Painting a new refrigerator


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Old 10-03-22, 07:24 AM
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Painting a new refrigerator

I want to paint the black sides and top of stainless steel-fronted brand new refrigerator. I plan to take a piece of the toekick of my new blue kitchen cabinets to Home Depot to have the color and finish matched. If I rough up the finish with a sanding block and apply a latex primer can I expect good results with 1-2 coats of latex?
 
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Old 10-03-22, 09:28 AM
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"...can I expect good results..."
What do you consider "good"? Keep in mind that this project probably has more in common with painting a car. Would your car look good painted with latex house paint?

I would not use a latex primer. Since you will be painting steel I would use a oil based primer. Then you could top coat with water based latex. I think you will get the worst finish if you brush the paint on. Second best would be to use a short nap roller and best would be to spray. Much of how the job turns out will depend on your technique and prep work.
 
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Old 10-03-22, 10:18 AM
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I've painted several refrigerators but never with latex paint, I used an oil base enamel. A waterborne enamel might do ok. I'd go to a real paint store for both the enamel and advice - not a paint dept in a big box.
 
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Old 10-03-22, 02:38 PM
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I think the odds of this turning out well enough for you to think it was worth the effort and expense are pretty low.
 
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Old 10-03-22, 03:08 PM
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Pilot Dane
I would not use a latex primer. Since you will be painting steel I would use a oil based primer.
marksr
​​​​​​​I've painted several refrigerators but never with latex paint, I used an oil base enamel. A waterborne enamel might do ok. I'd go to a real paint store for both the enamel and advice - not a paint dept in a big box.
Okay, so let's say I'd go with oil-based primer and oil-based enamel, and get it matched at a "real paint store", which I luckily have nearby. The sides of the fridge are textured, like orange peel. marksr In your experience did your painted fridges look "original", as opposed to DIY painted?
stickshift
​​​​​​​I think the odds of this turning out well enough for you to think it was worth the effort and expense are pretty low.
​​​​​​​Well, that's why I'm asking experts before I screw it up!
 
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Old 10-03-22, 03:17 PM
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Why in the world would you want to paint a brand new refrigerator that will most likely not hold up well for the next 10-15 years of ownership?
 
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Old 10-03-22, 03:24 PM
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Why in the world would you want to paint a brand new refrigerator that will most likely not hold up well for the next 10-15 years of ownership?
​​​​​​​To match the cabinets; I thought I stated that.
 
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Old 10-04-22, 01:57 AM
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The sides of the fridge are textured, like orange peel. marksr In your experience did your painted fridges look "original", as opposed to DIY painted?
Not sure any paint job on a new fridge will look original .... or wear as good as the factory finish. If restoring an old all steel fridge, painting it like you do a car produces a finish as nice as the original. On modern day fridges you are just trying to freshen it up so it looks better at the back end of it's life. You see a lot of painted fridges in older surfside hotels - to cover up rust from the salt air. Many folks probably don't notice but I generally see it right away.

Rolling paint over the textured finish looks decent, slick finished sides/fronts need to be sprayed to look right.
 
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Old 10-05-22, 08:16 AM
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Okay, you folks have me sufficiently discouraged that I'm rethinking this. Maybe I apply paintable removable contact paper, then paint??
 
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Old 10-05-22, 08:42 AM
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I can't respond to painted contact paper without shaking my head and cursing about how I think it will turn out. I am also having a hard time understanding a kitchen layout where the sides of the fridge are soooo bad that a home, amateur paint job would be an improvement. If that is the case I'd be making wood panels to clad the fridge to match the cabinets or make a cabinet that the fridge slides into. Or, I'd buy a sheet of 3B polished stainless steel and make panels to clad the visible sides of the fridge but at that point you might as well spend the money on a fridge that looks the way you want and doesn't require modification.
 
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Old 10-05-22, 11:15 AM
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​​​​​​​To match the cabinets; I thought I stated that.
You didn't, but still to me I'm not clear why the desirer to paint, isn't the retrig set inside the cabinets that the view of the side(s) would be minimal?
 
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Old 10-05-22, 11:33 AM
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...I'm not clear why the desirer to paint, isn't the retrig set inside the cabinets that the view of the side(s) would be minimal?
I wouldn't that refrigerators set into cabinets are the norm; I guess I could have spent a few more thousands to surround the $2000 fridge with cabinetry, but I didn't. One side of it is very visible, the other less so. HD has an 1/8" thick primed hardboard that might make for a good painted side: https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-8-in-x...7562/204727075


 
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Old 10-05-22, 11:55 AM
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Most people won't notice the sides of your fridge if left factory. If you paint most people will spot that it's different, attracting more attention. Plus, I think you are worrying about a micro detail when there are bigger issues in sight.
 
