In most homes, apartments, and condominiums there is a
kitchen where delicious foods and tasty treats are prepared and served.
Usually, the kitchen is the centerpiece of most homes, it is the place
where moms and grandmoms all over the country cook and bake wonderful
meals and decadent desserts. Man, I can almost taste the baked chicken,
pot roast, smothered steak, lamb chops, and all the other
entrees' that
mom so lovingly cook. It's no wonder the kitchen has always been and
will always be my favorite place in the house, and I suspect that to be
true for most American families...and for most families all over the
world for that matter.
But
what about the kitchen when it has become old, worn, and outdated?
And what about your kitchen cabinets when they become discolored,
dirty, dingy, and completely covered with cooking oils and grease? How
can anyone prepare delicious foods in a kitchen like that? When your
kitchen cabinets begin to look bad it is time to give them a face lift.
Your kitchen cabinets really are the centerpiece of your kitchen and
when they begin to look hideous it is time for a complete makeover.
And that is precisely what this article is all about "Painting Your
kitchen Cabinets Yourself...And Doing It With A Colorful Flair..."
Hiring painting contractors can really get to be expensive, and for
many homeowners trying to drum up the extra cash to hire a painting
contractor to paint their kitchen cabinets will indeed brake the bank,
but at the same time with the right resolve and just the material list
to purchase; homeowners can give their kitchen cabinets a complete
makeover themselves and save tremendously; with that said let's get
started right away.
Before you begin take a good look at your kitchen cabinets as they are,
and even better; take a few pictures of them before you get started.
When we are done you won't believe the transformation. Oh for sure, let
me be as frank and honest as I possibly can: it takes a tremendous
amount of work to bring about this type of transformation for your
kitchen cabinets, but the end results are well worth all the hard work
and sacrifice. You cannot begin to imagine the satisfaction you'll feel
from actually doing the work yourself, and this could prove to be a
spring board for even greater home improvement projects in the future.
This particular project has been divided into a three part series in
order for me to try to go into details that I feel are very important
for you to know.
Preparation:
Stripping the Kitchen Cabinet Doors
Even though you are painting your kitchen cabinets (as oppose to
staining and varnishing) I still feel it is
imperative that the cabinets--especially the kitchen cabinet
doors be completely stripped to the bare wood! Why? The reasons being
is
that all coatings and surfactants should be removed entirely
and here's why: no built-up, caked-up paint on your kitchen cabinet
doors (or boxes/frames); no painting over existing failed coating(s),
and the avoidance of uneven and non uniform (paint in this case)
appearance of the kitchen
cabinet doors as well as the boxes/frames.
In order to achieve a beautiful finish that will endure all that
kitchen cabinets must endure (heat, steam, humidity, oils, grease,
dirt, and grime) and still look great year in and year out you really
need to establish a good foundation--metaphorically speaking and that
means literally starting from scratch!
First of all you should remove all cabinet doors from the boxes as
they are sometimes called or cabinet frame. You should try to set up a
place to work on your cabinets that's well ventilated. If you do not
have a place to do that you might have to work right there in the
kitchen, but it would be better if you could find a nice
place to work on your cabinets. You will need a quality paint
remover/paint stripper
that will help strip all the old paint off the cabinet doors. You
should be careful when shopping to select the right paint
remover/stripper for
your job. Paint removers can be very caustic and can even burn you when
it comes into contact with your skin; not to mention your
eyes. So be extremely cautious when using paint removers/paint
strippers.
If you are reluctant to use a paint remover/paint stripper you should
avoid this step altogether. It's not mandatory that you use a paint
remover/paint stripper to get all the old coatings off of
your kitchen cabinet doors but it certainly speeds up the process and
it helps eliminate a whole lot of laborious work. If you do decide to
use a paint remover/paint paint stripper always wear the proper
protective
gear: rubber gloves, goggles, protective facial covering, and proper
clothing. Be sure and follow directions that manufacturers' of paint
removers/paint strippers suggest. Again, be sure to follow
manufacturers' recommended instructions to avoid negative
consequences. Note:
If
at any point you feel
unsafe about doing this type of work yourself please contact a
reputable
contractor to do it instead.
There are some manufacturers that produce and sell paint removers/paint
strippers that are
not
caustic, and they still get the job done. This is definitely a better
way to go, but in most cases they are more expensive. But again, you
can avoid possible injuries by using this type of paint remover/paint
stripper. It is referred to as a green
product; in other words, it is environmentally safe as oppose to the
other types of caustic paint removers/paint strippers I have mentioned.
If you can find a large table or maybe, make a table like stand to put
your kitchen cabinet doors on while you work on them that would be
great.
Remember, at this stage of the project you want to remove the old
coatings before you proceed with the next step. In fact, before you
start the paint removal/paint stripping process you should wash the
kitchen cabinet
doors with a degreaser. Trisodium phosphate is a good product for
degreasing the cabinets, but there are many other products that will
work just as good. The reason for washing down the kitchen cabinet
doors (as
well as the cabinet boxes) is to get rid of all the grease, oil, dirt,
and other surfactants that have accumulated on the cabinets/cabinet
doors.
