Do your kitchen cabinets need refinishing? Over time, laminate and wood cabinets can become dull and dirty and give your kitchen the appearance of being unclean or outdated. To correct this common problem in older homes, most homeowners think about replacing their cabinets. Unfortunately, this is often a time-consuming task that can render the kitchen unusable for weeks. There is an alternative, but it requires a lot of your time and effort. You can paint your laminate cabinets or restain your wood cabinets for a fraction of the cost of replacing them. However, if you plan to paint or stain your existing cabinets, there are some do’s and don’ts you should follow to ensure you get the look you want.

DO: Choose the Correct Paint or Stain

When you go to the hardware store to pick up your paint or stain, get the correct product for the surface in the correct amounts, and if you are unsure of how much paint or stain to purchase, overestimating is better than underestimating. For example, if your surface calculations tell you that you need two gallons of paint, consider buying three just to make sure you have enough, which is important if you have to use more than one coat.

Also, choose a paint that is designed for laminate or choosing a stain that works well with your hardwood cabinets. If you have questions about the type of paint or stain you should use for your cabinet painting project, the hardware associate in the paint department should be able to answer your questions. If you are still unsure, you may want to skip this as a DIY project and hire professional cabinet painting services from an experienced painter in Virginia Beach or Chesapeake VA.

DON’T: Use Old Paint or Stain that You Have in Your Garage

Resist the urge to use the old paint or stain you’ve been storing in your garage. Paints and stains tend to separate over time and may not adhere to your cabinet surfaces, even if you’ve properly cleaned and sanded them. You also may not have enough paint or stain to complete your project, and exactly matching the paint or stain if you run out may be impossible.

DO: Properly Prepare Your Cabinets

Proper preparation is the key to success when you refinish your kitchen cabinets. This means you’ll have to remove all the hardware and the cabinet drawers and doors before you begin painting or staining.

DON’T: Just Start Painting or Staining

Don’t shave time off your kitchen cabinet painting project by beginning the painting or staining process immediately. You could risk dripping paint or stain all over your counters, and you could end up with unsightly door pulls and hinges that are covered in paint.

DO: Remove all the Hardware and Doors

Before you begin to paint or stain, you will need to remove all the hardware so that you do not accidentally get paint or stain on them. This includes the door pulls and hinges. If your cabinets do not have any door pulls, you will still need to remove the doors and drawers from your kitchen cabinets as well as the hinges. Remember to put all your hardware in a safe place and mark it for each cabinet so you can use it once you are finished painting or staining. Also, remember to cover your kitchen counters and the floors next to your cabinets with thick contractors plastic to prevent accidental drips and spills.

DON’T: Paint the Cabinets in Place

Whatever you do, don’t paint your cabinets with the doors, hinges and hardware in place. Even if you are extremely careful, you could still end up with paint or stain on your kitchen counters and kitchen floors.

DO: Take the Doors Outside

Once you have all your doors and drawers removed, take them outside or into your garage to finish the preparation. If you have laminate cabinets, you will need to clean all the dirt and debris from the surface and lightly sand the laminate. This helps ensure that your paint sticks to the laminate surface. If you plan to restain your wood cabinets, you’ll need to sand off all the existing stain and remove any residual wood dust from the surface.

DON’T: Sand the Doors Inside

It may be tempting you sand the fronts of your cabinet doors and drawers inside but resist the urge. Wood dust tends to get on everything, and if your air conditioner or furnace is running at the time, those dust particles can get sucked into your HVAC system and deposit that dust everywhere in your home.

DO: Use a Sponge or Small Paint Roller

Consider using a paint sponge or paint roller to paint your cabinets instead of a paintbrush. Using a sponge or brush ensure you get a nice even coat of paint that doesn’t contain paint lines that can diminish the new look of your cabinets.

DON’T: Use a Paint Brush

Paintbrushes are often the go-to choice for small painting projects. However, paintbrushes tend to create lines in the paint, which can be unsightly on laminate cabinets.

DO: Remember to Paint or Stain Your Cabinet Fronts

Once you’ve finished painting or staining your cabinet doors and drawers, don’t forget to sand, paint and stain the other visible parts of your cabinets. This includes the sides and backs of islands and any front slats and/or cabinet sides that are visible. Since this part of the project requires painting or staining and sanding inside your kitchen, remember to lay contractor’s plastic across your counters and appliances as well as your floors in order to prevent spills and messes.

DON’T: Just Put the Doors Back on Once They’ve Dried

If you leave the slats and other visible parts of your cabinets alone, you will end up with two-tone cabinets. Your doors and drawer fronts will look new and fresh while the remaining visible parts of your cabinets may still look dirty, dingy and old.

DO: Consider Using a Paint Pro, Like Hughes Painting, in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach VA

If you are concerned about the end result of your cabinet painting or staining project, consider hiring a paint pro, like Hughes Painting. Hiring a professional cabinet staining and painting contractor can ensure that you get the exact look you want for your cabinets. Not to mention, cabinet painting pros can recommend the right paints and stains for your project so that it lasts for years.

DON’T: Just Use any Cabinet Painters in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake VA

When it comes to choosing the right cabinet painters for your project in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, don’t choose the first contractor that shows up in your Google search. Instead, look for a contractor that specializes in painting cabinets and has several years of experience like Hughes Painting. This will ensure that they have the knowledge and equipment to complete the job on-time and to your expectations.