How can I prepare my laminated kitchen cabinets for painting??

My apartment has ugly, wood grain-look laminate cabinets that I would like to paint white.

  4 answers
  • William William on Sep 16, 2018

    Make sure you get permission from the landlord in writing before doing anything. You don't want to jeopardize your security.


    Make sure they are clean and dry. Remove the doors and hardware. Mark the doors and cabinets with tape where they go. Lightly sand the doors and cabinets to remove any gloss and roughen the surface for paint with 120- to 220-grit sandpaper. Use a tack cloth or damp rag to remove dust after sanding. Prime with a stain blocking primer like Zinsser 123, KILZ,or BIN and have it tinted to the color of the top coat. This will prevent dark or stained surfaces from showing through the top coat. Acrylic, or water-base, paints are low-fume and clean up easily with water. Alkyd, or oil-base, paints require good ventilation because the paint contains solvents that can irritate your lungs and make you feel sick. Alkyd options require mineral spirits for cleanup, but they provide a hard, durable paint finish. Whichever you use, buy the best-quality paint you can afford for a lasting kitchen cabinet finish. Seal with at least three coats with a water based polyurethane. Use a small foam roller and foam brush for a smooth finish.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Sep 17, 2018

    Hello Melanie,

    You should use (ESP) Easy surface Preparation first then undercoat and then topcoat. NB: Satin finish or semi Gloss is more forgiving then full gloss paint..........Good luck!

  • TheHoneycombHome TheHoneycombHome on Sep 17, 2018

    It depends what type of paint you plan to use. Here is how I painted mine: https://thehoneycombhome.com/painting-kitchen-cabinets/

  • Hi Melanie, Dixie Belle is here to the rescue!!! So easy to use on laminate kitchen cabinets...these are the steps...

    Step One - Clean with White lightning by Dixie Belle

    Step Two - Use one to two coats Slick Stick

    Step Three - Use one to two coats of any color Dixie Belle

    Step Four - You can leave as is or use a coat of Gator Hide which will make them water resistant.


    I am attaching my cheapy melamine cabinets that I did so you can see how they look.


    We did have a series of LIVE videos on a step by step tutorial of how to paint your kitchen cabinets. If you would like to watch them....


    Day one : https://www.facebook.com/DixieBellePaint/videos/1609328872527961/

    Day two : https://www.facebook.com/DixieBellePaint/videos/1610860225708159/

    Day three: https://www.facebook.com/DixieBellePaint/videos/1612437375550444/

    Day four: https://www.facebook.com/DixieBellePaint/videos/1615506548576860/



    Teri -  www.dixiebellepaint.com If you ever need help or have any questions you can feel free to call us at 813-909-1962 during business hours. We have a full staff here eager to help you!