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Give Your
Kitchen Cabinets A Fresh New Look With Paint
by Susan White
 Have you grown tired of your old kitchen
cabinets? If you want to give them a fresh new look without the
expense of refacing (or replacing), try painting!
Painting your kitchen cabinets
is one of the least expensive ways to update the look of your
kitchen and, it’s not as difficult as you may think.
Here are some tips from the experts
at Zinsser Co., Inc. that will make kitchen cabinet painting
quick and easy:
First, remove all doors, drawers,
handles and hardware.
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Wipe all surfaces with a clean
rag saturated with mineral spirits (paint thinner) to remove
any surface contamination. You may need to do this twice if there
is a heavy build up of dirt, grease or grime. Change rags frequently
to avoid depositing dirt and grease back onto the cabinets.
Wash the surface with equal parts
of household ammonia and water and rinse well with clean water.
Allow the clean surface to dry completely.
Prime the clean, dry surfaces
with a shellac-base primer-sealer. Unlike finish paints, shellac-base
primer-sealers, like Zinsser’s B-I-N(, will adhere to all
cabinet surfaces painted, polyurethaned, unfinished, Formica,
plastic, metal and glass to form a sound base for the topcoat. |
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B-I-N will seal porous surfaces,
like new wood, and seal off knots and sappy streaks in knotty
pine so they won’t bleed through and ruin the paint job.
Its bright white formula blocks out dark stains and colors. Best
of all, there is no need to sand the surface when you use B-I-N,
thus eliminating the dust and messy clean up often associated
with cabinet refinishing.
Let the primer-sealer dry for
about an hour. Then apply two coats of finish paint. Hint: If
you tint the primer toward the color of your finish paint, you
can eliminate the second finish coat. Consider choosing an oil-base
finish paint over a water-base finish for a harder, more stain-resistant,
washable and durable finish.
Want to give your cabinets a
little added pizzazz? Try a faux finish, antique finish or stencil
to create a unique and personalized look that is well worth the
extra effort. Replacing cabinet hardware is another inexpensive
way to give your freshly painted kitchen cabinets an extra-special
look. |
