Any tips for painting 'cheap' cabinets?

9 years ago

I won't know for another day or two...if we stay or go. But, either way, I think I'll be painting some manufactured home cabinets in my near future :)

My current kitchen and the one I like the most (if we have to move) are both 'cheap' cabinets...I think they're particle board. Anyway, they've held up pretty well, even with their fake wood finish. That being said, I think I'm ready to paint them. Our current ones are actually in better shape, but I've seen pictures of similar ones painted and they look very 'blocky' might be the right word.

Has anyone painted cabinets like these? Any tips? Should I do several coats with light sanding in between? I think some of problem with similar ones I've seen is that they look very flat and rather 'slapped on' if you know what I mean.

Thanks is advance...and hope you're having a good new year!

Oh, and P.S. My husband is doing very well! So, even if we have to move, I'm so happy to be with him, it's not really that big a deal. Moving the horses, however...should be interesting :)

Featured Answer

bbstx

9 years ago

Lass, I painted some cheap cabinets in my prior condo. First I bought a very good brush, a Purdy. Then I washed and rinsed the cabinets with a microfiber cloth (no lint). I removed the doors, drawers, and hardware from the cabinet and painted the doors with them laying flat. (I elevated them on soup cans.)

My first coat was Sherwin Williams Prep Rite ProBlock. Because I painted my cabinets black, I had the primer tinted black or as dark as they could tint it (can't remember if they got it all the way to black or not). I did not sand the cabinets, because the primer was a "bonding" primer. Igloochic, who used to hang out here a lot, said she had used it many times without sanding, so I did too. Granted, it was a guest bathroom and didn't get as much use as a kitchen would.

After priming, I applied at least 2 coats of off-the-shelf Sherwin Williams black paint in a satin finish.

After each coat, I waited at least 24 hours before the next coat. I think allowing generous drying time between coats is very important.

It is not hard to paint cabinets, but it is time consuming. You need to be meticulous about looking for and cleaning up drips.

I think if I were going to do it again, I'd add Flood Floetrol to the paint to help the brush marks lay down. The painters who painted Sister's kitchen cabinets used Floetrol and there was not a brush stroke to be seen!

Before
{{gwi:2136859}}

After

After up close

Glad your hubs is doing well.

Comments (12)

mama goose_gw zn6OH
9 years ago
I can't add anything to bbstx post (except that I wanted the brush strokes in my finish), but it's good to hear from you. So happy to hear that your husband is doing so well. :)
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jellytoast
9 years ago
bbstx, that looks awesome!
sjhockeyfan325
9 years ago
I don't know the first thing about painting cabinets, but just wanted to say how great it is that your DH is doing well! Good luck to both of you.
bbstx
9 years ago
Thanks, jt.
tlbean2004
9 years ago
i painted some mdf cabinets white this past spring. I used 2 coats of SW gloss paint. The paint was 70 bucks a gallon!

But the cabinets look beautiful!
My3dogs ME zone 5A
9 years ago
I'm having my maple cabinets painted this week. The pro painter likes Sherwin Williams paint, and had me pick up Multi-Purpose Water-Based Acrylic-Alkyd Primer tinted to the final color. Then he is using their Cashmere Interior Acrylic Latex as the final coat.

Below is a link to a 30% off coupon for SW paint (and 15% off supplies).

Here is a link that might be useful: 30% off coupon Sherwin Williams paint Jan 8 - 31
lavender_lass
Original Author
9 years ago
Bbstx- Thank you so much for the info...and the pictures! Those are great and exactly what I need :)

MamaGoose and Sjhockeyfan- Thank you both for the good wishes! My husband is doing very well, considering...and getting better every day. So good to see him able to do more for himself, even in little ways. He's still in pain quite a bit, but he just keeps going anyway. My hero!

Tlbean- The cabinets do look beautiful! That's more the color I was thinking...something light and cheerful. The shine bounces the light around the room, which is really nice.

My3dogs- Thank you so much for the coupon!

I want to thank everyone so much...having the forum and all the wonderful people here has made some very tough times a lot better! Hugs to everyone :)
funkycamper
9 years ago
I, too, am glad to hear your DH is doing well. Yay!!

I think cheap cabinets will look every bit as good as good cabinets once painted as long as you do good prep work, paint thin coats, and use a good quality paint and brush. Yes to Floetrol.

I'm guessing you just saw lousy paint jobs which would have looked bad no matter the quality of cabinet underneath.
texasgal47
9 years ago
Lavender, what a joy to hear that your DH is much improved. Hopefully his pain will decrease over time.
One note of warning about the Floetrol, make sure you're buying the right type for your paint. I had a terrible time painting baseboards after mixing Floetrol with oil based paint. Only recently after reading the can, discovered that mine was not manufactured for use with that type of paint.
weedyacres
9 years ago
There's a primer made for laminated particleboard. Can't remember the name, but bought at Lowe's a few years back.

I like SW ProClassic for nice-looking cabinet paint. Pricey, yes, but delicious. Buy it only on sale.

I found squidoo's guide valuable, though it doesn't specifically address laminate cabinets.

Here is a link that might be useful: how to paint cabinets
lavender_lass
Original Author
9 years ago
Funkycamper- Thank you and I think you're right...probably not a very good paint job to begin with and the cabinets didn't help!

Texasgal- Good advice about the Floetrol. I'll be sure to check and thank you. I hope he feels better very soon :)

Weedyacres- Thanks for the link! Great article.