How To Clean Painted Cabinets
Your kitchen cabinets are the focal point of your kitchen. With that said, people tend to notice when they start to look dirty. Being proactive with your cleaning will keep them looking fresh and beautiful for all to see. You could go out and buy an expensive cabinet cleaner but in reality, dish soap mixed with warm water is the best solution. Dish soap will take care of the grime that tends to build up and is highly effective. Thoroughly wipe down your kitchen cabinets every two weeks with a microfiber cloth. This will make every cleaning a simple one and you will always be prepared for company.
Lacquer And Sand Down The Final Coats
When your final coats are dry, consider lacquering the kitchen cabinets if you want to give them a really nice glossy finish and help to protect them from damage and chipping in the future.
To be clear, this step is optional, but the best paint jobs on laminate surfaces are usually primed and lacquered for the best effect. Primer and lacquer should not be underestimated.
You should then use 400-grit sandpaper to gently sand the last coats of paint, helping to give them a nice, even, streak-free finish. Be careful not to sand too hard, or you risk removing too much paint from the surface. The goal is to make them look as smooth and seamless as possible.
It shouldn’t look too much like paint, if that makes sense.
Remove Cabinet Hardware And Doors
Before you embark on your painting project, ensure that you remove hardware like knobs and pulls of the cabinet. This can help you apply paint onto your cabinets smoothly with no obstructions.
If you cannot remove the hardware, cover them with painters tape to prevent getting paint on them.
If the hinges on your cabinet doors are visible and removable, remove the doors from your cabinet to paint them separately. This can help make the painting process much easier for you.
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Do You Need To Seal Chalk Paint
Chalk paint is a popular painting medium that can be used to create unique and stylishpieces of art. However, it is important to keep the chalk paint in a protected area to avoid it from becoming ruined.
Some people may also choose to seal their chalks with a sealant in order to improve their longevity.
How To Paint Laminate Cabinets: Guide
Just like any painting job, before you apply any primer or paint to your laminate cabinets, youll have to prepare your surface by repairing any blemishes, cleaning the area, and sanding to get a smooth surface. After youve thoroughly completed these steps, its time to begin transforming your laminate cabinets.
If your laminate cabinets are from the IKEA range, check out our specified guide on how to paint IKEA furniture.
Now we will go through each step you must follow when painting your laminate cabinets, and as with all painter jobs close attention must be paid to the preparation stages.
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Can You Even Paint Laminate Cabinets
Because the room is on the small side, I decided I wanted to paint it white to help it look a little larger.
But what about those white laminate cabinets?
Wouldnt they just blend into the wall?
I really wanted to turn them into one of the focal points in the room!
The easiest way to make these basic laminate cabinets look a little less basic was to give them a whole new color.
It turns out you can paint laminate cabinets, but you need to do a little prep work and use a special primer to get the best results.
Please note: The tips in this article assume youre working with undamaged laminate surfaces. If your laminate surface is chipped or peeling, youll need to repair, and possibly resurface it before painting.
Do Painted Laminate Cabinets Hold Up
What is this? Based on our experience, we would totally recommend giving your kitchen cabinets a coat of paint Our painted laminate kitchen cabinets look exactly as they did on the first day and the paint finish has held up beautifully.
Painting is the easiest way to change the look of laminate cabinets However, because the surface is slick, you cant just paint them the way that you would wood cabinets To help the paint adhere to the laminate, the surface must be scuffed slightly with sandpaper, says Bob Vila.
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What Primer Will Stick To Laminate
Spray Paint Primer for LaminateThe BIN shellac-based primer, Cover Stain primer, and Clear Shellac primer mentioned above all come in aerosol spray paint cans and are SO good at getting paint to stick to laminate cabinets or furniture.
You can sand, prime and paint laminate as if it were a solid wood piece of furniture! Its easy to skip the sanding step, because sanding is a drag but its especially important with laminate Because its often somewhat glossy-looking, and important to sand it down until the finish is very dull before priming.
Apply A Clear Top Coat
Depending on the type of paint you use, you may need to apply a top coat to seal it and protect it from moisture. This is especially important if you use chalk paint or a decorative glaze to simulate real wood.
When using a protective top coat, be sure not to back brush over already applied areas. This will create bubbles and brush strokes that will be visible on your laminate cabinets.
