Painting Kitchen Cabinets? Don’t Make These 10 Common Mistakes
If you’re going to try painting kitchen cabinets by yourself, you’re going to want to avoid these 10 common mistakes.
Keyword(s): painting kitchen cabinets
The kitchen is often called the heart of the home. But, who wants to spend time in a kitchen which has ugly cabinetry?
It’s often advised that if you’re having your kitchen redone, you should splash out a little extra cash and hire a professional to paint your cabinets.
But, if you’re trying to save money on the final touches of your home, maybe this isn’t possible.
If you’re going to try painting kitchen cabinets by yourself, you’re going to want to avoid these 10 common mistakes. Let’s take a look.
1. Don’t Misjudge Your Painting Skills
So, your friends tell you that you’re a wonderful painter? Unfortunately, the difference between paper and cabinetry is large.
If you’re taking on this DIY project yourself, you may first want to practice on old pieces of wood that you come across. Are you patient and capable of doing a great and even paint job? If not, consider, are you the best person you know to paint these cabinets?
Remember, your kitchen cabinets will be looked at by you and others for many years to come and feature in a prominent room in your home.
There’s no shame in deciding to ask someone else for help! It’ll save you from tackling these next nine steps alone.
2. Misjudging How Long it Will Take
Has your kitchen been completely redone and you need new cabinets up in a matter of days? This likely isn’t going to happen.
If this is your first time painting cabinets, you need to keep in mind how long it will take. From sanding to a final coat, you could be looking at a few days of work for one cabinet.
Don’t rush the job through as you may end up with poorly painted cabinets which are ugly to look at and a disappointment.
Give yourself as much time as possible to complete this task – think upwards of a few weeks.
3. Not Taking Apart Your Cabinets Before You Begin Painting
With your skills well judged and time to spare, it’s time to start taking apart your cabinets.
This process needs to be methodical and precise. Don’t break your cabinets by using the wrong screwdriver to take them apart.
You may be tempted to paint your cabinet without taking it apart, but this will result in an uneven job and an amateur appearance.
4. Not Making a Note of How to Put the Cabinets Back Together Again
When you begin taking the cabinets apart, make sure you clearly label every single part of them. Hinges to wood should be clearly labeled and laid out in a way so that you’ll remember which part goes where.
This is hugely important and will save you hours of trying to match up miscellaneous pieces after you’ve finishing painting and drying the cabinets. Don’t expect to rely on memory alone.
5. Forgetting to Thoroughly Clean the Cabinets
After pulling apart your cabinets and labeling them, it’s time to begin cleaning them. This means grease-cutting dish soap, hot water, and a sponge.
Once thoroughly cleaned, dry your cabinets off with a dishcloth. If they don’t look clean, repeat the process. Dirt, grease, and dust will cut through your paint making it not stick.
6. Not Sanding Down the Wood
Before you even begin thinking about pulling out your paintbrush, you need to make sure that you have sanded down the wood.
Don’t have the right equipment to do this? Ask your neighbors to borrow theirs but don’t forgo this step, even if you have to take extra time and do it by hand.
7. Not Dusting After Sanding Your Cabinets
After you’ve finished sanding down the cabinets to make sure they’re smooth enough to paint, you need to remove all of the dust left on them.
Dust can completely ruin your paint job so get out a cloth and make sure none of it is lingering.
8. Not Priming Before you Begin Painting
Primer is key to ensuring you avoid having the old paint bleed into your new paintwork. Never skip this step!
A primer will create a barrier which your paint will stick to meaning your paintwork will be longer lasting than if you didn’t use any.
To ensure you don’t have to paint as many coats, add a little of your chosen paint color to your primer. This will save you a lot of time and make painting easier.
9. Not Color Testing Before You Buy Paint
Before you pay for a huge tin of paint which will be on display in your kitchen for years to come, test a few out.
You can buy much smaller tins or paint or ask for free testers. Paint over the top of your cabinets and do multiple tests to see which tone you prefer.
Take your time in choosing which color works best with your backsplash and kitchen counter.
Don’t rush this process as it is one of the most important aspects of your kitchen design.
10. Impatiently Finishing the Job
If you are an impatient person, then painting your own kitchen cabinets is not for you. By rushing through the job and doing it in a careless manner, you may end up spending a lot more money than if you’d paid someone else to do it.
A DIY project can cause you more grief than it can save money sometimes. So, make sure to call in the professionals if you feel yourself being wound up and lazy before you even begin!
Don’t complete the job, realize you’ve done it badly and then call in a pro!
Painting Kitchen Cabinets Saves Money but Takes a Lot of Time
If you haven’t painted your kitchen cabinets before then this process is going to take you a lot of time.
However, painting kitchen cabinets is an easy task for professionals and can be done very quickly.
If you’d rather not waste your time and have someone else guarantee a professional, high-quality finish, then get in touch today. You won’t regret it when your cabinets are looking great for years to come!