Prepping for Painting

On Socialfabric.com (an online forum for crafty types), this question was asked in the DIY Group:

"Did you have to sand down the [kitchen] cupboards before painting them?"

Some people answered "NO" but I say "YES" and here's why:

Kitchen cupboards get a lot of wear, so if the paint is not well-adhered, it will and probably will start to chip or peel off, depending on what paint you used and what surface you painted over. I am assuming here that there is a normal amount of oil and grease particles floating around and building up on your kitchen cupboards, and you can't be expected to catch all of this when you clean. So, keep your non-stick surfaces to your skillets, not your cupboard doors, and prep them right before painting!

The following tips go for any surface or furniture you are about to paint:


CLEAN - As always, you can refer to your paint can for specific details about the type of paint you use. Especially for kitchen cabinets I would definitely recommend doing a careful job prepping. I always clean the paint surface well before sanding or painting anything at all. Use mineral spirits and a clean lint-free rag. Mineral spirits cleans up dirt and oils and evaporates quickly so it won't sit on your surface, and you can move on. It is also possible to use acetone for particularly grimy spots, however sometimes it evaporates even more quickly.

TO SAND OR NOT TO SAND? - That is not the question! I say yes, sand before painting, even if you plan to use primer. Depending on how slick your original paint is, you'd want to use sandpaper with enough grit to give the surface some traction - something for your primer or paint to grab onto. Whether you use primer or not, sand the surface under your top coat of paint. As you get closer to the final coat you can use finer sandpaper, then wipe down (same way with mineral spirits) before painting to remove the fine sawdust.

PRIMER & 2ND COATS - Use primer especially if you are painting light over dark colors, or if you are painting latex paint over a gloss or semi-gloss paint and enamel paints. If you need a second coat, let it dry completely and lightly sand in the direction of the paint strokes before final coat.

LOVE YOUR BRUSH - Use a good quality brush. I love my Purdy brand brush, and will take care of it forever. A nice brush will give you a smooth finish which you will appreciate on a major piece of furniture or cabinets. FYI: You might want to take off your cabinet doors and lay them flat so your paint won't sag... this all sounds rather picky, but what can I say, I'm my father's daughter!

WHAT KIND OF PAINT TO USE -  I like using Latex (water-based) paint, because they are easy to clean up and dry quicker. I would use oil-based paint for special projects that require a super-durable surface. Here are two links I found that explain some questions you might have about using oil-based paints:
1. http://homerenovations.about.com/od/painting/f/latexoveroil.htm
2. http://www.wikihow.com/Know-when-to-Use-Oil-Based-Paint-Instead-of-Latex

PAY HEED TO POTENTIAL PROBLEMS - My friend just had a nightmare trying to repaint her cabinets. They had been stained and coated with some kind of mystery wax or oil-based finish. She thought her primer would stick if she sanded the surface first. Her superior quality latex primer went on beautifully, but and never dried - it remained tacky. She had to have them professionally stripped, and learned a big lesson. This is one reason to pay close attention to instructions for special conditions.

Current painting project. I'm working on an old under-the-bed drawer unit that we converted into a fold-out couch/guest bed. In this case, its truly a piece of junk, and I'm using black paint to match what was already there so NO, I won't need to do a lot of prep - just slapping it on and calling it a day!