Ready to Paint Those Kitchen Cabinets?
©
Pamela Cole Harris
So
you have decided to do it! Turn those dull and lifeless
kitchen cabinets into a splash of bright color! Yellow!
Red! Purple (What are you thinking)! You can make
the job an easy one (well, at least not a grueling
one!) by following these steps:
1.
Remove all the hardware from the doors and drawers
(yep, ALL the handles, pulls and hinges).
2.
If the drawer fronts can be removed, do so. Pull out
the drawers and set aside.
3.
Clean all surfaces with a mixture of water and TSP
(tri-sodium phosphate) and a sponge or an abrasive
pad. (Pssst, don't worry. Everyone's kitchen doors
get that dirty!)
4.
Wipe all the surfaces dry.
5.
Look for dents or scratches. Repair them with spackling
compound applied with a putty knife.
6.
Let the spackling dry thoroughly.
7.
Check any new hardware to see if they fit the existing
holes. If not, fill in the old holes with spackling
compound. (or return the new hardware to the store
and get some that will fit!)
8.
Sand the surfaces to be painted with coarse sandpaper
so the paint will adhere more completely. Wrap the
paper around a sanding block for ease of use.
9.
Make certain you sand all the nooks and crannies and
rounded edges. (Yes, all of them!)
10.
Paint the backs of the doors and drawer fronts first.
Let dry and then paint the front faces. You can paint
the doors with a standard-sized paint roller. Paint
the edges with a brush.
11.
Use one of those little paint rollers to paint the
face frames.
12.
Let everything dry completely before you begin to
reassemble.
13.
Screw the hinges to the doors and then back to the
face frames.
14.
Re-attach all the handles and the pulls or add the
new ones (don't give up - you are on the home stretch!)
15.
Apply rubber or felt bumpers on the backs of the doors
to prevent the paint from sticking.
Hurrah!
A new kitchen - fresh and clean! Now what do you think
we can do in that upstairs bath?
Pamela Cole Harris is a writer, editor, marketer and
webmaster with 35 years experience. Sign up for her
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