Is it necessary to sand kitchen cabinets before painting?

Don W.
by Don W.
There are loads of articles on the internet claiming it's not necessary to sand cabinets before painting, just clean the surface and prime and paint. Is this for real or will I be sorry in the end? My cabinets are birch and have a glossy finish.
  5 answers
  • Tammy J Kirby Thomas Tammy J Kirby Thomas on Jun 07, 2017

    A few years ago we painted our old varnished kitchen cabinets. We bought a good name brand primer and the matching high gloss paint. We didn't sand the cabinets before painting. The cabinet frames have been ok, but the doors have not stood up to the bumps and scuffs of my kitchen. So, this summer I plan to remove the doors, sand them and repaint. This is just my experience, but I wish I had sanded them the first time.

  • Patricia Patricia on Jun 07, 2017

    Most of the time you don't need to sand the cabinets beforehand. But it will depend on the condition of your cabinets. You can lightly sand the surface with 220-grit sandpaper before applying primer. Why not take one of the doors off and test it out first? That should give you a good idea of the result before you've committed to an entire kitchen. Good luck!

  • Janice Allen Janice Allen on Jun 07, 2017

    You should clean the surface well, then rough sand to knock off the gloss finish. No need to prime. Brush 2 coats of Valspar cabinet enamel on to cover. Available at Lowes.

  • William William on Jun 07, 2017

    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. Prime with a stain blocking primer like Zinsser 123. Then paint with your color. Seal with at least three coats with a water based polyurethane. Use a small foam roller and foam brush for a smooth finish.

  • Cori Widen Cori Widen on Jun 07, 2017

    It can be true for chalk paint