Kitchen design renovations are an expensive task, for sure. However, there’s another way around for touching up your kitchen interior i.e. painting the cabinets. You’re falling short on your budget and decide to tackle this project on your own but there’s not enough time or simply you don’t want to get into all that fuss about sanding and repeating the process.
Is there any way to paint your kitchen cabinets without sanding them? Certainly yes, you can paint your laminate kitchen cabinets without sanding them. And how exactly you can do that is explained in simple and easy-to-understand steps in this post by Custom Furniture Dubai. So, continue reading and get to know the all-important information in this regard.
The No-Sanding Method To DIY Paint Laminate Kitchen Cabinets
Laminate cabinets are made of MDF or particleboard as the base material that is compressed with strong pressure into sheet form. Plus, there’s an additional layer of plastic, paper, or foil that has been impregnated with resin and bonded to the base layer under heat and pressure.
Tools/Materials Needed
Here is a list of important tools and materials required to perform this DIY paint job.
- Foam Roller
- Paint Brushes
- Wall Primer
- Spray Paint Gun
- Paint Material
- Degreaser
- Top-Coat Material
- Plastic Sheeting
- Painter’s Tape
- Sponge
- Latex Gloves
- Full-Body Apron
- Tack Cloth
- Cardboard Pieces
- Filling Compound
Not to mention that you should be buying top-quality paint material, top-coat finish, wall primer, and degreaser because only then you’ll be able to achieve promising end results.
1. Remove The Cabinet Doors & Hardware
First and foremost, you need to remove the kitchen cabinet hardware, doors, and accessories. It’s really important because all these essentials become obstacles when painting and you can’t paint seamlessly. Additionally, you need not worry about paint drips when the doors are removed.
There’s no need to get out the essentials placed inside the kitchen cabinet because you’re not going to paint the inside. You must be wondering why the hinges should be removed. This way you can avoid the hinges getting painted alongwith the cabinet surfaces. Also, it allows you to enjoy nice, smooth paint finishes at the end of the day.
2. Deep Cleanse The Kitchen Cabinets
There must be accumulated dust, dirt, and grime underneath the door adjustments as well as installed hinges. Besides, your existing kitchen cabinets have already endured the effects of smoke, dirt, splatters, spills, and many more.
Now that you’re not sanding the cabinets, it becomes really important to cleanse them using a degreaser. You can buy a good quality cleanser to help you get over this task efficiently and without needing to put in much effort.
3. Protect The Surroundings And Yourself
When painting kitchen cabinets, there’s a high chance that you can get paint splashes all over the sink, countertops, accessories, etc. Especially, if you’re using a regular paintbrush for the job.
Therefore, it’s advised that you protect the surroundings with plastic sheeting, tack cloth coverings, and painter’s tape. In addition, you should paint the doors, door handles, and hinges (if required) in the open area outdoors.
Needless to inform you about personal safety measures including wearing a mask, latex gloves, a full-body apron, and covered shoes.
4. Look For Any Surface Damage
Before you move on any further, it’s recommended that you should look for crevices, holes, and cracks in the cabinet surfaces. You’re most likely to encounter such damage-related scenarios if the kitchen cabinets are quite old and require a touch-up.
If you’ve found such situations, apply a filling compound to get the crack filled and wait for the filler to completely dry before painting.
5. Apply The First Coat Of Primer
The top layer in laminate cabinets is really smooth and slick and therefore, it becomes really difficult to get the much-needed traction of the surface. For this purpose, the primer application becomes a must.
You can buy the same primer applied on the walls but always make a good quality purchase for better, long-lasting results.
6. Apply A Second Coat Of Primer
Wait until the first coat of primer completely dries so as to apply another coat of primer. The second coat will ensure nice, smooth, and neat cabinet surfaces. For this purpose, a foam roller is the best option and you can make use of a small-sized brush to work on some design details. Again, you have to wait until this second applied coat gets dried completely.
7. Paint The Kitchen Cabinets
Finally, you’ve made it far enough to start painting laminate kitchen cabinets. It’s advised that you paint using a spray paint gun and avoid using paintbrushes. That’s because paintbrushes leave behind clearly visible marks and therefore, all your effort to achieve smooth, seamless, and glossy paint finishes may go down the drain.
For this purpose, you may rent out the spray paint gun or purchase it from your local hardware and paint store to tackle future DIY paint projects. If you’re unable to arrange for the paint spray gun, it’s best that you get the foam roller to work. It’s recommended that you apply a double coat with enough time in between to let the first paint coat dry completely.
Don’t forget to hold on to your painting hand movement and never move the brush in an undefined manner over the cabinet surface.
8. Finalize With A Top-Coat Application
The last step is to apply a layer of top-coat finish that protects the painted surface against grime, debris, dirt, and dust damage. Although it’s not necessary but provides a lot of amazing benefits. For instance, a high-quality top-coat layer improves the durability of the paint job significantly.
Additionally, you will get a smooth, glossy, or matte finish to your kitchen cabinets and therefore, aesthetic elevations. Similarly, the shiny top-coat layer accounts for easy cleaning and maintenance of the kitchen cabinets.
Some Important Considerations!
There are some key elements that can make this DIY task super efficient for you.
- From cleaning the surface to repairing damage and priming, adequate preparation is really crucial for success in your DIY paint job.
- You’re putting a lot of your precious time and valuable effort into painting the laminate cabinets, so why go cheap on material purchases?
- Make sure you’ve got the right tools and materials needed for the paint job and that there’re no adjustments at the moment.
- Limit the budget, put attention to each detail, and work with diligence to enjoy promising end results.
The Outcome
You can DIY paint your laminate kitchen cabinets just like a professional at home without even sanding the cabinets following the steps explained. All you have to do is to arrange for the required tools and materials alongside sparing some of your precious time and you’ll be enjoying pleasing looks of your kitchen storage completely on a budget.