Expert: Greg Scholl - 4/7/2009

Question
Hello, I'm in the process of repainting my kitchen cabinets. I believe the previous owners tried to stain the all wood, light oak cabinets a dark color and then decided to paint over the stain with a thick oil based white paint. They did a poor job of it. I've since removed all the paint using a heat gun and sanding the cabinet frame and doors down to base wood. I want to repaint the kitchen cabinet white but want a professional looking job. My question is what primer and paint should I use? What tools should I use? (I was thinking of purchasing a Wagner HVLP Sprayer) Can I get a professional looking painted cabinet without using a spray gun? Thanks for your help!

Answer
Hi Travis, using high quality paint and tools, you can get a professional looking result, but it won't look like a commercial cabinet finish, as they use lacquers and/or Urethanes to do their colored finishes....stay away from Latex and choose an Arylic enamel, (or oil enamel). The problem with spraying paints, is that the viscosity is so high, even a good gun will have trouble atomizing the paint. Water borne paints also don't "flow out" the way solvent finishes do, which contributes to the finish laying flat and smooth as it dries. You can add a product like Floetrol to enhance the paints ability to do that, but it needs to be done carefully. I have painted several kitchens with Benjamin Moore enamels, high quality brushes, and Foam trim rollers.....but there is a technique to getting a good end result. Good brushing and painting technique is extremely important to getting high quality results, working in a dust free and well lighted environment, and little to no air movement while applying the finish is also important. Buy the best paint and brushes you can, it DOES make a difference.I like Zinsser's Bullseye 1-2-3 primer for wood, it bonds well, and can be lightly sanded if needed, and in a situation like yours I wouldn't hesitate to use two coats of primer, and tint it if you're doing anything other than white or off white. Resist applying the paint too thickly as well, just go in knowing you will need three coats on top of the primer to get good coverage and a film that will be durable...hope that helps a little, post back if need be- Greg

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