If you're doing your project in stages (rather than all at once), I like painting kitchen cabinets first, since they have the greatest surface area and give the most bang for your buck. Then once the counters and backsplash are updated, we're happy to go in and take care of any necessary touch-ups.
Whether you want to refinish your cabinets before or after the countertops installation, make sure you hire a professional painting contractor to avoid any complications. Some homeowners opt for a remodeling project in stages. In that case, we recommend refinishing the cabinets before installing the new countertops.
Installing cabinets should be done after the painting. This allows the painter to do the cleanest job and relieves any concern about the paint getting on the brand new cabinets. Painting a cleared out space is easier to achieve flawless results.
Paint first, so you'll have less areas to cut in or tape off. You'll need to do little touch ups after the backsplash is installed most likely, but it'll be much easier than trying to paint right up to the tile.
A countertop needs to be installed before the backsplash is put on the walls above the countertop.
First, during tile installation, leave a small space between the tiles and the wood surface or countertop… no more than 1/8 of an inch.
Installing your tiles before your kitchen cabinets will cut down on overall labor costs. Putting in your tiles first will help prevent water damage in your kitchen. Cabinets can be installed first if you're placing delicate tiles that might get damaged during cabinetry or appliance installation.
Secondly, should you paint before installing backsplash? It doesn't need to be 'paint ready' and blemish free, but it needs to be smooth. Prime an area larger than you plan to tile to minimize the cut-in work when you paint the rest of the room.
Planning a Kitchen Wall Painting Project
Sequencing the work that way reduces the amount of prep work and cutting-in. If you're painting your cabinets and the whole kitchen, paint the ceiling first, the cabinets second, and the walls last.
To protect the drywall and for a professional finish, we recommend painting behind kitchen cabinets.
Countertops. It can be tempting to paint countertops to repair a scratch or if you're looking for a new look in the kitchen or bathroom, but paint isn't the answer. Most countertop surfaces are difficult to paint correctly and food can easily stain painted surfaces.
If you're unable to do your remodeling project all at once and opt to do it in stages, then consider painting the cabinets first since they often have a bigger surface area than your countertop(s) and have a bigger overall impact.
Personally I would paint the room before the kitchen is fitted. So much easier, hardly any cutting in and no splashes on your shiny new kitchen. The fitters will make a few marks on the walls but these are easily touched up later.
While there is no best way to clean walls before painting, most walls can be washed using a sponge and warm water. For surfaces that have exposure to oil or grime, like kitchen walls, wash with a solution of water and grease-cutting detergent and follow up with clean water to remove any residual cleaning agent.
The simple answer is that primer is not always necessary, so it's possible to save money by omitting it. However, in many cases primer will actually save you money because it reduces the number of more expensive topcoats you will need to get beautiful, lasting results.
Patch any holes or cracks with spackling compound and sand the entire surface with medium-grit sandpaper. Vacuum to remove dust. Remove any remaining dust, oils and grease from the wall with TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) or an ammonia-based cleanser. Let the wall dry completely before beginning tile installation.
Before you tile over painted drywall, thoroughly wash and dry the semi-gloss walls to prepare them for ceramic tile installation. Use 80-grit sandpaper to lightly hand sand the paint on the walls to a rough finish. This helps the tile stick to the surface.
Sometimes, kitchen units can be very heavy (and often unbalanced) and put huge amounts of pressure on areas of your floor. Over time this could cause the floor to buckle and break. By laying your floor last, it means that there's no chance of it being scratched or dented by workmen or the units.
Installing flooring before your cabinets is the best choice for most hardwood floors. When professionals install floors then cabinets, it's easier to get everything to standard heights. It's also a safer installation process for your cabinets since you won't risk any damage to them as professionals install the floors.
Use silicone caulk to fill the gap between any tile surface and cabinets. Caulk used to fill the gap between a tile backsplash and your cabinets will create a waterproof, flexible seal between the two surfaces. Grout will not effectively seal this gap.
The one spot where caulk, not grout, should be used is the seam between the countertop and the backsplash. The right material for that is a top-quality silicone caulk. The Tile Council of America suggests a 1/8-in. -wide caulk joint at the seam.