Now that the kitchen cabinets have been washed and degreased the paint
removal/paint stripping process can begin in earnest. Whatever type of
stripper/paint remover you choose to use be sure and apply a liberal
amount on the cabinet doors. Whether you choose to work on both sides
of the kitchen cabinet doors at once or you choose to work on one side
and allow that side to dry completely and then proceed to do the
opposite side--the choice is yours. It is important for you to find out
as quickly as possible what is more comfortable for you, as well as
what is the least comfortable for you.
The better you feel while you work the better work you will be able to
produce, so be very observant and mentally note everything that you do
in order to find out what works better for you and what does
not. Remember, when refinishing your kitchen cabinets/kitchen
cabinet doors patience is paramount to everything else. This is not a
fast job and it is certainly not a weekend project. It will take some
serious time to refinish your kitchen cabinets along with some very
hard work. But the final results will justify all the time and energy
spent turning your lifeless kitchen cabinets into warm beautiful
kitchen cabinets that exudes love and beauty.
Once the cabinet doors have been completely stripped or even partially
stripped you can begin resurfacing the cabinet doors. Resurfacing the
cabinet doors is done by sanding. Whether you choose to use a
power/electrical sander or manually (hand sanding) sand the cabinet
doors the choice is yours. If you choose to manually sand or sand by
hand you will definitely have more control over what you are doing
unless you are extremely skillful and experienced operating
power/electrical sanders.
Although hand sanding the kitchen cabinet doors will allow you to have
more control than you would probably have operating power/electrical
sanders; however, you will expend an exorbitant amount of energy doing
so. Using power/electric sanders will do the hard work for you but at
the same time you will certainly have to employ caution every step of
the way because they are capable of doing irreversible damage that
could all but disfigure or destroy your cabinet doors. If you need to
practice before you start using power/electric sanders than by all
means do so. Find some scrap wood and take this time to get familiar
with the sander(s).
In all honesty, when I'm resurfacing cabinet doors I use five or six
different types of power/electric sanders that are designed to do
certain functions or are better suited for a particular application. I
don't recommend that a novice saddle him/herself down with
this expense, but I do recommend using at least one power/electric
sander: one fourth (1/4) sheet finishing sander along with manually
sanding (sandpaper in hand) the cabinet doors and cabinet boxes. With
this type of sander (1/4 sheet finishing sander) you will be able to
get into tight places and at the same time it is not so aggressive that
it will do great damaged if a mistake is made--usually.
By all means avoid disc sanders that can all but destroy your wood, and
be careful if you choose to use random orbit sanders. Random orbit
sanders are great to used and they are not as aggressive as disc
sanders but caution should be used when sanding with this type of
sander as well. The key to sanding is learning to work with the sander
and not against it, and the avoidance of using the sander in a manner
that is inconsistent with its purpose. Here again, patience is the
operative word, and patience is the key in successfully sanding your
cabinet doors/cabinets.
If you do not have the time and/or energy to expend on this
type of project then you should consult with a painting contractor and
discuss your options with him/her. Sometimes, it can cost twice as much
to have your kitchen cabinets undone and redone then it would have if
you had hired a painting contractor to do it in the first place. So
before you start this type of project you should really count the
cost--both financially as well as the time and energy it will take to
do
it if you choose to do it yourself.
Please feel free to continue to follow this three part series "Painting
Your Kitchen
Cabinets Yourself...And Doing It With A Colorful Flare in Shreveport
and Bossier City, La. Thanks and we look forward to your return.
Disclaimer:
The author
of this article assumes no responsibility for any and all injuries that
might occur due to the content of this article or any other article
written by him. This article is for the sole purpose of informing and
entertaining. Please contact a reputable contractor in your area. Thank
you.
American
Painting and Pressure Cleaning, Inc.
proudly
serving Shreveport/Bossier/Minden area
Call
(318)
746-1810 or (318) 677-9055
today!
For all your
interior/exterior painting; staining and varnishing; kitchen cabinets
makeover; plaster
restoration and plaster repairs; complete drywall (sheetrock) service);
deck restoration; carpentry repairs; flooring (ceramic tile, porcelain,
travertine, marble,
engineered wood and laminate) installation, and popcorn ceiling
removal,
just pick up the phone and call (318)
746-1810 or (318)
677-9055 today!
If you reside in the Minden area feel free to call us at (318) 371-1005.
Thanks, Donald Thomas
|
| American
Painting and
Pressure Cleaning, Inc. also
provides quality craftsmanship along with friendly down home service to
the following areas: Keithville, Frierson, Stonewall, Mansfield,
Blanchard, Vivian, Benton, Haughton, Plain Dealing, Haughton, Bossier
Parish, Cotton Valley, Sarepta, Sprighill, Shongaloo, Heflin, Dubberly,
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Athens, Arcadia, Gibsland, Beinville Parish, Arcadia, Ringgold,
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Ruston, Simmsboro, and all of Lincoln Parish. |
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