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Is It Worth Painting Laminate Cabinets
Laminate is not an ideal surface to paint, but it can be done If you consider the paint job a temporary solution until you can invest in new cabinetry, youll probably be more satisfied with the results Follow these steps to get the best finish possible.
Sand the SurfacePaint can have trouble sticking to smooth surfaces, so the next two steps help improve your paints adhesion Lightly sand the box and the cabinet doors with 120 grit sandpaper But be careful! All youre doing is giving the smooth surface a little texture.
What Kind Of Paint Do You Need To Paint Laminate Floors
To be able to paint the super smooth laminate youll need a primer with adhesion promoting properties. The right primer will stick to the surface and provide the perfect base for your chosen paint finish.
Do you use a roller to paint laminate cabinets?
If youre working with a flat laminate cabinet surface , then a roller can make this process a lot quicker, easier, and ensure that lovely smooth finish that were after. On the other hand, if your laminate kitchen cabinet is an unusual shape, it may be better to use a combination of roller and paintbrush.
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Can You Paint Over Laminate
The simple, straight-to-the-point answer is yes. You can paint over laminate.
But diving a little deeper, what is laminate? Essentially it can be a wide range of furniture types that replicate a wood-like product, such as cabinets.
The material is made by securing a thin layer of printable plastic, often called Melamine or Thermofoil, to a substratum particle board or plywood.
? Extra Info: The plastic usually has a wood-like grain or pattern when printed to create a wood flooring or cabinetry style.
Now, if you paint a natural wood piece of furniture, the surface will absorb some of the primers and paint into its grains or holes. This helps the paint to firmly adhere to the wood creating a tight bond.
However, on the other hand, as mentioned above, laminate surfaces are not porous at all making it hard to get your primer or paint to stick effectively.
Roller Instead Of Paintbrushes:
A pro tip when discovering how to paint laminate cabinets is picking a roller over a paintbrush. Using a roller will allow you to create a streak-free seamless finish, whereas if you use a paintbrush, its likely that you will see the brush strokes once youve finished- and this can ruin the overall look of your DIY project.
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Install Hardware And Rehang The Doors
I let the cabinet doors cure for a full week before we installed them.
The paint is supposed to be fine after 72 hours, but I figured a few more days would be even better.
Since I didnt properly mark which door was which, it took a little flipping and figuring to get them hung properly.
Once my husband knew which door was which, he installed the new cabinet handles.
Arent they lovely?
I had planned to get the 5-inch handles, but when I ordered them, the 6-inch version was on sale!
For less than the 5-inch ones!
And after seeing them on the cabinets, Im so glad I went with the longer handle.
Once the handles are attached, simply rehang the cabinet doors and make any adjustments necessary for them to be level.
And then?
Step back and enjoy the view.
Since everyone loves a good before and after, heres a side-by-side comparison for you.
What do you think?
Will you try painting your laminate cabinets now?
If you have any questions or suggestions, contact me or leave a comment!
Dont miss any of our tips, tricks, or stories! Wed love for you to follow us on social media! You can find us on TikTok, , , and .
Fix Any Damaged Areas With Laminate Or Wood Filler
The thing about laminate is that since it’s on the thinner side, there’s not much you can do in terms of disguising scratches, chips, or dents from the endless wear and tear that comes with, well, life. And if you’re upgrading your cabinets, you’re likely swapping out the hardware, too, for some sleek knobs and pulls, which will leave you with a few rogue drill holes .
Painting over these damaged portions will only make the marks more visible, and it will ultimately make your DIY paint job look very, well, beginner DIY. To avoid this, be sure to fill in any cracks or gauges with wood filler or laminate seam filler, which is what Hunker recommends. Once that’s dry, go in with a gentle sand to set yourself up for a smooth and professional looking paint job.
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Use Primer And Paint Made For Premium Adhesion
Most of the time, Im happy with Zinsers Bullseye primer.
But painting laminate cabinets calls for something special.
There are several primers that can work well for this type of cabinet painting project.
Either this primer or the one I chose are recommended for their superior adhesion on slick surfaces.
The XIM primer is a low VOC paint, and also low odor.
I also chose to use Benjamin Moores Advance paint for the color .
The Advance paint not only looks great on my bathroom cabinets, its held up amazingly well in my garage drop zone.
