r/DIY • u/yeahletsnot313 • 1d ago

help Repainting cabinets

I want to repaint my kitchen cabinets and am looking into doing it myself. I've tried doing some research into the process but get conflicting results on which steps are optional vs necessary. I've been in the house about a year. The cabinets were painted white and that paint job is still in good condition. Which prep steps (degreasing, sanding, stripping, priming, etc.) are actually necessary under these conditions? I saw that a lot of guides started from finished wood instead of an existing paint job.

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u/Impossible_Many5764 1d ago

Buy the proper paint. Self leveling cabinet paint! CLEAN! SCRUB, and sand.. if it is not real wood, do not paint!

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u/SunshineBeamer 1d ago

Get a paint deglosser and a good fan and open the doors and windows. Don't need to prime as it is painted already. Get a paint like Benjamin Moore. Speaking of:

https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/interior-exterior-paints-stains/how-to-advice/interiors/paint-kitchen-cabinets

I used Penetrol additive for my cabinets. Google it. It makes the paint smoother.

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u/Chilling_Storm 1d ago

Best advise - don't do it.

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u/firefly317 1d ago

We just finished ours and I agree totally. By halfway through we were wishing we'd never started.

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u/descendingdaphne 22h ago edited 22h ago

A lot of it depends on what they were painted with and how well it’s adhered.

Did they use a crappy latex wall paint, or does the existing paint scratch or chip off easily? If so, whatever you put on top of it will, too, so if you want a good finish that will last, they should be stripped or sanded back to bare wood and then properly primed/painted. There’s not much point in cleaning before either of those steps.

If the current paint seems pretty solid, then you can probably get away with a good cleaning and a light scuff sanding before your new primer/paint. A degreaser is usually recommended because residue from skin oils and cooking oils (and kitchen cabinets likely get plenty of both) makes it hard for new primer/paint to stick to the surface. That’s also why a light/scuff sanding after degreasing can be beneficial - the goal of all the prep is to promote adherence of your new primer/paint.

If I knew exactly which paint had been used previously and wanted to use that same product in a different color, I’d be fine with cleaning, scuff sanding, and simply repainting. If I didn’t know what product was used, I wouldn’t risk going without a primer, because nothing would suck worse than getting it all repainted only to have it start chipping off because the new paint didn’t adhere well to the old paint.

I’m a fan of Zinsser primers (they have both shellac and water-based), Sherwin Williams Emerald urethane enamel, and always fine-sanding between coats of primer/paint for a really smooth finish.