to Paint the Cabinets

Preparing Your Kitchen

The first step is to prepare your kitchen for a long painting job that is to follow. Remove the doors of the cabinets and lay them flat somewhere outside the kitchen. Also, remove the hardware such as door knobs and handles. Get rid of your kitchen appliances and other things that you do not want to get paint on. Cover the floor with newspaper or a cloth to protect it from paint spills.

Cleaning the Surface

The next step is to clean the surface of the cabinets, so that it is free of any food residue, or stains of butter, oil, or grime. An all-purpose cleaner can efficiently get rid of all types of stains and residues. If you have particularly dirty cabinets with a heavy build up of grime, then use a product like Krud Kutter. Use a warm soap solution and a rag to thoroughly clean them.

Sanding the Surface

Sanding the surface is an essential step as it allows the paint to hold better. Lightly sand the surface with fine grit sandpaper. Do not forget to sand the thin facings. A sanded surface holds the primer and paint better than a surface that is flat and smooth. Sanding the surface makes it rough, so that paint can easily hold on to it. Moreover, it increases the longevity of the paint.

Applying the Primer

This is another important step; however, you can skip this step if you are repainting the cabinets. Since you will only be applying paint over the existing paint, it is not necessary to apply primer. The choice of primer would primarily depend upon the type of paint. Interior oil-based primer is suitable for all types of oil-based paints, whereas a shellac-based primer is best suited for latex paints. Applying primer is particularly important if you are painting stained wood. The coat of varnish often resists the paint, causing the paint to bleed right through it.

Applying the Paint

Allow the primer to dry completely before you attempt to paint the cabinets. Spray painting with a spray gun is the best option to get a glossy and professional finish. However, if you have trouble using the tool, you can get a finish with a 2? " to 3" paint brush. The key to acquire a professional finish lies in applying thin coats. You may apply multiple thin coats until you get the desired shade. If you want a unique look, you may use a stencil to decorate the front of the cabinets.

The paint job does not end with applying the paint to the surface. You need to care for them by giving occasional touch ups of paint wherever necessary. You will have to especially care for areas that are handled the most.