6 Rules for Painting Replacement Kitchen Cabinet Doors

If you’re getting ready to learn how to paint cabinets properly, there are a few tips and tricks that can help the process go as smoothly as possible (literally!). Before you start painting kitchen cabinets, take a look at our six tried and true rules of thumb that relate to painting cabinet doors. With a little planning and careful preparation, you can get the results you want the first time.

How to Paint Cabinets Properly: 6 Tips for Getting It Right

1. Prep-prep-prep: The most important part! It’s all in the prep, and patience through each step is the key! Make sure you prep your cabinet doors and bases properly. The best way to paint kitchen cabinets is to ensure that they are sanded, prepped, and ready to accept the paint as evenly as possible.

2. The 5-F’s rule: The five Fs are “Fine Finishers Finish Firewood First”. It simply means that experimenting with your finish on scrap wood can prevent ruining a door with a failed finishing attempt. If you don’t have an old door, or a scrap of wood available, you can test on the back of a drawer front. That way, if you don’t like the look, it’s easier to hide any mistakes.

3. Always break sharp edges with fine sandpaper before painting: Sharp edges will not hold paint properly. This not only leaves you with unpainted edges, but those unpainted edges are also vulnerable to absorbing moisture, which could cause your cabinet doors to swell or warp. Sanding those sharp edges before painting them allows them to hold on to the paint, helping protect the integrity, and the look, of your doors.

4. Environmental variations can make wood expand and contract: It’s important to keep in mind that all wood types will expand and contract with changes in humidity and big swings in temperature. While the paint will slow these wood movements, no paint is totally moisture-proof or temperature-proof. As such, the paint will not stop the movements entirely. Additionally, dried paint is not as elastic, and it can’t stand up to larger variations in the movement of the wood. Eventually, it will crack, usually along the glue joints where the stiles and rails join. This is considered normal wear and tear for painted cabinets. If your ordering doors with an MDF panel then the expansion and contraction is reduced since MDF does not expand or contract.

5. The weakest link in a painted cabinet door is the paint: Kitchen cabinet doors have to hold up to a lot of use and, sometimes, abuse. If it’s hit with a pot or frying pan, for example, it will dent. The softer the wood, the more easily the door will dent. The dent in the wood may be slight and hardly noticeable, but dried paint doesn’t dent without cracking, even if you can’t visually perceive those cracks. These small cracks allow moisture to get through to the wood, which can eventually cause swelling and warping of that area of your cabinet door. Doors directly under a sink are more prone to this issue, so just take extra precautions to help insure a lasting finish.

6. A professional-looking painted finish comes from professional style application: For many people, the desired look from painting kitchen cabinets is a satin finish, but with a hard and durable finish, similar to a car paint. A finish of this quality requires a highly experienced finishing professional, and a dust-free spray booth. So, can you paint cabinets with this finish on your own? You probably won’t be able to get this kind of smooth finish with a paintbrush in your driveway. However, you can get a professional looking finish with a compressed-air, or airless, spray painting system.

How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets Step-by-Step

Now that you have our six tips for painting kitchen cabinets, let’s go through the step-by-step process our experts have researched for how to paint kitchen cabinets through the years.

• Remove the existing cabinet doors and hardware

In preparation for your replacement cabinet doors you will First need to remove the cabinet doors from the cabinets. Then, you’ll need to remove all the hardware, including hinges and handles or pulls. If you will be reusing your knobs and pulls then be sure to pre-drill the holes before you start prepping the doors for paint.

• Sand

When you order doors from Cabinetdoors.com they will come pre sanded, and ready for paint. All you need to do is dust it off! However when it comes to the cabinet bases you will need to sand and prep accordingly. Be sure to sand with the wood grain on the frames, and sides. With a 220 grit sanding sponge, or fine electric sander. Once you’re finished sanding, remove any residual grit with a clean cloth (tack cloth is best) or a vacuum.

