Painting Kitchen Cabinets
By: Kevin Stith

Over time, grease, water, heat, stains, and food residues leave indelible marks on your once beautiful kitchen cabinets. If you didn?t want to spend a large sum of money buying new cabinets, you should study your options carefully and you will find a way out. Instead of replacing the cabinets, you can think of giving them a face-lift by a repainting them. Do the job yourself, and you can cut down the costs further. Of course, there will be an added bonus of the creative satisfaction you?ll get on doing the work yourself.

If you decide to paint your kitchen cabinets, keep in mind that the work could well spread over a period of three days. This will mean three days of eating out, so plan the work when it is most convenient.

The first thing is to decide on the color. For this, consider factors such as the color of the kitchen walls as also that of the tiles. The size of your kitchen must also be considered. Also keep in mind that light colors give the impression of spaciousness.

Next, decide if you want to paint both inside and outside the cabinets. A paint job involves a minimum of three days, and if you decide to paint the insides as well, you?ll have the additional task of emptying out the drawers.

The first step in the paint job involves the cleaning process. That means you have to remove the dust and grease stains. Remember that cleaning for a do-it-yourself paint job is different from the usual hygienic cleaning pattern that you follow.

Cleaning ensures a uniform and even finish to the paintwork.

Examine the surface carefully for any cracks and damages because paint will not cover these blemishes. Use coarse sandpaper to clean the surfaces and file down the scratch marks and cavities with wood putty.

Once this is done, prune old enamel surfaces with a primer. You have the choice between oil-base primer and water-base primer. Choosing an oil-base primer is a better option because the paint readily sticks to it.

While painting the stiles, cover the counter top with a masking or a painter?s tape. Begin the paint job from the least accessible points and work outwards. Next, paint the inner surfaces first and then move to the outer ones.

You can also consider using spray paint to give your work an even and uniform look. When you are done, allow plenty of time for the drying up process and then reassemble the cabinet back to its original position. The new, fresh, clean, and aesthetic look will provide you with joy of a day?s work well done.