5 Cabinet Painting Problems – Solved!

Hello!

With some of the questions that I receive from readers, as well as some of the situations that I come across in my own experience, I thought a “problem” post might be warranted.  There are different things that always seem to pop up while venturing on a DIY project, and hopefully this will help alleviate some of the pain by sharing my own lessons learned.

Damaged Doors
While the doors/frames might not have started out damaged, sometimes things can happen along the way.  Things happen.  Doors can get dropped in transit or run over by your van in the garage.  Murphy’s Law is in full force in the Land of DIY.

But don’t fret, there is a solution.  Minwax High Performance Wood Filler.  This stuff is amazing and is a must-have for repairing wood – whether it’s furniture or cabinet doors, it’s a lifesaver.  I found this tutorial extremely helpful, and it shows you what an amazing product it is with the furniture piece that was repaired.

I used it on this cabinet door.  It’s kind of messy (and smelly), so make sure you work with it outside.  The corner was chipped and in need of repair.

It’s sandable and will act just like wood when you’re finished.

Good as new!

Smoke and Stains
Perhaps you bought a home whose former owner was a smoker.  The cabinets are in good shape, but you want to make sure that the smoke/nicotine are completely eradicated, and don’t make another appearance.  Or, your cabinets (or walls) are knotty pine, and you don’t want any sap to come through (yes, that’s a concern with knotty pine), and you want to seal off the knots in the wood.  Zinsser’s BIN Shellac Primer is your new best friend.

I have a love-hate relationship with this stuff, let me tell you.  I love that it seals wood and prevents stains and odors from bleeding through and causing future problems.  However, it stinks to high heaven, and I haven’t had any luck in spraying it with my HVLP spray gun, so it’s messy.  But, it’s worth it, as it’s a great insurance policy.

I used it to seal the wood in this knotty pine family room for a client:

Peeling/Chipping Paint
I recently received a question from a reader who is redoing her cabinets that had been previously painted.  The paint was peeling and chipped, and she wanted to know if she had to strip all of the paint off in order to repaint them.  You could, but you don’t have to.  That’s where PrimeRx Peel Bonding Primer comes in to play.  

XIM’s Peel Bond Primer is another option:

You can see what I’m talking about with this visual – good stuff that can save your some time and a whole lot of effort.

Unfinished Wood
What if you’re starting a project with unfinished wood?  I’m doing that very thing right now, with the unfinished cabinets that we installed in our garage.

You don’t have to worry about deglossing it like you would a previously finished cabinet door, but give it a light sanding to even out any rough spots, and then prime it with my go-to primer, Benjamin Moore’s Fresh Start.  Great stuff.

Painting Laminate
While I have no experience in painting laminate cabinets or furniture, there are lots of people out there who have!  

Check out the laminate kitchen cabinet redo at Cuckoo4Design.  Fantastic!  

Source: Cuckoo4Design

Over at Cute Junk I’ve Made, she does a complete redo of her laminate cabinets.

Source: Cute Junk I’ve Made

Centsational Girl is always a great resource for tips and tricks, and shows how she painted a laminate media center.

Source: Centsational Girl

A fab bathroom vanity makeover at The Little Green Notebook.  Wow!

Source: The Little Green Notebook

So, there you have it!  Just because you have a tricky situation doesn’t mean the job can’t be done.  It just takes a little extra time, research and planning.

Have a great day!

Linking up:
Savvy Southern Style – Wow Us Wednesdays