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jenes_gw

Zinsser BIN and sanding/prep of kitchen cabinets

jenes
13 years ago

I've read as much as I can on this forum and others about painting kitchen cabinets. Many people have written on the importance of prep, including sanding, but others have praised Zinsser BIN primer for its ability to stick without first sanding/deglossing, just cleaning the cabinets thoroughly.

If I'm using BIN, is there any benefit to sanding first? I want to do it right, but if I can skip a sanding step, I will not miss it, since it's my least favorite part. I enjoy painting itself, but I hate the mess of sanding. Don't worry, I'm still going to sand between coats.

Comments (11)

  • paintguy22
    13 years ago

    Sure, sanding has a benefit. If you sand, you give the BIN a better chance of adhering because it is not trying to grab hold of a slick surface. Anything you can do to improve adhesion you should do. I believe that these companies say you can skip sanding because this enables them to sell more product or makes you think you should buy their primer because it will stick with no sanding while other companies primers you will need to sand. I never even consider skipping the sanding step...to me, it is the most important step.

  • franksmom_2010
    13 years ago

    I agree. You've just got to sand, no matter what. I think BIN is a great primer, but I find it VERY difficult to work with using a brush or roller. I find the spray is much easier to handle, but that would make using it indoors difficult. I would buy a quart of it and practice with a brush on some scrap wood first.

  • PRO
    Christopher Nelson Wallcovering and Painting
    13 years ago

    As already posted, sanding is important. I also believe that Bin would be over kill in this case. Any quality bonding type primer would work without the bad smell of Bin.

  • jenes
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks all, I will sand (darn!). Whichever primer I choose, I'm going to practice with the primer and paint on the inside of a couple of the cabinet doors (the ones over the fridge) to see how it comes out before going ahead.

  • fnmroberts
    13 years ago

    This past winter we painted a cabinet in our of the bathrooms. We did the full preparation and have no regrets. Sanding was not difficult - used a 60 or 80 grit making certain to get the inside corners really well. Then with a tack cloth removed all the dust. Additionally we cleaned the surfaces again using Dirtex just in case some hairspray was still clinging.

    We actually removed the doors and uninstalled the cabinet, enabling us to paint let dry and turn so we could work horizontal surfaces. For priming (we used BIN), the inside corners and edges were painted with a foam brush and then everything rolled with a foam roller. Surface was very smooth and we top coated with a self-leveling enamel. The finished project looks factory fresh.

    It really wasn't a bad project, they all take time to be done correctly. Good luck.

  • jenes
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    That's very similar to what I've got planned, but I'm only removing the doors and drawers, not the whole cabinets, and I thought I'd use brushes for the whole thing, not rollers, because the surface areas are so small. I've prepped and primed the inside of two cabinet doors, and today I'm going to paint one with Cabinet Coat and the other with Waterborne Satin Impervo to see which comes out better. I'm very excited.

    Now if I could just figure out the hinges I'd be set, but that's for another thread.

  • caminnc
    13 years ago

    "I'm going to paint one with Cabinet Coat and the other with Waterborne Satin Impervo to see which comes out better. I'm very excited."

    Let us know which one you like the best. Good luck!

  • jenes
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I will. I haven't had time to do the second coat, so no conclusions so far except that I need to work on my technique a little - I can see brushstrokes in both. I'm considering trying Floetrol, but maybe if I practice on some plywood I won't need to.

  • jennybc
    10 years ago

    Jenes! Please give an update to your cabinet painting adventures!

    We are getting ready to re-do a kitchen full and your comparison would be very helpful!!

    Jen

  • lam702
    10 years ago

    I'm thinking of painting my bathroom vanity. Right now its a dark oak with a polyurethane finish. I know about all the prep work, and have no problem doing it. I just want to know which paint will be best. I've read that some paints, even when dry and cured, leave a sticky feel on humid days. SInce its in the bathroom, humidity will be a factor. I don't want to use oil based paint due to odor and yellowing. What paint will be best for this?

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