I want to paint my wood kitchen cabinets. Do they have to be stripped

Clean well with TSP, prime, and paint using a good quality paint like for kitchen and bathroom cabinets. I think Dutch boy has it.

A few years ago we painted our old varnished kitchen cabinets. We used a name brand primer and then the matching high gloss paint. The cabinets have done well, except the doors. There are scuffs in the paint on the doors where they have been bumped and scraped. This summer I plan to remove the doors and redo them although this time I'm going to sand them to ensure I get a better adhesion and more durable finish.

How to paint cabinetry:

Set up a work station where you can lay out each door so that it does not have to be moved as you wait for it to dry.

1. Remove doors and all hardware—Label each door and its matching cabinet by writing a matching number under the hinge.

2. Clean surfaces with TSP to remove grease—this is crucial

3. If the surfaces are in good shape, you do not need to sand, use a liquid sandpaper. I do a good heavy coat of this. It makes the surface a little tacky which holds the primer.

4. I prefer to use an oil based primer for slick surfaces or surfaces that are going to get a lot of wear and tear. Have your primer tinted to match your cabinetry color. Use a good coat of primer. Do not skimp on this step. If your primer does not feel smooth after it dries, do a very light sanding and wipe the dust off with a barely damp cloth. Oil based paints/primers typically take 24 hours to dry.

5. I also prefer oil based paint for kitchen cabinetry because of the amount of use they get. The oil base just holds up so much longer. You can use latex paint if you prefer, but it will not hold up or be cleaned like oil base can. Whether using oil or latex, I always do 2 coats.

6. If you use oil based paints, it will take a few more days to complete your project because of the drying time, but I think it is worth the few days to have my project last for many years.

After cleaning well with TSP, you can also use chalk paint, which adheres well so doesn't require priming or sanding, but you want the protective coating on over this, as well.

Thank you so much. One question, where do I get TSP. I assume it is a cleaning agent.