A-The cabinets are probably particleboard with a fake wood surface that consists of a vinyl covering or ''photo finish'' of the type used on some wall paneling and inexpensive furniture. It is possible to paint over fake wood surfaces of this type, but the work must be carefully done to get good adhesion of the paint.
The least expensive option is painting laminate cabinets. Laminate is not an ideal surface to paint, but it can be done.
Yes You Can Paint Laminate! What is laminate, you ask? It can basically be any type of furniture, cabinets, or wood-like product that is made by attaching a thin layer of printed plastic (sometimes called Melamine or Thermofoil) to a substrate of plywood or particle board.
Laminate CAN be painted but it can NOT be stained. Common concerns when painting laminate furniture is: 1. Bubbling while the paint/primer is still wet.
Latex paint is recommended for laminate surface painting projects because of its durability and smooth finish.
Can you paint veneer cabinets? You sure can! The key, like for any painted project, is in the prep and choice of primer and paint. Proper cleaning to remove all the grime and dust, sanding the right amount, and using the right adhesion-promoting primer can make a huge difference in the durability of the finish.
Veneer can be a very smooth surface, so chalk paint alone will probably scratch off. Make sure the veneer doesn't have cracks. If needed, remove any sections of peeling veneer. Clean the piece well, prime, and then apply a few coats of chalk paint to the veneer furniture.
A sure way to recognize wood laminate is when the grain does NOT follow through your piece. Wood Veneer is a sheet or thin layer of 'quality-natural-hardwood' that is adhered to a lesser quality wood surface. Wood Veneers give the impression of a more desired quality wood without being as costly.
By using the same method as above, you can paint laminate furniture without sanding. Simply make sure the laminate itself is in good condition and isn't cracking or chipped. The priming step is the most important for painting laminate furniture since you don't want to sand an already delicate surface.
When painting particle board or MDF, we recommend an oil-based cabinet paint with a semi-gloss or gloss sheen. Avoid water-based paints since water tends to make particle board swell.
Use an oil-based primer as a first coat on your cabinets. This is a good choice because it won't peel off the board in a sheet when pulled, which latex primer can do over time. Since particleboard is rough and any existing veneers may be very smooth, you'll want a primer that really adheres to the cabinets.
Priming Your Laminate Cabinets
Apply one or two coats of primer to your cabinets and follow the drying time for each coat. It is tempting to recoat soon after but always allow for the paint to fully dry. Once the primer is dry you can apply your topcoat. You can use either an eggshell paint or satinwood paint.
Veneer is a decorative wood layer that's overlaid on a different surface. Veneer can be primed, painted, stained, and treated just like any other wood surface. Painting veneer surfaces is a great way to spruce up furniture, make older pieces look newer, or make an original piece match a new décor scheme.
However, like latex paint, 1-2-3 Primer is water-based, so it won't adhere as well to laminate furniture without first sanding, and a longer cure time is also recommended when painting laminate. Zinsser Cover-Stain Primer – This is an oil-based primer. Oil-based primers provide great adhesion.
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.
You can sand, prime and paint laminate as if it were a solid wood piece of furniture! It's easy to skip the sanding step, because sanding is a drag… but it's especially important with laminate. Because it's often somewhat glossy-looking, and important to sand it down until the finish is very dull before priming.
You can stain laminate cabinets using tinted polyurethane stain or gel stain. Since laminate isn't real wood, using ordinary liquid wood stains will leave you with a streaky and splotchy surface: that's because they won't get absorbed.
Laminate Cabinets
This process leaves a completely smooth surface that does not show any seams. The lack of seams around the door's joints can be a clear indication that your cabinet doors are a laminate material.
You can paint the cabinets with oil-based paints, acrylic paints, or melamine paints once they have been primed. Moisture-resistant materials in the paint make Melamine paints ideal for painting laminate surfaces, since they are just right for the moisture and steam that are so prevalent in kitchens.
The right paint and brushes help you get successful results when you paint melamine, thermofoil and laminate surfaces. Lots of paints work well on these materials, including high-quality latex, acrylic and chalk paints, but most of them require priming.