A Guide on Sanding Cabinets: Tips & Techniques

Sanding kitchen cabinets is a vital step in the preparation process. However, it can be somewhat tedious. If you decide not to sand your cabinets before applying paint or primer, the paint may chip or peel over time. Since your cabinet doors are likely the focal point of your kitchen, you'll want to ensure you take the time to properly prep and sand them before you begin the installation process.

In this article, we'll teach you everything you need to know about sanding kitchen cabinet doors. Let's dive in.

Understanding the Different Types of Cabinet Doors

The first step to sanding kitchen cabinet doors is knowing what type of wood you're working with. Each wood type will require a slightly different approach. Here are some common cabinet doors you may be working with:

• Flat Panel: Flat panels don't have ridges or ornate details and are relatively easy to sand. The hardest part of sanding this type of wood is ensuring you get an even sand across the door.
• Raised Panel: Raised panels have different grooves and ridges that can make sanding a bit more challenging. You must sand these decorative points by hand, which can be tedious and time-consuming.
• Medium Density Fiberboard: MDF wood doesn't have a natural grain pattern. You typically only need medium-grit sandpaper and 220-grit paper to finish the job.
• Pre-Sanded: If you're ordering custom cabinet doors from a reputable supplier, you may receive your cabinet doors pre-sanded. Ordering pre-sanded can help streamline the preparation stages and provide many time-saving advantages.
• Stain Grade Wood Doors: If you order unfinished, raw wood doors, they come pre-sanded with 180 grit and arrive stain-ready.

It's important to note that every wood species is different. Woods like pine or cedar will require a different approach than maple or cherry. Take some time to research the different sanding requirements for the wood species before you start the process.

How to Sand Kitchen Cabinet Doors Like a Pro

When sanding kitchen cabinet doors, the goal is to achieve a smooth, flawless finish. If you accidentally use the wrong grit sandpaper or forget to clean the cabinets before sanding, it can impact the overall results. That's why it's important to take your time with the sanding process and carefully follow each step in the process.

Ready to start sanding kitchen cabinet doors like the experts? Here's what you'll need to do to get started:

Invest in Sanding Tools and Equipment

It would help if you had the following tools on hand to start sanding the kitchen cabinet door:

• Sand Paper (Coarse, Medium, and Fine Grit)
• Safety Gear
• Wood Filler
• Orbital Sander
• Sanding Sponge
• Paint Stripper

Clean The Cabinets

Before sanding, you'll want to eliminate dirt or grime on the cabinet doors. We recommend using a gentle cleanser and warm water. If you're refacing cabinet doors you currently have, you may need to use a degreaser.

Once the cabinet doors are cleaned and your work area is prepped and ready to go, you can start the sanding kitchen cabinet doors process.

Start With a Coarse Grit

If you're refacing cabinet doors, you'll want to start the sanding process with 80-grit sandpaper. 80-grit is a coarse sandpaper that can remove old paint and primer from the cabinet doors. The coarse grit sandpaper will leave a scratchy surface that can be smoothed out later. If you're dealing with natural wood, you'll want to sand in the direction of the grain to avoid scratching the grain pattern.

If you're sanding new cabinet doors that aren't painted or stained, you can skip this step and start with a medium grit instead.

Go in With Medium Grit

Next, you'll want to smooth out the surface with 120-grit sandpaper. This will help eliminate any roughness leftover from the 80-grit.

You'll also want to ensure you smooth out the corners, edges, and decorative frames. This part of the process needs to be completed by hand.

Finish with a Fine Grit

You'll want to finish with fine-grit sandpaper. 180-220-grit sandpaper is less abrasive and can help you achieve a smooth, polished finish. During this part of the sanding kitchen cabinet process, you'll want to smooth out any unevenness or unwanted texture. This part is important because it can impact the appearance of the paint or stain you apply.

Apply Primer and Paint

Once you've sanded the cabinet doors, you can apply a primer. The primer will fill in imperfections and help you achieve a smooth, even finish.

Benefits of Pre-Sanded Cabinet Doors

If you've never sanded or prepped cabinet doors for painting, pre-sanded doors are ideal for your next home renovation project. There are many advantages, including:

• Time-Saving Benefits: With pre-sanded doors, you can start painting and priming your cabinets once they arrive. You can skip all the steps above and go right into painting, helping you save around 25-40 minutes on each door.
• Consistency and Quality Assurance: You don't have to worry about unevenness or accidentally sanding against the grain. Professionals will complete everything for you.

At CabinetDoors.com, all our unfinished and finished custom cabinet door styles come pre-sanded and ready to be primed and painted. We also have finished options painted with a high-quality Sherwin-Williams paint color of your choice.

Shop Custom Made Cabinet Doors Today

Sanding kitchen cabinet doors is tedious but essential to the preparation process. If you don't want to sand your cabinet doors, consider exploring pre-sanded, custom-made options from CabinetDoors.com. Our cabinet doors come fully prepped and sanded. Once they arrive, all you have to do is paint or stain them.

At CabinetDoors.com, all our cabinet doors are custom-made to expertly fit the cabinets you already have. Once you find a style you like, send us your exact measurements, and we'll take care of the rest.

Shop Painted Cabinet Doors

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to sand the cabinets before painting?

Yes, cabinets must be sanded before you can paint and prime them.

What type of grit sandpaper for cabinets?

For this project, you'll need finer, medium, and coarse-grit sandpaper. The sandpaper you use may vary depending on the wood species.