Give Your Kitchen Cabinets a Fresh New Look with Paint

Have you grown tired of your old kitchen cabinets? If you want to give them a fresh new look without the expense of refacing (or replacing), try painting.

Painting your kitchen cabinets is one of the least expensive ways to update the look of your kitchen-and, it's not as difficult as you may think. Here are some tips from the experts at Zinsser that can make kitchen cabinet painting quick and easy:

• First, remove all doors, drawers, handles and hardware.
• Wipe all surfaces with a clean rag saturated with mineral spirits (paint thinner) to remove any surface contamination. You may need to do this twice if there is a heavy buildup of dirt, grease or grime. Change rags frequently to avoid depositing dirt and grease back onto the cabinets.
• Wash the surface with equal parts of household ammonia and water and rinse well with clean water. Allow the clean surface to dry completely.
• Prime the clean, dry surfaces with a shellac-base primer-sealer. Unlike finish paints, shellac-base primer-sealers, such as Zinsser's B-I-N, will adhere to all cabinet surfaces-painted, polyurethaned, unfinished, Formica, plastic, metal and glass-to form a sound base for the topcoat. B-I-N will seal porous surfaces, like new wood, and seal off knots and sappy streaks in knotty pine so they won't bleed through and ruin the paint job. Its bright white formula blocks out dark stains and colors. Perhaps best of all, there is no need to sand the surface when you use B-I-N, thus eliminating the dust and messy cleanup often associated with cabinet refinishing.
• Let the primer-sealer dry for about an hour. Then apply two coats of finish paint. Hint: If you tint the primer toward the color of your finish paint, you can eliminate the second finish coat. Consider choosing an oil-base finish paint over a water-base finish for a harder, more stain-resistant, washable and durable finish.

Want to give your cabinets a little added pizzazz? Try a faux finish, antique finish or stencil to create a unique and personalized look that is well worth the extra effort. Replacing cabinet hardware is another inexpensive way to give your freshly painted kitchen cabinets an extra-special look.

Courtesy of NAPSnet.