In addition to the stunning appearance, a clear coat also works to protect your cabinets from dirt, scratching, and chipping. If you have a kitchen with lots of natural light, a clear coat finish would be a great choice. Natural light can cause paints and other finishes to fade over time.
So, to recap the answer to this question: You should always use a clear coat on painted cabinets unless you feel like doing a lot of repainting.
As for applying any sealer or topcoat, the general pro recommendation for cabinet painting is to use high quality stain blocking primer and 2-3 thin and even coats of super high quality paint with ample drying time between coats (Benjamin Moore's Advance paint is meant for cabinets without any top coat, since sealers ...
The best topcoats for kitchen cabinets are polyurethane semi-gloss. These finishes are made to seal in your paint underneath so that it does not affect the outcome of your clear coat. High gloss and medium gloss finishes are also widely used.
What Type of Polyurethane Can you Apply Over Paint and Their Drying Time? You can apply any type of polyurethane over paint. Polyurethane is a clear coat finish, so it will still show the beauty of the paint beneath the scratch-resistant and waterproof covering.
My favorite sealer for painted furniture is General Finishes High Performance Top Coat and this would also be my first choice for sealing cabinets. It is water-based, non-yellowing, and extremely easy to work with (unlike many other sealers).
To prolong the lifespan of your cabinet paint job, then, finish the job by sealing your cabinets with a transparent top-coat. These sealing options include varnishes composed of polyurethane, polycrylic, spar urethane, nitrocellulose, waterborne acrylic, and more.
Buy cabinet door bumper pads and stick them to the corners of doors and drawers to prevent paint chipping when the doors bump onto the frames. These are small cork, vinyl or felt pads and available at hardware stores.
It is worth the time to do this on painted shelves. Once the paint is dry (24 hours) roll on 2 light coats of Polycrylic on the top of painted shelves on the interior cabinets This seals the latex paint so you will never hear that latex sticky sound when you remove objects on the shelves.
A polyurethane varnish finish can cut down on the wear and tear of kitchen cabinets, help keep them looking new and extend the life of the cabinets. Polyurethane works best on unfinished wood but can also be painted directly onto painted surfaces.
From one of the most creative companies in the industry comes this aerosol spar urethane, perfect for kitchen cabinets and other furniture. In addition, this water-based clear topcoat has a fast drying time of just one hour between coats. It also doesn't have a strong odor, so you can safely apply it in the kitchen.
There is no magical formula for drying time, but stick to at least 2-3 hours between coats. If you start painting the second or third coat and the paint starts peeling or is tacky, that is a good indication the paint is not cured quite yet, and you should give it some more time.
If you paint your kitchen cabinets with the correct type of paint, you don't need to apply any sort of varnish sealer. High-sheen paints, such as gloss latex and acrylic enamel, provide good protection against stains and wear.
Yes, polyurethane can be used as a protective coating over paint. It will protect the paint from chipping and peeling. There are some more things you should know about polyurethane before using it for your project. There are also other ways to seal paint that might be a better option for you.
With proper care of professionally painted kitchen cabinets, you can expect your newly painted cabinets to last 8-10 years. However, there are a few things that can drastically shorten this timeframe, leaving you needing them repainted 3-4 years later.
Two coats of paint are essential for cabinets—you're building a surface. By the way, to get the nicest finish, use a brush, a 2- to 2 1/2-inch fine bristle brush. Whatever paint you use, ventilate the room—direct a fan out the window—and wear the masks they sell in paint stores.
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.
Paint becomes sticky and tacky when it isn't able to dry thoroughly. Paint has trouble drying when the air is overly humid, or the weather is extremely hot or cold. Also, paint can have trouble drying if applied in thick coats.
Adding a Second Coat
After your first coat of paint is dry, it's safe to recoat typically after four to six hours. A good rule of thumb is to wait at least three hours to recoat your paint or primer if it's water-based. Waiting 24 hours is best for oil-based paint and primer.
You should use at least one paint coat & a maximum of two primer coats on the cabinets. One coat of primer is enough to satisfy the primer's need in most cases. You can use two coats of primers, too, depending on your wooden furniture's surface conditions.
Prime the cabinet doors.
Only one coat of primer should do the trick, unless your cabinets are really dark, then I would recommend following up with one more coat of primer when that first coat is dry before moving on.