Painting cabinets is a great way to update a kitchen or bathroom. It is extremely budget-friendly and anyone can do it! Especially with these helpful tips!
If you are painting oak cabinets or other wood cabinets with very pronounced wood grain, getting a smooth paint finish can be tricky. The texture will show through. If you don't want the texture check out my post on filling in wood grain.
Using a paint sprayer is one of the easiest ways to get a super smooth finish on your cabinets. Plus, it's faster. The downside is it involves more prep work like removing cabinet doors and taping off walls.
To solve the amount of prep needed, you can use a paint sprayer to paint the cabinet doors and drawers in a garage or outdoors, then use a paint roller and brush to paint the cabinet boxes.
Paint sprayers come in a wide range of price points, from professional models upwards of $1000 to DIYer versions that cost less than $100. I use and love the Homeright Super Finish Max Paint Sprayer. I've also heard great things about the Wagner Control Spray Max.
Prep your cabinets by giving them a good cleaning.
Prepare your paint by stirring it well. If it is too thick, you can add Floetrol which is a paint additive that thins the paint.
PAINTING CABINETS WITH A FOAM ROLLER
When using the roller, make sure there is enough paint on your roller that you don’t have to put much pressure on it, but also don’t load up with so much paint, you get a drippy mess. Let dry then paint a 2nd coat.
GETTING A SUPER SMOOTH FINAL COAT
Foam rollers are great at giving a fairly smooth finish, but they sometimes leave a bit of an orange peel texture. If you notice some of this texture on your cabinets, you can use a good paint brush to smooth that texture.
SAND CABINETS AND ADD FINAL COAT
Before your final coat of paint, gently sand your cabinets using 300-400 grit sandpaper. This will knock down any brush strokes and roller marks. Dampen your paint brush with a bit of water and roll the paint on. Run the damp paint brush over the painted surface with long, even strokes.