If you are looking to refresh your home, the kitchen is a great place to start. With help from a professional painting contractor, painting your kitchen cabinets is all you need to make a huge difference in the look of your home.
Here are seven steps your contractor should take to give you the best results for your kitchen cabinet painting project. The majority of these steps are related to prepping your cabinets, highlighting the importance of comprehensive preparation. Thoroughly preparing your cabinets will help the new finish last longer and they’ll look their best for the long run.
1. Discussing the details
The first step your contractor will want to take is discussing the details of your project with you. There are a number of factors that can change the way your contractor will approach painting or refinishing your kitchen cabinets, including your cabinets’ current color, the material the cabinets are made of, their current condition, and the color you want to change them to. After your painter takes note of these factors, they will recommend certain types of paint, finishes, colors, and hardware to create the perfect look for your kitchen.
2. Disassembling the cabinets
Next, your painter will disassemble your cabinets. If you are planning on keeping the same hardware for your cabinets (drawer pulls, hinges), your painter will keep them in a safe place out of the way of paint or damage. Removing the cabinets and drawers allows your contractor to be thorough and not miss any spots on your cabinets.
3. Stripping the current paint or stain
If your kitchen cabinets have paint that is peeling, chipping, cracking, or any other types of wear, your contractor will strip the current paint from the surface. Stripping the current finish will allow them to cover the surfaces of your cabinet effectively without worrying about the leftover paint peeling and compromising the longevity of your new coat of paint or stain.
4. Cleaning the surfaces
An important step in painting and refinishing your cabinets is cleaning the surfaces. Kitchen cabinets can get dirty very quickly from daily use. Making sure there is no leftover grease or oil on the surfaces of your cabinets is crucial to making your paint job last. Your painting contractor will clean your cabinets so they’re ready to be sanded down.
5. Sanding the surfaces
Once your painter is sure that your cabinets are free of any dirt, grease, or oil, they will sand the surface to create a clean canvas for painting. Sanding not only helps get rid of the remnants of previous paint jobs that didn’t come off during stripping and cleaning, but it also creates a rough surface that helps paint stick.
6. Priming and painting
After your painter sands your cabinets, they will prime and paint the surfaces. Before doing this, your contractor will prep and mask the area of work to ensure that the walls, trim, and floors stay covered and protected from paint drops and over-sprays. First, they’ll paint two or more coats of primer. Primer seals surfaces which allows the paint to stick to the primer instead of soaking into your cabinets. Then, your contractor will paint your kitchen cabinets. This may take several coats to create a fully opaque finish.
Ensuring that your cabinets’ paint dries for the optimal length of time before reassembly is essential to the project. A good painting contractor knows the amount of time that your cabinets need in order to dry thoroughly before using them.
7. Reassembling the cabinets
The final step your contractor will take is reassembling your new kitchen cabinets. They’ll professionally install the cabinets for you, leaving you with a brand new kitchen to enjoy!
Take a look at cabinet painting projects in Atlanta to get an idea of how your kitchen could look. Our experienced team of painters will transform your kitchen in a relatively short period of time, with only a minor inconvenience to your family. Get in touch today!