Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Prepping Cabinets for Paint

Last week (or so..) I shared with you the before pictures of my cabinets (HERE).
Painting Cabinets with Fusion Mineral Paint

I am happy to say that I am halfway done painting my kitchen cabinets.  It is going much more quickly than I would have guessed and I am thrilled with the results. But, before I show you the progress (that will be later this week), let's talk prep.

I know, there are chalk paints out there they say, absolutely no prep needed. In the words of Dwight Schrute, FALSE. I have seen all different brands of chalk paint chip, and scratch, and stain. If you want good adhesion that is going to last, you are going to need to do some type of prep work.
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Oh, and the prep is not the fun part, but it is fairly quick and easy and you will be so much happier with your results if you do. You have to remember that you are saving thousands of dollars on buying new cabinets. You want something that looks great and that will last so a little elbow grease and time is worth it.

I chose to remove the cabinet doors because I do not like and did not want to have to worry about drips. Fusion Mineral Paint has extreme leveling properties, which means it wants to level out. The leveling gives it the super smooth finish, so much better than other paints I have used. Leveling is best done flat. It took maybe 30 seconds a cupboard to remove each door. I labeled all of the doors with a number taped on the inside before removing them.
How to paint cabinets and fill holes
Filling the cabinet handle holes was probably the most time consuming job. This step can of course be eliminated if you are using the same hardware or using new hardware that has the same hole space. I am not. I remembered remembered reading somewhere that using Bondo was much easier than wood filler. Wood filler tends to shrink.
use Bondo to fill cabinet handle holes
I am not sure I would say easier, but it certainly dries quickly and on my second batch of doors, my skill at using the Bondo had improved greatly. Follow directions on the can, but use a smaller amount of hardener and putty. It dries super quick, like in a minute. I applied it with my finger and a putty knife and sanded off any extra that was on the door. It did sink in a little and I can still slightly see where there were holes. I remedied this my second time around. 

On my second set of doors I used the Bondo, sanded a bit and then applied a small amount of wood putty on the top of the Bondo. When it dried I sanded it and the holes disappeared. 
lightly sand cupboards
I then used 220 grit sand paper and hand sanded each door lightly. I know, ugh, right? But honestly, it took maybe two minutes per door. I could tell it removed some of the clear finish that was on the doors. I didn't sand down to bare wood by any means. Again, no prep paint is not a thing, even if you are told it is. Sanding a bit helps give the paint something to stick to.
Use 220 Grit Sandpaper to Lightly Sand Cupboards
I wiped the doors down with a dry cloth and used a paintbrush to get any sawdust out of the crevices.
remove all sawdust with a paintbrush
I then wiped down the doors using TSP (follow manufacturers' instructions).  So, all in all, I would say each cupboard door (at least the big ones) take about 5-7 minutes per door. The drawer fronts take less time.
use TSP to wipe down cupboards before painting them
The fun, rewarding part for me is the painting. I used a rounded, oft bristle brush that I already had. Fusion Mineral Paint makes some lovely paintbrushes. The paint goes on like butter--so smooth. It gives you a nice, professional looking finish.
Use Fusion Mineral Paint to Paint Cupboards

One coat of Midnight covered the cabinets well. I did decide to paint a second, quick, light coat. The paint dries extremely quickly and I could apply the second coat right after finishing the first on all of the doors I was working on. 

I am so happy with how they are turning out. I will show you my progress tomorrow or Friday.

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