My house was built in the mid 70's and all of the wood cabinets are stained very dark. I want to paint them white or another light color. What do I do?

 

This question has been answered several times and we will do it one more time.

The first thing I would do is remove the cabinet doors and hardware including the drawer hardware. Wash the cabinets with a TSP solution to remove grease and grime. If you are planning to replace the hardware, fill the holes with a wood filler and let it dry.

After the filler dries, its time to sand the cabinets to remove imperfections and rough up the surface. A fine grit sandpaper will work ok. Remove all sanding dust by vacuuming and wiping down with a tack rag.

Apply a premium oil based primer such as Ben Moore Fresh Start or one of the other premium primers on the market. Let it dry per the paint mfgs. instructions and lightly sand it to remove any dust particles that may have been drawn to the wet surface. Remove any dust like you did after sanding.

Apply two finish coats lightly sanding between coats. Latex or oil - its your choice. I prefer the Ben Moore oil Impervo.

Always follow the paint mfgs. recommendations on drying and recoat times and use premium tools like Praeger or Purdy.

I prefer a brushed finish on cabinets. I roll the paint on and then brush it out. Saves some time. If you roll the paint on, wash out a new roller before you use it to minimize lint carryover to the wet surface.

Re-hang your doors and stand back and admire your work.

Good Luck!