Even freshly finished cabinet doors won't look good if the cabinets are too worn or damaged. If it's just the finish or the hardware that's worn, but the wood itself is still solid, you should get good results from painting kitchen cabinets.
Wood, wood-laminate and metal cabinets usually can be repainted without difficulty. Plastic laminate cabinets might not accept a topcoat of paint — those that can be refinished often require special paints and techniques, and results can vary.
Latex paints are the preferred type of paint for kitchen cabinets and come in several finishes. The options are matte, semi-gloss, gloss, and satin. Avoid matte paints, as they are challenging to clean.
Before you paint varnished cupboards, you must remove the high-gloss finish. You may do this either of 2 ways: Take an orbital sander to cabinet surfaces you plan on painting, and sand them down until they are no longer shiny. Wipe the dust off with tack cloth.
Keep reading to find out the best way to get rid of that varnished wood and have your home looking fresh. Many people believe you can't paint over varnished wood. This however is false. In order to paint over it you will need to use either oil or water-based paints.
You can paint over varnished wood as long as you use the right materials and painting process. The best paint to use is a water-based acrylic one. If you're using an oil-based paint only use an oil-based primer, not an acrylic one.
Sanding The Wood Surface
Sanding is one of those things people either love or hate, but whatever the case, many experts will agree it's an extremely important step if you're painting over polyurethane and you want your paint to stick properly. For smooth surfaces, you'll want to go coarse with 60- or 80-grit sandpaper.
Color can totally reimagine your thrifted armoire, the cabinets in your fix-me-up kitchen and even your weather-worn porch furniture. Despite what you may have heard — or maybe your own last attempt — you absolutely can paint over stain beautifully and durably.
If you plan on removing the varnish and then painting the wood, sanding can be an effective way to get rid of the varnish while prepping the wood at the same time. It's also a natural and chemical-free way to remove varnish. It can however be labour-intensive: Start with 150-grit sandpaper and sand the entire surface.
Hybrid enamel paint is often considered the best for kitchen cabinets because of its low-maintenance properties. Hybrid formulations do not emit as many fumes or VOCs and are easier to clean up with soap and water. They are strongly adhesive. Alkyd paints require less prep work and without sanding.
The risk you run with not sanding is that your new paint job will chip almost immediately after it's dried. For most experts, like Dan McRorie of Fitzwater Interiors, creating a smooth, even surface is the single most important part of the project—even if you're going from a stain to a color.
Painting your gloss kitchen cabinets with a new matt or satin finish is a great way to update the heart of your home. Whether you have a gloss laminate finish or timber glossed doors and cabinets, both can be transformed to look like new.
As long as the surface is stable and in good condition, the cabinets do not need to be sanded. Proper cleaning, deglossing, and using good-quality cabinet paint are key to painting cabinets without sanding.
If you take good care of your newly painted kitchen cabinets and have them professionally painted, you can expect them to last between 8 and 10 years. Although new cabinets will last much longer, they will also cost you several thousand dollars more, which may not be necessary for certain circumstances.
Paint your cabinets.
If you are using General Finishes Milk Paint, you do not need to sand or prime! You are ready to start painting! We used the built-in benches on our deck to lay out our doors, which worked well. If you don't have a large space to work with, just work in batches.
Chalk paint is the best way to paint practically anything without sanding. It offers a gorgeous matte finish and no need to prepare the surface.
Yes, you can paint over polyurethane or varnish, so long as you properly prepare the surface. Paint won't stick to polyurethane directly, so if you skip this step, the paint can peel off.
All in all, as long as you are only touching up small areas with acrylic paint, then it is perfectly fine to paint over a varnish acrylic painting. I've done it a few times myself with no problems!
Any type of paint is suitable for use on a polyurethane treated surface as long as the surface is pretreated, beforehand. No type of paint will stick to ill-prepared polyurethane surfaces. Improper preparation will ultimately lead to paint failure in the way of chipping and peeling.
You can, but you'll need to use a good primer first. Polyurethane creates a slick, plastic-like finish that most paints won't adhere to. A bonding primer will stick to the polyurethane and create a surface that's just textured enough to paint over easily. Think of primer as a glue.
Lacquered cabinets' glossy finish requires special preparation in order to help the slick surface accept fresh paint. Proper sanding and priming helps new paint to adhere well and last for years to come.