kitchen update

[shell]

i'm really liking this site. i've never been on any sort of forum, chat, whatever and don't really know what i'm doing and yall have been really helpful. ok, until i can afford to buy wood cabinets i would like to paint the old ones. they are the typical brown press board cabs. w/whatever that finish is. (vinyl i'm guessing?) the cover is pretty worn so i don't know if i would need to sand them at all but should i and what sort of paint should i use for this? i've seen pics of nate berkus making a kitchen look new w/paint and new nobs in houses so i'm guessing the same would apply to a trailer. any tips i should be aware of? can i take off the doors and spray paint them outside and still use a brush for inside frame work?

[Robin]

Okay, here's what I've been told. I have the same kind of kitchen cabinets you have. Mine have started to look yukky because they've gotten wet around the knobs, etc.

I think they will need to be sanded, and primed with Kilz. And it is recommended to spray paint them horizontally, so no runs. Maybe somebody else will chime in who has done this, because I haven't done mine yet.

HTH!

[macmom]

ok here is what we did. Our home is only 6 yrs old but i hated the cabinet doors.
We bought a router and bits and made our own. It was really inexpensive to make them. the only real expense was buying the router and bits, but maybe you can rent one, better yet borrow one. (I live in eastern north carolina) if you were close i would loan you mine.
We got unfinished wood, took the measurements from the old doors and made new ones. I think they cost like 6 dollars a door. well worth the money. then paint them or stain them...and when u are finished you never worry about them again.

[Robin]

Did you build a new frame too, or just doors? Our frame, I guess that's what you call it, is yukky too. Same old cheap mess. Not sure what to do.

It probably is cheaper to build your own, tho. What kind of wood did you use? Got any pics?

[shell]

NO MONEY FOR NEW, JUST HAVE TO UPDATE WHAT I'VE GOT AND THAT HAS TO BE 'RELATIVELY' EASY AS I HAVE A TEEN DRAMA QUEEN AND A ONE YEAR OLD WHO CLINGS TO MY LEG LIKE A BABY KOALA. NO JOKE, I DRAG HER AROUND SOMETIMES ON MY ANKLE IN THE KITCHEN. TEHEHE\
IS THERE SOME SORT OF PAINT I COULD USE W/OUT KILZING FIRST?

[Susan]

Shell,

The "Kilzing" (or any good primer) is absolutely a MUST. Prep is the key to making the paint adhere and stay nice. If you decide to paint your existing doors, clean them really well with TSP or other degreaser type cleaner, rinse thoroughly. Sand the surface lightly to give the primer something to "bite" on to. Let it dry completely before applying the paint.

I would suggest that you use at least a semi-gloss enamel as this will allow you to wash the surface without removing the paint. I have also put a clear polyurethane coat on mine to protect them even more.

I know that priming and painting costs a little more and takes more time, but it really does make a difference.

Good luck with your project. Hope it goes well for you.

[macmom]

we didnt replace the frame only the doors, but the frame would be very easy to replace and really not expensive....take the old frame down draw it onto a piece of wood and then nail it back up...

[JD]

I think Susan's post is excellent advice. While I use mostly Kilz original, on cabinet doors I would use Zinsers BIN 123. Let it thoroughly dry and then hit it lightly with 100 grit sandpaper, to get any dust or brush hair off. I'd do a couple of coats of primer.

An enamel finish paint like Susan recommends dries to a harder finish than standard latex. Not only more washable and durable, but it also levels out better, softening brush marks and filling small scratches. There are also paint conditioners sold to help paint level out and lay better. These additives can produces excellent results, but makes the paint take a lot longer to dry.

JD