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Can you help me with painting kitchen cabinets PLEASE??

I am at the priming stage on dard pine wood cabinets, with a good latex enamel (Behr), and using a good 2 1/2" nylon (as directed) brush. Looks like I will need two coats of primer to cover. My question is about the brush streaks and what is the technique for brushing when I get to the horizontal/vertical slats? Thanks for any info. val

Public Comments

  1. You don't need two coats of primer. You're not looking for full coverage. The primer is so you won't have to use many coats of the paint. To avoid brush strokes, use a small roller instead of a brush. It does a great job.
  2. I never use brushes on a flat glossy, or shiny surface. I would advise you to use a small roller. They sell rollers at any store, Kmart, Walmart, Home Depot, to name a few, that sells paint. Look for a small roller that is used for trim, it will be very short. They work PERFECT on cabinets. You won't see any brush strokes at all, and they cost less than a brush. Just roll the roller in one direction and then in the opposite direction to get in the cracks, use a small foam "brush" in the cracks. They cost around $1 and they small rollers for trim cost around $2.50.
  3. Did these cabinets have a clear coat on them? If so did you scuff the surface lightly with steel wool?(all clear-coated surfaces MUST be scuffed or the paint/primer can chip off) then you prime, should take one coat only and you should be using a small poller for a better suface look and no brush strokes, you can apply the paint with that brush in all the ''nooks and crannys'' and then run the roller over that area to get a better suface look.Good Luck!
  4. Unreal! lol I saw your question and a few mins later went to my mail. I found this in my in box: Update Wood Cabinets with Paint If the doors and drawer faces on your cabinets are in reasonably good shape, painting them can be an inexpensive way to rejuvenate your kitchen's style. However, painting cabinetry correctly requires patience and attention to details. What You Need: High-quality acrylic paint made for woodwork Scrapers Sanding block Wood putty Alkyd-based primer (for old enamel surfaces) Screwdrivers Paintbrush Roller Masking or painter's tape Drop cloths Wooden support blocks Paint remover and fine steel wool or metal polish (if reusing old hardware) OR new hardware Instructions: 1. Decide which parts of each cabinet you will paint. Usually, you need to paint only the stiles (the framing pieces), the drawer faces, and one side of the doors. You may also want to paint the back side of the doors and the insides of the cabinets. (Plan to cover the bottoms of shelves and drawers with shelf paper.) 2. If changing or moving the hardware, choose it prior to painting. 3. Remove doors and drawers from stiles. 4. Fill, sand, and prime. Examine surfaces carefully for cracks and holes; paint will not cover these imperfections. Scrape and sand down high spots and fill scratch marks and cavities with wood putty. If you will be changing the location of pulls or knobs, fill the old screw holes. Sand filler smooth. Prime old enamel surfaces with an alkyd-based primer. 5. Paint doors and drawer faces. Remove every piece of hardware -- hinges and knobs or pulls -- and set the doors and drawers on drop cloths. Support them with blocks of wood so no painted surface comes in contact with the drop cloths. Paint large areas with a roller and use a brush to touch up hard-to-get-to areas. 6. Strip old hardware, if reusing. Clean it by soaking overnight in paint remover. Buff lightly with steel wool or rub it with metal polish -- the kind that leaves a protective film. 7. Paint the stiles. Cover the countertop and other surfaces with masking or painter's tape as needed. Paint the framing pieces with long, smooth strokes. Begin at the least accessible points and work outward. Paint the inner surfaces, then work toward the outer surfaces. 8. Allow paint plenty of time to dry before handling and reassembling cabinets. When done, you'll have a surface that is almost as washable as laminate. Here is the link; http://us.f527.mail.yahoo.com/ym/ShowLetter?MsgId=6195_22372991_63816_1431_5160_0_32673_24344_3610540874&Idx=0&YY=15464&y5beta=yes&y5beta=yes&inc=25&order=down&sort=date&pos=0&view=a&head=b&box=Inbox Hope this helps and I hope your cabinets turn out the way you envision them. :)
  5. I hope it is a very good nylon brush. The trick to a good finish is time. I am assuming they are not on the wall, if they are it will be a little harder. On the inside, paint the corners with about a 2" lap on both sides and let them dry completely. Then paint the back of the compartments and let them dry completely. Then paint the top and bottom and let them dry completely. Then paint the sides and guess what, let them dry completely. If you can turn the cabinet and do one surface at a time to keep the paint from running, it will be worth the extra few days. This will keep you from accidentally smudging tacky paint and screwing up a nice finish. Like I said, the brush will make all the difference in the world so it needs to be a good one. Enjoy!
  6. A small roller will work better and eliminate brush marks.