You can use Chalk Paint® to repaint the doors on your kitchen cabinets and drawers quickly, easily – and with minimal spend.
Why I Repainted our Chalk Painted Cabinets
The chalk paint itself has held up really well. There was little to no chipping. Chalk paint is amazing for DIY projects because it requires no prep work and eliminates the need for priming.
Chalk paint can be done over already sealed wood, which takes care of this problem. Latex paint is not great at hiding wood grain. You will need to do extensive priming and wet sanding first to accomplish this.
While there are many types of paint to choose from, the best paint for kitchen cabinets is typically semi-gloss, gloss or satin. Matte is not practical in kitchens and baths where you will need durable paint you can easily clean.
Chalk painted cabinets
The great thing about chalk paint is that you can easily distress your cabinets. So, if you looking to add a aged and chippy patina to your kitchen cabinets, then chalk paint is the answer. If you're going to apply chalk paint you'll need to make sure you clean your surface well.
When chalk paint isn't properly protected and sealed it can chip and scratch pretty easily.
DecoArt Satin Enamel Cabinet Paint
In the past, if you wanted to paint cabinets or furniture, you had to strip, sand and generally kill yourself getting a good surface ready to paint on. Now, with DecoArt's Satin Enamel paints, you don't need to do any of that.
If your cabinets are stained, apply at least two coats of quality primer. For me, there's nothing better than BIN, Zinsser's shellac-based pigmented primer. It dries fast and flat, without brush marks (unlike most oil-based primers). You can buy it at home and hardware stores, as well as online (view on Amazon).
You can paint one THIN coat of chalkboard paint on your countertops. bristled paint brush, you will not be able to completely cover your old counters with one coat. The first coat should be fully dry before applying the next coat.
Detailed Patterns, Warped or Damaged Cabinets
If your cabinets have detailed patterns or they are warped, chipped, cracked or have other damage to them, then painting your kitchen cabinets is not the way to go – it most definitely won't solve your cabinet problem.
Chalk paint is a great choice for painting laminate cabinets because it “hides” brush strokes. If you're using chalk paint for a project, you pretty much can't mess it up.
Besides its matte finish, chalk paint differs from traditional paint in several other ways. One of the benefits is that it doesn't require any prep work—it can paint right over most clean, dry surfaces (except for metal or shiny laminate), even if they're already painted.
Do You Have to Seal Chalk Paint? Yes. It is very important to seal chalk paint with a wax or poly topcoat.
To clean chalk painted surfaces, use a soft cloth slightly damp with water or Clean-A-Finish. Once the surface is clean, go over it with a dry, soft cloth and wipe up any wet spots. If the surface looks dull after cleaning, use Chalk-Tique Paste Wax to get back some luster.
Foam rollers, which have a firm sponge-like texture, are ideal for painting cabinets because they provide the smoothest finish. They work best with latex or water-based paint because that type of paint is thinner and more easily absorbed by the sponge-like quality of the foam roller.
While priming never hurts, whether it's necessary or not is determined by the type of paint (oil or latex) currently on your cabinets and the type you plan to use for repainting. If you're changing the type of paint or painting over natural wood cabinets, then it's important to prime the cabinets first.
The two primary differences between oil-based paint and latex-based paint on kitchen cabinets are final texture and dry time. Oil-based is more traditional and popular with purists who like the “painterly” look of brush marks, while latex gives a more consistent finish.
If you don't clean before sanding, contaminates (like cooking grease) will be pressed down into the wood. Contaminates will keep the soon be applied paint for sticking. You can remove the doors here in the process or wait until after you wash them down. It is totally up to you and situational dependent.
Wood cabinets are ideal for painting, but any surface that can be scuffed with sandpaper can be painted. Laminate cabinets require a special bonding primer. The laminate must be in good condition for best results. Choose a high-quality paint.
In most cases, chalk paint adheres to furniture without primer or sanding, and it does not require primer. Cleaning quickly is usually all you need. In most cases, chalk paint adheres to furniture without primer or sanding, and it does not require primer. Cleaning quickly is usually all you need.
It's also good for thinning out other paint, or for achieving a rustic, 'chippy' style with a very light sheen. And don't forget: you can mix milk paint pigments to create any shade you want. Chalk paint, on the other hand, is better for creating a thicker, more even finish with a completely matte appearance.
Create a Smooth Finish With Chalk Paint™ People often ask us if you can “roll” Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan onto your piece. The answer is yes, you absolutely can! In this quick post, I'll show you how to use a velour roller and Annie Sloan's flat brush to create a smooth, long-lasting finish.