How To Paint Kitchen Cabinets Without Sanding or Priming?

The Step-By-Step Guide To DIY Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets Without Sanding/Priming

For this project, one thing you need to keep in mind is that you only have to paint the outside of the cabinets and not the inside. We guarantee that the end results will get you enchanting kitchen storage (cabinets) and there would be no peeling, scraping, or chipping from the painted surfaces any time sooner.

All the steps explained should be followed carefully and in the exact manner described so as to avoid damage and complications.

Material/Supplies Required

The following list of materials is to be arranged to complete this DIY task efficiently.

• Trisodium Phosphate Cleaner
• Liquid Deglosser Or Sandpaper
• Cabinet Paint
• Plastic Sheeting
• Painter’s Tape
• Tack Cloth
• Paint Foam Roller
• Paint Brush
• Sponge
• Spray Paint (Optional)
• Wood Filler
• Masking Film
• Small Bucket
• Latex Gloves
• Screwdriver
• Top-Coat Finish

1. Buy The Cabinet Paint

To buy the paint is obvious but you need to calculate the total amount of paint needed for the job and the choice of paint color majorly has to be a precise and well-thought decision. Because you don’t get to paint your kitchen cabinets every day.

2. Remove The Cabinet Hardware & Doors

The next step is to get rid of all the cabinet doors and hardware accessories i.e. hinges, door handles, etc. However, you don’t need to get things out of the cabinets because you’re not going to paint the inside.

On the other hand, the doors must be removed so as to ensure smooth paint finishes. Besides, you don’t have to worry about drips as the doors can be laid on a flat surface for painting.

For hinges, it depends on whether or not you want to paint your hinges because there may be a chance that they won’t look good with your selected cabinet paint color. And the same goes for cabinet pulls or handles.

3. Clean The Kitchen Cabinets

Now with the doors and hinges removed already, you can proceed to clean your kitchen cabinets using TSP (Tri-Sodium Phosphate) cleaner. Basically, it’s a degreaser and is very useful against ingrained grease and surface oils. This allows the paint material to grip strongly to the cabinet surface and remain intact for longer periods.

4. Fill The Holes, Crevices, & Cracks

If you’re painting your old kitchen cabinets, there is a high chance that you’ll encounter small holes, crevices, and cracks in the cabinet surface. If that’s so, you need to fill these imperfections in the cabinet design with wood filler and allow the compound to dry completely.

5. Deglaze The Old Painted Surfaces

Now that the cabinet surfaces are clean and smooth, you need to apply a liquid deglosser to tone down the shiny paint surfaces. The liquid sander or deglosser is a solution-based product that is applied or you simply wipe the cabinet surfaces with it.

Here, you should not scrub off the old paint finish and there’s no need to get down to wood texture but only to wipe down the cabinet surfaces and all. It’s not a to-worry-about situation if you don’t find any difference in the cabinet after deglazing the surface.

6. Protect The Area Around The Working Space

It’s no need to say that DIY paint jobs always get you some problems either with drips or splashes or some other sort of visible damage scenarios. Therefore, it’s best that you follow all the precautionary measures and protect the area around the cabinet surface.

For this purpose, the masking film, painter’s tape, and tack cloth all will come in handy to protect the countertops, sinks, appliances, and walls.

7. Paint The Kitchen Cabinets

Finally, you’ve made it to the all-awaited step i.e. painting the kitchen cabinets. For this purpose, you can work with a foam roller to paint flat surfaces and a paintbrush will surely assist you to get all the detailing work done.

You should be careful not to hush things and it’s best that you move the roller or paintbrush with one decisive movement i.e. either vertically or horizontally. That’s because otherwise movements (zig-zag) will hinder the wooden cabinet texture with uneven coats of paint applied to the surface.

Also, it’s best that you apply two coats of paint but not of course consecutively and there should be a time gap until the first paint coat dries completely. This allows for smooth and appealing painted cabinet appearances.

8. Apply A Protective Top-Coat Layer

The top-coat layer is a protective measure against paint peeling, scraping, and chipping over time and ensures glossy finishes (depending on the type of paint coat chosen). Adding further, you will have 3 different options i.e. gloss, semi-gloss, and flat top-coat layer.

If you want to mask the wood grain texture of your kitchen cabinets, the ideal choice is a flat protective top coat. While both the other options are designed for highlighting the grain texture and gleaming wooden cabinet appearances. Don’t forget that the top coat is a thin layer and only imparts a finishing touch to your paint job.

9. Paint The Hinges & Doors (Optional)

If you also want to paint your cabinet hinges, doors, and door handles, the best approach is to take them outside in the sun and lay flat on the ground. For added efficacy, you can spray paint all these cabinet accessories and essentials.

Not only will it save you time and effort but also ensure a smooth appearance because the paint brush can’t give a clean finish around curved surfaces.

The Crux

To DIY paint your kitchen cabinets is the best approach for vibrant kitchen transformations for delightful appearances. In this post, we’ve explained a step-wise method to DIY paint your kitchen cabinets without sanding or priming and in a simple, understandable, and straightforward manner. Follow all these steps carefully and you can easily get this home task completed efficiently, saving yourself the expenses of a professional paint job.