Can I Paint My Kitchen Cabinets Instead of Replace Them?

Painting instead of replacing your cabinets is the easiest, quickest and most economical way freshen up your kitchen. Not only does this change the overall look of your kitchen and make it look more modern, but it also is 80%-90% less than the cost of actually replacing your cabinets. Typically, repainting increases the life expectancy by 5-6 years. Subsequently, you can always do just another coat of paint to refresh your cabinets.

Where do you start?

First of all you have to remove the gloss from your cabinets, since most cabinets have already been stained and sealed with a glossy polyurethane. There are a couple of options for how to go about this:

• Sand the gloss off and then prime and paint.
• Use a de-gloss liquid to break down the gloss and then paint.
• One other possible method is to seal the cabinets directly with a pigmented shellac with a product such as Zinsser BIN. (This method is probably the least time consuming and least messy.) 

A pigmented shellac is similar to a primer. But it is designed to stick to glossy surfaces (such as cabinets) while simultaneously changing color. Also, it dries very quickly (in about 45 minutes or less), so you can apply 2-3 coats in a short length of time. Typically this shellac is white, but you can tint it which aides in changing the cabinets to a darker color. 

After you either sand and prime or use the pigmented shellac, you can apply a finish coat of paint. We recommend using oil-based paint for the following reasons:

• It has a harder finish and lasts longer for typical kitchen use.
• Oil-based paint has a smoother finish which will give the cabinets a factory-finished look.

You can also acrylic/latex paint, but it should be a high-gloss finish. 

The pigmented shellac and top coat of paint can be applied with a brush, roller, or sprayer; however, spraying always gives the nicest finish. 

If you have any questions, or would like help with this project, give Hallco Enterprises a call at 301-831-3679. We would be happy to help!