• Seal and prime

Sealing and priming the wood is probably the most important step in the entire process of painting kitchen cabinets. The priming coat, also called a sealing coat, seals the wood so that the final paint will adhere evenly to the cabinet door. For the doors any gripping primer will do, however for the bases you may want to use an oil based stain blocking primer to prevent any bleed throughs from the previous stain since it can be soaked into the wood. Kilz Stain Blocking primer is one that many professionals use, and it sands very smooth to help you have a smooth finish. This is typically sold in an aerosol can. Primer can also be applied by brush or roller. I like to use a roller for the bigger areas followed by a good quality brush for smoothing and painting the finer details on the cabinet doors. When it comes to Oak bases, you may want to apply 2 coats of primer to help fill in the grain.

• Apply wood Filler

Now it’s time for the filler—an important step in obtaining that perfect painted finish. Once the first coat of primer is dry you’ll see small uneven areas, scratches, or dents in the wood. All hardwoods have voids, which can’t be seen until the doors are primed. Use a filler to fill all of these spots.

The two types of filler we’ve used with success are Bondo 907 Glazing and Spot Putty and Elmer’s Wood Filler Max White. The Bondo putty’s orange color can make it easier to see where you have filled, while the Elmer’s is white. After filling, let the filler dry and then sand the filled areas (use the 3M sponge to keep your fingers from sanding dips in the filled areas). Then, wipe the dust off, and apply one last primer coat to mask the color of the filler.

When the final primer coat has dried, give the doors another light sanding and wipe them clean of any dust. If the final inspection doesn’t show any unfilled scratches or small voids, you are ready to paint.

• Paint

What paint to use on kitchen cabinets comes down to a few things. Consider the amount of time you have to wait for the paint to dry, the kind of cleanup you can handle, and the type of finish you want. Oil-based paints provide a harder, more durable finish, but they can have hefty fumes and are much more difficult to clean up and have longer dry, and curing times. Water-based paints are low-fume and clean up easily with water, they may dry and cure a little faster, but may not be as durable.

There’s no need to sand between paint coats, but make sure there is no dried paint on the brush from previous coats that could work its way into your finish on following coats. Although the finish may look good after one coat of paint, two coats are normally applied to assure durability of the finish. Follow the drying time recommendations on your paint to ensure your cabinet doors have dried completely before installing or adding hardware.

Painting Kitchen Cabinets Starts with Great Cabinet Doors

If you’re wondering how to paint kitchen cabinets, the tips above should help you feel better prepared and a lot more confident. Keep in mind that the best way to paint kitchen cabinets and ensure that you get a beautifully painted finish is to ensure that you start with high quality cabinet doors.

Cabinetdoors.com carries a wide variety of new cabinet doors in various styles, designs, finishes, and wood types. You can order your cabinet doors to your exact specifications, so you get a custom-sized product in the finish, wood, and style you want. This means you can match existing cabinet door styles throughout your house, or you can update the style for a brand new look. No matter what design aesthetic you’re after, we have a style that’s perfect for your space.

Once you’ve chosen and ordered the ideal cabinet doors for your home, they’ll be made to your specifications and sent from our factory right to your door. Once they arrive, they’re ready for you to paint, if desired, and install. Now that you’ve learned how to paint cabinets correctly, you’re well on your way to creating the kitchen you’ve always dreamed of.

Choose Your Cabinet Doors at Cabinetdoors.com

Get started by exploring our most popular cabinet doors for inspiration, or check out our blog for helpful information, tips, and insight on the latest trends. If you’re not sure whether you want to stain or paint your cabinet doors, read more about how to stain your cabinet doors. And if it’s all sounding like a little more work than you can handle right now, learn more about how to opt for our durable Sherwin-Williams conversion varnish instead. If you choose conversion varnish when you order your cabinet doors, it will be professionally applied in our factory, so your cabinet doors arrive painted and ready to hang.

We’re confident that you’re ready for painting kitchen cabinets on your own, and install them, with a little guidance. If you feel stuck anywhere along the way, feel free to contact us online or by phone at 800-342-1010 for support or more information. Whether you’re completely remodeling your kitchen, refacing your cabinets, or giving your space a much needed update, we have what you need to create cabinets you’ll love. When it comes to high quality cabinet doors, Cabinetdoors.com always delivers.