Tip: Sherwin-Williams encourages you to use Extreme Bond Primer when painting kitchen cabinets to help you achieve the look you want. This high-quality primer promotes a superior finish by ensuring the topcoat spreads evenly and sticks as intended.
Once you've taken care of primer, the best paint for cabinets is Emerald® Urethane Trim Enamel. This product creates a hard, durable finish that withstands the wear and tear of frequently used areas like kitchens.
The best type of primer for cabinets is called bonding primer. A bonding primer ensures a good bond between the paint and the wood. This kind of primer has excellent adhesion properties and dries quickly. It dries within half an hour, making it ideal for a one-day painting project.
Designed for coating hard, slick, glossy surfaces with minimal surface preparation.
Acrylic Latex Paint: This is a popular choice for cabinets due to its durability, easy cleanup, and low odor. Look for a high-quality, semi-gloss or satin finish for a smooth surface and easy maintenance.
That may get you wondering if you need a primer for cabinets. The fact is, applying primer is an important step in the painting process. Primer provides a suitable surface for the paint to stick to, helping it to last longer and look better. It also covers old paint jobs and imperfections.
You can also choose between varnish or polyurethane for kitchen cabinet protection. Polyurethane is a plastic-like topcoat that applies clear and offers ultimate durability against dirt and damage. Varnish is similar but adds a glossier film that gives it additional protection against high-moisture areas.
For use in both interior and exterior settings, Extreme Bond Primer is a high-quality, waterborne, acrylic primer designed for coating hard, glossy surfaces such as plastic, glass, aluminum, wall laminate, kitchen cabinets, varnished woodwork, ceramic wall tile and more with minimal surface preparation.
(Note: Bonding primers are not recommended for use over peeling paint).
For the best results, you should apply two coats of stain-blocking primer and two coats of cabinet-grade paint. Use a fine-finish roller for panels and fixed pieces and an airless sprayer for cabinet doors to achieve a smooth, professional finish.
TIP: KILZ® 3 Premium is a great primer choice for kitchen cabinets as it offers exceptional adhesion and durability. KILZ® 3 Premium also ensures a mildew resistant primer coat, great for moisture prone areas like kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms.
When it comes to kitchen cabinets, the most popular sheens are usually satin and semi-gloss. Here's why: Satin: Satin finishes are a favorite because they provide a soft shine that adds a touch of elegance without being too flashy.
Tip: Sherwin-Williams encourages you to use Extreme Bond Primer when painting kitchen cabinets to help you achieve the look you want. This high-quality primer promotes a superior finish by ensuring the topcoat spreads evenly and sticks as intended.
Oil-Based Primers: Oil-based primers are highly durable and provide excellent adhesion to the cabinet surface. Additionally, they are great for sealing off any moisture or stains on the cabinet surface, which is crucial for preventing mould or mildew growth.
MAGNOLIA HOME BY JOANNA GAINES® TRIM, DOOR + CABINETRY INTERIOR SEMI-GLOSS PAINT 4.5 out of 5 stars, average rating value.
It's recommended to wait at least 24 hours before adding a coat of paint over your primer. Painting over it soon could cause your paint to adhere to the wall improperly, flaking and peeling.
Top Performers
We experimented with lots of primers for our tests to find the best primer for painting stained wood. The top performers we found were: Seal Grip from PPG, Stix from Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams Extreme Bond Primer, and Behr Bonding Primer from Home Depot.
Its chemical composition allows it to adhere to surfaces better than regular primers. It creates a thick film over the surface, preventing peeling, cracking, and fading. If you are about to tackle a challenging surface, a bonding primer is your best choice.
Although each surface and base color will be different, it's a safe bet that two coats of primer will achieve any priming goals you have.
After priming, allow to dry 4 hours, test a small area for bleeding by applying the topcoat before painting the entire project. If the stain bleeds through, apply a second coat of primer and allow to dry overnight and retest before topcoating.
Only use interior paint for indoors and exterior paint for outdoors. For an even superior finish, use an undercoat over the primer that's similar in tone to the intended top coat but not identical. The top coat is the crowning glory and you'll need to decide whether you want a matt, satin, or full gloss finish.
In addition, cabinet painters choose paints with the optimal shine. High-gloss and semi-gloss paints work best on cabinets because they have a stronger finish when compared to other sheens. They are also easier to clean and maintain than a matte finish.
You'll apply primer first with a brush to “cut in” those hard-to-reach crevices and edges, then go back over the surface with a roller. After your primer is dry, sand everything gently with 220-grit sandpaper. Remove dust with a tack cloth or compressed air, and get ready to paint.
For high-traffic areas and outdoor projects, polyurethane—especially the oil-based variety—is the best choice due to its superior durability and resistance to water and heat. For indoor projects, particularly those involving light-colored wood or areas with minimal wear and tear, polycrylic is an excellent option.