If you don't prop up your cabinets prior to painting, you risk missing edges and corners. Lay doors on painter's pyramids so you can more easily maneuver a brush around the bottom edges.
Not all cabinets will need to be primed before painting, if you're using DecoArt's Satin Enamels. Satin Enamels are formulated to adhere well to wood, and I've seen this to be true in multiple cabinet and furniture painting projects.
They may even choose to go ahead with unique effects for the unfinished cabinet doors, such as stains and grains. Priming the unfinished cabinet doors well, before painting them, is important. So, a DIY enthusiast should use only a quality primer coat for the processes.
Yes, it is possible to paint cabinets without sanding.
Whether you're priming a porous substance such as wood or a smooth substance such as metal, you need to sand the substance beforehand. Sanding a surface removes the top glossy layer, allowing the substance to receive the primer.
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.
For wood, brushing is fine, but you may want to hire a professional for a good finish. Using a roller to paint cabinets is a lot faster than brush painting, however, the fabric on the roller will create a 'bobbly' texture on the surface. The texture a roller puts on cabinets makes it unsuitable for gloss paint.
Rollers are not as consistent. The paint is applied unevenly. So, if you want a factory-grade finish, choose to spray your kitchen cabinets instead of rolling them. In addition to providing a higher-quality final finish, spray painting is faster than using a roller.
Brushing allows the painters to apply the color directly to the surface of the cabinets, only wasting the small amount left on their brushes at the end of the project. Spraying atomizes the paint, meaning some of the droplets inevitably float away, and any paint left in the tubing of the sprayer goes to waste.
Note: While you don't have to sand before you prime, you do need to sand lightly after you prime and between each coat of paint. Yeah, it will take a while (probably about an hour and a half for a standard-sized kitchen), but it's necessary to make sure the next coat goes on well.
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.
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.
Refresh old cabinets that look tired and dated with a slick of latex paint to completely change the look and feel of the kitchen. Kitchen cabinets that are already painted with latex can be prepped and painted over with new paint.
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).
Allowing the primer to grip will give your paint a much better chance of not chipping. (Mama would cry if her pretty cabinets had chipped already.) So, put in the time and sand your doors first and then wipe them all down with a lint free cloth.
For most primers, you will need to wait 24 hours drying time for each side. (Check the label on the primer you use, and remember that there is never a danger of waiting longer, especially if it's humid). Generally 24 hours is sufficient.
Step 3: Prime the Cabinet Frame and Doors
Apply KILZ 3™ Premium Primer on the doors, drawer faces and cabinet frame using a brush to ensure a mildew resistant finish. Stir thoroughly before and occasionally during use. Allow 1-hour of dry time.
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.
Sand Lightly Between Coats
Dust can settle in the paint or primer as it dries. For the smoothest final coat, sand between coats of primer or paint with 220-grit sandpaper or an extra-fine sanding sponge. Then vacuum and tack as usual before recoating.
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.
Walls, Wood, and Metal - Small 1/4″ nap roller covers or foam rollers will produce the smoothest finish. Light to Medium Textured Surfaces - Microfiber rollers are best.
While satin finishes tend to be fairly durable in high traffic areas, they're not as durable and versatile as semi-gloss against mildew and mold. Kitchen cabinets in high moisture environments can, therefore, do better with semi-gloss paints.