Painting your cabinets is a great way to update your kitchen, but some homeowners rush though and end up botching the job. Taking your time and performing all the proper procedures will ensure you beautifully painted cabinets that look brand new for years to come.

Allow Yourself Plenty of Time

This is not a rainy day project. Trying to rush through it guarantees that you'll have problems later on, such as peeling or blistering paint. It can take several days to do the job right.

Remove Doors, Drawers and Hardware

Paint never stays on metal hardware long, and you'll soon have a peeling mess on your hands if you try to just paint over it. Place a mark in an inconspicuous spot to identify where each piece belongs. For new hardware with a different profile, you need to fill in the old screw holes with putty.

Cleaning Properly is Essential

Whether you can see it of not, there is a layer of dust and grease on your cabinets. If you don't get all the grease off, your paint won't adhere properly, especially if you're using water-based paint. If you are going to use alkyd paint, avoid cleaners containing ammonia. It's impossible to neutralize and causes your top coat of paint to yellow. Instead, use a strong grease-remover, such as trisodium phosphate (TSP), to clean the inside and outside of every surface. Rinse each surface well with clear water and allow to thoroughly dry.

Sand Lightly and Wipe Clean

Once the wood surface has thoroughly dried, fill any dings or gouges with wood putty. Allow it to cure the recommended amount of time, then sand just enough to dull the surface with a 150-180 grit sandpaper. Use a tack cloth to remove all sanding residue for a smooth finish.

Don't Skip the Primer

If you want a long-lasting, durable finish, priming is essential. If your cabinets are stained, use a stain-blocking primer to ensure imperfections don't bleed through the paint later. A 100 percent acrylic latex or an alkyd primer is best, and you generally only need one coat, unless you're covering a dark color with a lighter color, such as painting black cabinets white. Let the primer dry thoroughly according to label directions.

Finally! Time to Paint!

Choosing the paint is one of the most important considerations, and for cabinets, always buy the best paint and brushes you can afford. Use natural brushes with oil-based paint and synthetic brushes with latex paint. Semi-gloss and eggshell paints don't protect or stand up to scrubbing as well as gloss paints. If you are painting over a light color, you may be able to use only one coat, but changing from dark to light colors can require as many as 3 coats of paint.

Don't Rush the Cure Time

Yes, you want to see your new cabinets put all back together and functional, but it's best to let the paint take a few days to cure before reassembling and using them. Ask any woman who has rushed out of a salon after a nail job how devastating it is to have it ruined by fingerprints or dings, and you'll know why it's worth the wait.

Now that the tedious, time-consuming job is over and the paint has thoroughly cured, you can put your masterpiece back together and enjoy your new kitchen. If you don't have time or just don't want all the aggravation, call your local trusted paint contractor for an estimate. Contact a business, such as Kucker Haney Paint Co.