Kitchen Remodel Part 1: How to paint kitchen cabinets like a pro

This week my parents and I are taking on a full kitchen remodel! We are doing porcelain floor tiles, installing granite counter tops, painting the cabinets, installing appliances, and a tile back splash.   Today I will be going through the process of how to paint the kitchen cabinets like a professional.

Supplies

• TSP
• Mineral Spirits
• Clean rags for cleaning cabinets
• Drill
• Paint Roller frame
• Paint Rollers
• Benjamin Moore Advance Paint  [in the color of your choice]
• Primer
• Stir stick
• Paint cup 
• Painters Tape
• Paint brush

Prep Work

1. Take off cabinet doors and drawers.
2. Label doors and drawers and put all hinges and screws in a safe place.
3. Clean with TSP and a clean rag.
4. Rinse with clean water and rag.
5. If there are any holes that need to be filled you will need to do this now.
6. Sand all surfaces that will be painted.
7. Take mineral spirits and wipe down cabinets to remove dust.
8. Tape off anything you do not want to get paint on, make sure to tape around your appliances.
9. Now you are ready to paint!

Here is a list that the Paint Company request to be done before painting. 

• Surfaces to be painted must be clean, dry, and free of dirt, dust, grease, oil, soap, wax, scaling paint, water soluble materials, and mildew.
• Remove any peeling or scaling paint and sand these areas to feather edges smooth with adjacent surfaces.
• Glossy areas should be dulled by sanding.
• Drywall surfaces must be free of sanding dust.

Painting Time!

You will be doing one coat of primer and two coats of the regular cabinet paint.  It’s important to use paint like Benjamin Moore Advance because it is self leveling and chip resistant and it will make your cabinets look amazing when you are done!

First  paint on your primer coat, try to use the roller as much as you can and use the paintbrush for hard to reach areas.  Make sure not to have any areas with running paint try to make it as even as possible.  Let dry.  If your primer needs sanding you will need to sand again and then wipe down with mineral spirits.

Now you will be doing the next two coats of regular paint.  If there are any runs of paint make sure to sand them down before your final coat, clean with mineral spirits to remove dust.  Make sure to let them dry all the way in between. The final step is to install the doors, and hardware.
Since we are doing a full kitchen remodel I will be posting part two of the final result!

Its always a good idea to watch a video before starting a project like this so please read up on the paint you are using. Below is a video about the type of paint that we used to paint my cabinets.