Refinishing the fronts of kitchen cabinets

by Myra

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These cabinets are all I need, solid 1 inch oak plywood, effective storage but ugly finish in Arborite. Can I just tack on wood trim and paint? Do I need to remove all the Arborite? Any other good ideas?

q would like to refinish fronts of solid wood kitchen cabinets , interior home painting, kitchen cabinets, kitchen design, painting

4 answers

William on Sep 11, 2016
Arborite is a high pressure laminate similar to our plastic laminates in the US. Remove the hardware. Wash the cabinets down. Sand lightly to remove any gloss/shine. Wipe them down. Prime with a stain sealing primer, KILZ, BIn, Zinsser 123. Then paint with a latex paint using a foam roller.

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- Marilyn Zaruba on Sep 11, 2016
  I want to paint my cabinets, too, William, but my husband thinks they will look like we did it. Isn't there a special paint for cabinets that is *self* leveling so won't be so streaky. Maybe the thing to do is to practice on some old wood first. Someone said they even took their cabinets off the all, but that sounds exceedingly extreme. Maybe I will get some bids from the pros and see if that won't convince my husband. Thanks for your info.
  
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- Myra on Sep 11, 2016
  Thank You William. I'm going to try it on a scrap of old Arborite first. i'll let you know!
  
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- CK on Sep 11, 2016
  I agree with washing them down with TSP (trisodium phosphate) but honestly if they're properly cleaned and then properly primed with the right primer, you shouldn't have to do sanding. I've painted quite a few 'shiny' surfaces and with the right primer, you're good to go.
  
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- William on Sep 11, 2016
  Light sanding to create a tooth for the primer otherwise the primer and paint can peel off.
  
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- Jackie Byrd on Sep 13, 2016
  Marilyn: I think you are referring to Rust-oleum Cabinet Transformation Kit. There are MANY posts about it on the forum.
  
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- William on Sep 13, 2016
  Marilyn! You can buy cabinet kits and follow instructions and still look like you did it, because you DID. The cabinet kits have no secret ingredient in them. If you remove doors and hardware, properly prep, it will look professional. You can hire a pro painter, but he will generally do what you can do yourself. There is no special way or secret to painting cabinets. All Hometalkers here have painted kitchen cabinets themselves with great results. None that have posted have used a kit. Basically a cost factor.
  
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Mary Williams on Sep 12, 2016
William is right. After sanding and priming, you may also try some of the new paints on the market that have primers in them. To update them you may want to add some trim pieces for character. check out cabinets on the Houzz website for ideas. Good luck!

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- Myra on Sep 12, 2016
  Thank you Mary!
  
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Jackie Byrd on Sep 13, 2016
There are numerous paints out now that do not require you to sand first. You use a deglosser to clean, remove grease, and de-shine the surface so that the paint will stick. Look at the Rust-oleum Cabinet Transformation Kit and Velvet Finishes ( http://www.hometalk.com/diy/bedroom/dressers/how-to-paint-furniture-the-easy-way-no-sand-no-wax-11601184...).

How to Paint Furniture With Velvet Finishes - No Sand, No Wax Paint

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Linda kelley on Sep 16, 2016
Also....I added trim to the doors of my cabinets. What a difference that makes. I ended up doing all the doors in the house! really an upgrade. You could also add chalk board paint for kiddos

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