Expert: Eileen Cronk - 1/10/2008

Question
QUESTION: Can Oak cabinets that are whitewashed be prepped & just painted? We want to do something with the kitchen, bath & hall cabinets but not sure what.
Thanks & Happy New Years.
linda

ANSWER: Hi Linda
Nice to hear from you.
Yes your cabinets can be painted Linda.
To me its a shame to paint over oak cabinets but I understand where you are coming from. We just get tired of the same old same old.
As long as the job is done to perfection, the cabinets will be lovely painted.
As with any paint job, prep work is the most important step.
This is a big job but certainly very do-able.
First of course remove all hardware, doors and drawers.
You have two choices of prep depending on the condition of the wood.
The easy prep is an aggressive scrubbing with steel wool dipped in a TSP solution.
The more labor intensive and messy way is sanding.
You will have to be the judge of that.
Primer is a must. Don't skimp and buy cheap primer. Get the best and make sure its compatible with the top coat you will use.
Melamine paint is always the best paint choice for cupboards, its oil based and takes lots of drying time but you won't be repainting as soon as you will with water based.
Get back to me if you need further advice.
Kindest Regards
Eileen



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: OK, so if we don't "paint over the Oak cabinets" how can we make them look fresh again? We remodeled our kitchen 2 yrs ago with granite counters & stainless steel products--it started with me just wanting a more professional stove & the rest was history.
Thank you for the very clear answer.
Sincerely, Linda

Answer
Hi Again Linda
Sorry if I started something and turned you in a different direction. It was not my intent LOL
Now I am willing to concede that painting is the best route.
As soon as you said "granite counter tops and stainless appliances" its pretty hard to visualize them with whitewashed oak cabinets.
What might look better is the natural oak color, but thats a huge job with no guarantee of the outcome due to the white which will have absorbed into the wood a bit.
Now having said that, if I wanted to freshen these cupboards, I would do the scrub with TSP and steel wool as mentioned above, then rub on some white stain or thinned white paint (I would try both as a test first).
Then when dry I would apply a coat of waterbased poly as it will not yellow.
Linda why not try just a door as a test. It may be that you like it, and its much less labor intensive as painting.
Good Luck
Eileen