Are your kitchen cabinets in Sherwood, Oregon looking aged and dull? A fresh coat of paint could be all that you need. Painting your kitchen cabinets improves their aesthetic appeal and livens up your kitchen. The best part is that painting is profoundly transformative and incredibly cost-effective.

Hiring kitchen cabinet painting Sherwood, Oregon professionals is the best way to get high-quality and durable results. However, if you would like to give DIY cabinet painting a try, here are the five most common cabinet painting mistakes you should avoid;

1. Not Taking Down The Doors And Drawers
If you’re a DIY painter, it can be quite tempting to try and paint everything in place. However, painting while the doors, drawers, and hardware is still intact often leads to an unflattering finish. You will most likely get the paint over the hinges, pulls and handles. Besides, you will have a hard time painting hidden edges and corners.

Before you start repainting, take down all the doors and drawers, and remove all the handles, knobs, hinges and drawer pulls. Be sure to label the hardware accordingly so you can easily pair them when re-assembling.

2. Buying Cheap Paint
Sure, everyone wants to save a penny whenever there is a chance. However, when it comes to paint, you always get what you pay for. Low-cost paints generally have a lower concentration of vital ingredients such as color pigments and binders.

Using cheap paints often leads to inadequate coverage and premature paint failure characterized by paint peeling, chalking, fading, and cracking. If you’re on a tight budget, look out for paint deals at your local paint stores, but make sure the quality is not compromised.

3. Not Cleaning Thoroughly
Kitchen cabinets generally look clean at a glance, and again, it can be quite tempting to start painting right away without cleaning them. Your kitchen cabinets have a thin layer on the surface consisting of a mixture of oil, smoke, dust, and other particles.

Painting over such a surface directly translates to inadequate paint coverage, poor adhesion, and an inferior finish. Thoroughly clean the cabinet doors, drawers, boxes, and hardware using warm soapy water or mineral spirits to remove the surface dirt.

4. Don’t Skip The Sanding
Kitchen cabinet painting almost always requires some level of sanding. If your kitchen cabinets have an old, failing painting finish or uneven surface, sanding is vital. Painting over previous failing paint or uneven surface often leads to poor paint adhesion and an unattractive finish.

Use an orbital sander to lightly sand the flat panels and sandpaper for the narrow edges, corners, and grooves. If you’re transitioning from a dark-colored to a light-colored paint, sand off the old paint as much as possible and apply a primer before painting.

5. Painting On a Wet Surface.
This is a common mistake that most DIY painters in Sherwood, Oregon make. Painting over a wet or partially dry surface reduces paint adhesion and often leads to paint peeling and bubbling within a short time. So always make sure the surface is clean and dry after washing and applying the primer before painting. Also, if you’re using more than one coat, make sure that the first coat of paint is dry before applying the second one.

The Bottom Line
Avoid the above five common kitchen cabinet painting mistakes, and everything should fall in place. However, if you don’t have the tools, skills, or experience, you should consider hiring a professional painting contractor.

If you haven’t identified a painting contractor in Sherwood, Oregon yet, Maller Painting Co. would like to be your favorite painter. We have years of kitchen cabinet and residential painting experience serving the areas of Beaverton, Sherwood, and Tigard, Oregon. To give us a try, book a FREE estimate below or call us on (503) 410-6366 for more details

Kevin Maller

Kevin began painting houses with his father’s company, C&K Painting, in 1996. His father taught him how to use a brush, roller, and caulk and clean a brush properly. He then worked for several other paint companies, where he learned how to spray oils, lacquers, and all water-based finishes. In 2012, after 15 years of experience, he decided to get licensed and start the Maller Painting Company. His team has focused on providing the best re-painting services to our residential clients in the Beaverton area.