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Old 10-05-22, 01:13 PM
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It's easier to learn to live with it the way it is now and it's doubtful anyone will look at the factory finish and say/think that looks odd.
 
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Old 10-05-22, 02:31 PM
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It's easier to learn to live with it the way it is now and it's doubtful anyone will look at the factory finish and say/think that looks odd.
Pilot Dane
​​​​​​​Most people won't notice the sides of your fridge if left factory. If you paint most people will spot that it's different, attracting more attention. Plus, I think you are worrying about a micro detail when there are bigger issues in sight.
I'm less concerned with what "most people" or "anyone" might think, say or spot, than I am with my own (and my wife's) idea of what might look more "finished" in what has become a $50,000 kitchen renovation. Currently I'm thinking that the primed Eucalyptus hard board, properly framed out and painted, will look like a finished panel. If not, I will have only wasted about $30 in lumber and $35 in paint.

If by "bigger issues in sight" you're referring to the lake of baseboards and countertops, those are in the works.
 
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Old 10-05-22, 04:21 PM
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So now it's more understanding!

What about building cabinets or a "cabinet like structure" around, over, and incorporate say some shelving on the LH side, would give it a more finished look than having the refrig sitting in the room?
 
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Old 10-05-22, 04:47 PM
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That’s my goal. The little cart on the left is a placeholder.
 
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Old 10-05-22, 09:22 PM
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I painted my dual power electric/propane fridge
I rattle canned it. BEHR oil rubbed bronze.
Remove doors or carefully tape plastic sheeting over them OR..Tape plastic sheeting to cover openings
Sand the heck out.of the orange peel sides and top, to the desired smoothness you want.
I did not use primer as the fridge has already been painted.
Practice a bit before painting the fridge or do the top first. Have a good technique-Meaning depress knob to spray the paint off to the side of fridge. Dont start the paint on the fridge. Do this like you would use a paint brush.
Thin coats sand in between. I sealed the paint with satin spray varnish. Two coats with thorough drying and sanding between coats. My friends thought I bought a new fridge. I did a great job, no runs, even coats.
 

Last edited by XSleeper; 10-05-22 at 09:51 PM.
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Old 10-06-22, 12:43 AM
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I rattle canned it.
I's great the poster felt the spray bomb project turned out good but I would highly recommend not using aerosol cans to try and paint, the end result is typ not so great looking. Those panels are large, the spray pattern is small, coverage is poor.

That's why you don't attempt to repair an automotive paint jobs using arenol cans. Quality of material is another issue!
 
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Old 01-30-23, 07:01 AM
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well, it has taken me almost 4 months from start to 99% finished, but I have my "custom" panel in place. Here's a stock image of what the refrigerator originally looked like:

Here are some shots with the new panel in place:





It turns out the 1/8" thick eucalyptus panel is really flimsy and did not stay flat, so the magnets I glued on to adhere it to the fridge are not really holding snug all around; I will likely add some double-sided adhesive pads. Also the primed panel did not want to hold paint in some spots, even after a couple of light coats of an aerosol primer. I may roll on one final coat of the finish.

PS: one of the base cabinets arrived slightly cracked, and after they replaced it they offered it to me free. You can see it on the refrigerator's left, so my next project is to trim that out and permanently install it centered in that spot. I'm hoping I can finish that within 3 months!

 
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Old 01-30-23, 07:43 AM
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Thank you for the update. That looks nice.
 
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Old 01-30-23, 02:25 PM
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I remember this post and in reflection what I assumed the OP wanted to do was paint the entire refrig, not just finish a side panel.

And BTW, my basement refrig is one where you add different panels to the front to make it look more "built in" which I stained using sheets of Luan, would have been an easy reference, had no clue this was the desired outcome.

Just goes to show how a picture is worth 20-30 posts for clarity.
 
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Old 01-30-23, 02:58 PM
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Marq1 I did originally want to simply paint the sides, but you helped talk me out of that, convincing it would very likely come out poorly. The panel looks good and is easily removeable.
 
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Old 01-30-23, 10:47 PM
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Ok, as I read your solution it seemed different from what I thought the discussion was about, it does look better!
 
 

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