Top Secrets Of Professional Painting

Since doors are the most visible element that will define the new look of your kitchen, many homeowners decide to order new doors. You do not have to do that, if you can paint the doors properly. A professional painter John Dee shares his top secrets on turning dark cupboards into glossy, smooth look of factory-finish cabinets without having to order new doors.

1. Clear the area of project. Before starting a kitchen paint job, empty the cabinets, clear off the counters, and remove freestanding appliances. In kitchens, the key to a good paint job is surface prep. “Old cabinets are covered with everything from hand oils to greasy smoke residue to petrified gravy,” says Dee. “You’ve got to get all that off or the paint won’t stick.”
2. Remove the frame and doors. Working methodically from left to right, top to bottom, label each one with a numbered piece of tape. Also, number the ends of cabinet shelves and the bottoms of drawers. This will ensure the painting process run smooth.
3. Clean all surfaces. Scrub down all of the face frames, doors, drawer fronts, and shelving with an abrasive pad dipped in liquid deglosser. Hold a rag underneath to catch drips.
4. Fill the holes. If you are relocating the hardware, fill the old screw holes with a two-part polyester wood or auto body filler. It sets in about 5 minutes, so mix only small batches.
5. Sand, Vac, and Tack the Boxes. Sand all surfaces with the grain using 100-grit paper. To make sure no bits of dust mar the finish, vacuum the cabinets inside and out, and then rub them down with a tack cloth to catch any debris that the vacuum misses. Tip for this step: When using a tack cloth, unfold each new cloth fully, down to one layer, and then crumple it to get the greatest dust collection surface.
6. Prime the boxes. Starting at the top of the cabinet, brush on the primer or brushing putty across the grain, then “tip off”—pass the brush lightly over the wet finish in the direction of the grain. Always tip off in a single stroke from one end to the other.
7. Paint the boxes. Work from top to bottom, applying the paint across the grain, and then tipping it off with the grain. For cabinet interiors, apply the paint with a smooth-surface mini roller, which leaves a slight orange-peel texture.
8. Apply the Finish Coats. Remove all dust—first with a vacuum, then with a tack cloth—and apply the finish coat. Tip it off with the grain. When the first coat dries, power-sand the flats; hand-sand the profiles. Vacuum and tack every piece, then brush on the final coat.

Tip for this step: To prevent drips on outside edges, pull the brush toward them. To prevent drips in corners, first unload the brush by scraping off the paint, then paint by pulling the brush away from the corner. If a drip laps onto a dry surface, wipe it up immediately.

9. Put Back Doors, Drawers, and Hardware. Wait for the final coat to dry, and then put back the shelves. Remove the tape over each door’s number, install the hinges and knob, then hang it in the opening it came from.

Carefully follow the steps above, pay attention on several steps with tips such as on the fifth and eighth step.