Questions on painting cabinets? We got answers. Here is a collection of The Everyday Handyman's Questions and Answers about paiting cabinets. This page is made up mostly of questions asked by our readers and many featured in our newsletter, The Toolbox. The pages may contain more then one Question and answer related to specific topics.

Questions and Answers on Painting Cabinets

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Q- I want to refresh my kitchen and I was thinking of painting my cabinets. What should I do to make sure it's done right?
Pam C. from Hartford, CT

A- Good question, here are the steps I recommend when painting your cabinets.

1- Prepare Cabinets by removing hardware, drawers and adjustable shelving. Scrub the cabinets with a detergent, some areas might need more work then others. Scrape off faulty paint and prime any bare spots. You should then lightly sand everything.
2- Paint Cabinet Interiors in the following order. First do the back, then the underneath the top and the underneath of each shelf. Third, do the sides and last but not least the tops of all the shelves. If you saw off the handle of a trim brush, it can make it easier to reach hard to get places.
3- Paint Cabinet Exteriors by starting at the top and working down. It is best to horizontal strokes on the rails and vertical strokes on the sides and stiles.
4- Paint Door Insides first and then the outsides. Make sure to steady the doors as you paint and leave them open until the paint has had plenty of time to dry.
5- Stand Drawers on End and paint the inside, then the fronts. I do not recommend you paint the sides or bottom. When painting the inside, do the sides first, then the bottom. You should keep your strokes in the same direction.
6- To Paint Shelves, take some small finish nails and put them in all 4 corners of the bottom side. This will give you feet to keep it off the ground while you paint. Do the edges first so if it drips over, you can clean it up on the back strokes.

Good Luck with your project. Hope this helps.
The Everyday Handyman

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