HOW TO Prepare & Professionally Spray Paint Kitchen Cabinets

True professionals clean, sand, remove the wood kitchen cabinets and drawer fronts, mask, tape, and cocoon before painting. To properly paint and clean the cabinets, the door panels and drawer covers must be removed.
Clean All Cabinet Parts Thoroughly
Wood cabinets have to be cleaned differently than metal hardware. Professionals will use a specialty wood cleaning solution called TSP as they prepare your wood cabinets for sanding and priming. Hardware will be cleaned in a separate solution that will take off calcium and oxidation deposits to bring back to the original shine.
Sand and Prime Everything
Painting kitchen cabinets is a great idea and a home project with a fantastic RETURN ON INVESTMENT, but to do it right, it takes a team with the proper equipment!
Once the cabinet parts are clean, any uneven areas with dents or nicks will be filled in and sanded. Professional grade primer will be applied to ensure an even finish, to help protect the wood from water, and to prepare the wood for finish coats.
Replace or Refurbish Hardware
Hardware can be saved, cleaned, and refurbished, or replaced entirely. Some people have specialty hardware, and they prefer to have it cleaned and reinstalled back onto cabinets. Other people have builder-grade hardware, and they work with designers to replace it to complement fixtures in the kitchen. Your professional cabinet painter should offer you the choice of soft-close hinges.
Mask and Cover Areas
Once everything has been removed and cleaned, professionals will mask and cover your kitchen and surrounding areas. Cabinet painting with a sprayer done properly only gets applied to the cabinets.
Cabinets With Glass Doors Get Completely Painted Inside
As you can see below, this wide cabinet on the left contains NO MASKING because it has glass doors and will be painted inside with a professional spray gun like the one shown below.
Mask, Tape, And Spray Paint The Structure of The Cabinets
Leave Dry Time Between Coats
Dry time between coats is less than brush painting because the layers of paint are thinner from a paint sprayer. Typically, sanded, filled, and primed wood kitchen cabinets require only two to three coats of sprayed paint at the maximum before an even finish is achieved.
Reassemble Cabinets and Hardware
After the paint dries thoroughly, professionals will reassemble all cabinetry and reinstall it back the way it was. In many cases, you will be free to use your new kitchen cabinets right away.
Contact Cabinet Painting Guru or call (215) 982-0131 for a free quote on refinishing your wood cabinets with paint or re-dooring for a fresher, brighter kitchen today.