How to Paint Bathroom Cabinets?
Painting the old cabinets of your bathroom can change the outlook of the cabinet as well as your bathroom is a great way.
If your bathroom cabinet has become discolour and lost its shine, painting is a more cost-effective option rather than replacing it.
Here we will get to know the ins and outs of the painting process of a bathroom cabinet.
Some Basic Ideas
Some people want to find out the project completion time but the duration will solely depend on the tasks you want to complete, frequency of work also the size of your bathroom cabinet.
It is the easiest to paint the wooden cabinets though you can also paint the non-wooden cabinets like thermo-foil or melamine. But you will get the most satisfactory result from the wooden one.
It will be much convenient for you if your bathroom cabinets are removable as there will be no chance of paint dropping on the wall, counter and floor. If the cabinet is not removable, make sure you have removed the cabinet doors.
Types of Paints Suitable for the Bathroom Cabinets
You can use two types of paints for painting your bathroom corner cabinets which are oil-based and water-based paints.
Water-based Paints
Water-based or latex paints dry out quickly and you can clean them using water. You can use gloss paints, satin or semi-gloss because these paints are easy to maintain and durable.
If you want the best quality and durability you should go for 100% acrylic enamel paint.
Oil-based Paints
Oil-based paints are more suitable for high-traffic areas and the brushstrokes are less visible than a water-based ones. But, oil-based paint will take a longer time to dry you need to clean the paint equipment with chemical solvents.
It is better to apply oil-based paints in a ventilated or open area. So if you want to go for oil-based paints it will be best if you remove the cabinets and take them to the open area or a ventilated garage.
Required tools and materials
Materials:
- Paint
- Drop cloths
- Paint primer
- TSP substitute or TSP
- Painter’s tape
- Sandpaper (150-grit)
- New hinges, knobs or pulls
- Tack cloth
- Wood putty
Tools or equipment:
- Paintbrush (synthetic-bristle or natural)
- Bucket
- Paint sprayer
- Sponge
- Paint roller
- Marker
- Paint tray
- Cordless drill or screwdriver
- Primer
- Putty knife
Steps to follow:
Preparing the Area
First of all, you need to remove all the objects and stuff from the drawers and cabinet and spread drop cloths on the work area for preventing paint drop on the floor. Also, apply painter’s tape to the surfaces you want to protect.
Removing the Hardware and Doors
For protecting the interiors of the cabinet drawers and doors you need to place painter’s tape on those and label each piece of tape so that you can easily identify its cabinet.
Remove the hinges and doors using a screwdriver from the cabinet also remove the drawers. Also, if possible, remove the fronts of the drawer boxes. If it is not possible to remove the fronts then you can leave this step.
Cleaning the Cabinets
Clean the outer surfaces of the doors, drawers and boxes of the cabinets with TSP.
TSP will remove all the grime and grease from the surface. As TSP can irritate your skin make sure you are wearing rubber gloves while you are using them.
Sand and Patch
Check out the outer surfaces if there are nicks and dings and repair the damages using wood putty and putty knife. Now, sand the outside of the cabinets and doors lightly with 220 grit sandpaper.
The sanding will help the paint and primer to adhere to the surface. Wipe out the outer surfaces of the cabinet with a damp cloth for removing the dust then wipe over with a tack cloth to get a completely clean surface.
Applying Primer
Before starting to paint you need to apply primer to the exposed surface evenly with a roller, brush or sprayer.
A sprayer will do its best here. Make sure you cover all the edges of the cabinet and leave the primer until it is completely dry.
Applying the Paint- first Coat
Now apply the first coating to the cabinet boxes, drawers’ fronts as well as doors. Use a sprayer or synthetic paintbrush if you are using water-based paint else use a sprayer or natural-bristle brush in case of oil-based paints.
Make sure that you paint both the front and backside of the doors. For more convenience, you can paint the back part after the front part dries out.
Applying the Paint-second Coat
In this step, you have to apply the paint for the second time on the surfaces of the cabinet and give 24 hours or more to dry the paint completely.
Don not use the cabinet for at least one week and allow it to cure fully. This will make the finish harden and will increase the longevity of the paint.
Reassembling the Cabinet
This is the final step of the whole process. Here you can use new hardware also can use the old ones. Attach the drawer’s fronts to the boxes and cabinet doors to the cabinet. Put the drawers in their places.
Painting the bathroom cabinets is not a difficult but a tricky and technical job as you have to be careful about some important things. We have described all the necessary information and directions which will make your task easier we believe.
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