I also knew that the color I wanted to paint my cabinets would coordinate well with the other Benjamin Moore colors I used in the laundry room .
Be sure to carefully read the instructions for the primer before proceeding!
XIM primer recommends priming before caulking.
Youll also need to stir the primer thoroughly!
It took a while for the primer to be completely blended!
Once I got it to this point, I stirred it a little longer for good measure
After priming the box part of the cabinets in the laundry room, I got to work on the cabinet doors down in my garage.
I set up the cabinet doors on top of old paint cans to make it easy to paint the edges.
Yes You Can Paint Laminate
What is laminate, you ask? It can basically be any type of furniture, cabinets, or wood-like product that is made by attaching a thin layer of printed plastic to a substrate of plywood or particle board. Usually the plastic is printed with a wood pattern to mimic actual wood flooring or cabinetry, but it could be any color or pattern.
If you paint a piece of real wood furniture or cabinetry, the wood will absorb some of the paint or primer into its pores, which creates a tight bond and helps the paint stick to the wood. Laminate, on the other hand, does not have a porous surface, so its harder to get paint to stick to it.
By the way, Veneer is slightly different from laminate. Veneered wood is a similar concept, but instead of a plastic layer on top of plywood, it has a very thin layer of actual wood, called a veneer. If you are painting a veneer-wood piece of furniture, I recommend the method outlined in my original cabinet painting post.
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Introducing Rustoleum Makeover Kit
The Rustoleum cabinet transformation kit is an ideal option if you have some previous painting experience. It is designed to provide professional-looking results and includes what you need for surface preparation and paint application.
The kit has enough paint to cover up to 102 square feet of cabinet surface, about the size of all the cabinets. So the chances are that you will remain will enough product for future use.
You also get scrub pads and a de-glosser for your surface preparation and decorative glaze, glazing cloth, and a protective topcoat for finishing after applying the paint. There are also stir sticks for getting your cabinet makeover kit ready.
If you are not too confident in your DIY skills, you have nothing to worry about. The kit comes with an instruction manual and DVD that you can watch to get everything correctly.
Sealing Paint On Laminate Cabinets Or Furniture
Once youre done, Id allow your piece to dry and cure for about 24-48 hours at minimum. Use your best judgment.
After its dry, you can use a paint pad or clean cloth to wipe on some finishing/sealing wax or wipe on poly in your choice of finish. Lately, 99% of the time, I use a satin finish on both the paint and the sealer.
I recommend waiting about 24-72 hours after you apply the sealer to move on to adding back the hardware.
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Brush Then Roll The Paint
Want to know my secret for a smooth paint finish? I apply the paint with a brush first, then immediately go over the area lightly with a dry foam roller to remove any brush strokes.
This works best with a high quality paint that self levels well. My favorites are Cabinet Coat and Benjamin Moore Advance, both of which are durable and easy to work with. They’re water-based enamel finishes, rather than latex, which will hold up better for painted kitchen cabinets that get a lot of wear and tear.
Find Your Cabinet Replacements At Cabinet Doors ‘n’ More
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Tribute Interior Matte Paint And Primer In One
KILZ Tribute Interior Matte Paint and Primer In One is an all-in-one, 100% advanced technology acrylic paint. With a low VOC level, KILZ Tribute provides superior coverage and a durable, mildew-resistant finish.
For the best results, surfaces must be properly cleaned and prepped, free of dust, grease, chalk, mold, rust, peeling paint, or general debris.
In addition to the 26 color choices available, KILZ Tribute also comes in 4 different finishes: Matte, Eggshell, Semi-Gloss, and Satin. All finishes are available in one-gallon and five-gallon sizes. One gallon will cover approximately 400 square feet.
The color selection covers an array of pastels and muted shades but does not offer dark or bold colors.
Peeling Or Loose Laminate
To repair peeling laminate, hold the laminate away from the MDF or particleboard. They dont need to touch at this point.
Next, apply water-based contact cement to the back of the laminate and the surface of the particleboard. Once the contact cement is dry to the touch, you can press the laminate to the particleboard and smooth it out.
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Gently Sand The Primed Cabinets
Once your primer is completely dry, gently sand the primed surface. This step helps create a smooth base, free of fine paint lines and air bubbles. It also gives your cabinet doors a subtle texture, whichhelps the paint adhere to the surface. Follow these steps to sand your kitchen cabinets: