Painting kitchen cabinets

[Dinah]

If I clean the cabinets with TSP is it necessary to remove the old varnish before painting them or should I strip it off. I would be using semi-gloss paint. TIA

[kzinNOSPAM99]

You don't want to just start ordinary paint over the varnish. You'll have to prime it first.

From the Zinsser web site

----------------- Topic - B-I-N for Kitchen Cabinets(1) Problem:

In redecorating my kitchen, I plan to paint the cabinets which now have a clear high-gloss wood finish. Should I prime with B-I-N?

Solution: B-I-N is the best primer for the job. It has great adhesion to glossy surfaces and dries to a hard abrasion-resistant base coat in 45 minutes. (Other primers can require up to 14 days to cure completely .) Before priming, be sure to remove oily greasy deposits by wiping down the cabinet surfaces with mineral spirits, followed by washing with a 50:50 solution of ammonia and water.

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they claim it will go on w/no sanding but it can't hurt to sand them lightly w/150-220 grit paper first. After the primer is cured you can't paint on it w/whatever you like.

ml

[Dinah]

Thanks, I forgot about the priming. If I use a primer I can paint over without stripping, right?

[kzinNOSPAM99]

i've never done it myself but that's what zinsser claims.

[kzinNOSPAM99]

That should have read After the primer is cured you *can* paint on it w/whatever you like.

[Hopkins]

Yes. As mentioned, I'd still sand some to knock down the gloss.

[Hopkins]

Yes. As mentioned, I'd still sand some to knock down the gloss.

[John Willis]

On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 23:28:44 GMT, "Dinah" scribbled this interesting note:

Just like with anything else, to get a good result you need to expend a little elbow grease. Painting to get a good, high quality result, takes time.

Here's one way-in ten (easy) steps:

1. Clean the old finish (TSP, soap and water, bleach, whatever works)
2. Allow to dry completely.
3. Sand.
4. Clean.
5. Prime with an oil based primer.
6. Sand.
7. Clean.
8. Depending on the finish you want, repeat steps 5, 6, and 7.
9. Paint.
10. Depending on the finish you want, repeat step 9, sanding between each coat.

This takes time and it makes a lot of dust. But, if you use a high quality, oil based interior enamel the result you get can be very good. You can use latex enamel, but then you have to omit all the sanding between coats of latex. If you omit the sanding the final result will not be as smooth. If you use a good, semi-gloss, oil based enamel, you can get a finish that is smooth and beautiful, and can even be polished to remove minor scratches, using finer and finer grits of sandpaper (up to 1500 grit) and then some automotive polishing compound.

Good luck. There is a reason cabinet refinishing is so expensive. The cost of the materials is minor-some sandpaper, a vacuum, paint and brushes, perhaps some tack cloths. All in all not more than $250.00. The real expense is in the labor. Figure the time you will spend, then multiply by anywhere between $15.00 per hour (for a hack) to $30.00 or $40.00 per hour (for a craftsman, if you can find one) and see how it adds up.

BTW, removing cabinet doors is simple and you will probably want new hardware anyway, so why not go ahead and strip them while they are off? In doing so you will remove all the old grease and grime, all the scratches and chips, and be able to fill any imperfections in the wood before you begin the painting. Just an idea...

-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

[jeffc]

It is not necessary, but I'd sand lightly to take off the gloss, or at the very least use a deglosser.