Should I Paint My Kitchen Cabinets Myself? [DIY Mistakes to Avoid]

Is It a Lot of Work to Paint My Kitchen Cabinets Myself?

Yes, it is a lot of work to paint your kitchen cabinets yourself, but the challenges are manageable with skill and determination. How difficult it is will depend on your background (how many DIY projects you’ve completed, etc), the resources you’ve discovered, and how much time you’ve put into mastering the necessary skills. 

Our team recommends that you look for resources that cover the full process, not just painting. After all, 80% of painting is prep work. 

For example, you’ll need to spend a lot of time cleaning your cabinets—including at least one round using a degreaser.

DIY Cabinet Painting Mistakes to Avoid

Here are a few common DIY cabinet painting mistakes to avoid:

• Rushing the preparation process: Priming, disassembly and reassembly, and taping off areas with painter’s tape tend to be tasks that homeowners completing a DIY cabinet painting project rush. However, these steps are what make the final product beautiful and long-lasting.
  
  
• Not cleaning thoroughly: Cleaning your cabinets is a significant step that will have a direct effect on the final product, so it’s important to dedicate time to clean thoroughly with a degreaser. A wet paper towel might help you pick up dust that’s accumulated, but it won’t remove grease. Paint thinner isn’t an adequate degreaser.
  
  
• Skipping the sanding step: Sanding your cabinets helps your new paint color or stain stick to your kitchen cabinets. It also ensures a smooth finish.

Benefits of Hiring Professionals to Paint Your Cabinets

Want to avoid the hassle of painting cabinets yourself? Hiring a professional means that you’re investing in a high-quality final result that fits your vision. Here’s why:

They Know the Prep Work That Will Yield the Best Results

How can you be sure if you’ve gotten all the grease? How do you know if you’re sanding too much? 

How you handle the preparation stage will affect how smooth of a finish your cabinets will have. Professionals know exactly how to prepare to get the look you want.

They Can Spot Future Problems & Have the Expertise and Tools Needed to Address Them

Throughout their service life, cabinets see a lot of use that homeowners don’t recognize as damage, but unseen damages often impact the repainting or re-staining process. Left unaddressed, you’ll only see problems after you’ve put on the first coat. 

Expert painters examine the true condition of your cabinets, listen carefully to the vision you have for your kitchen, advise the best way to transform your goals into reality, and then proceed using their expertise to address issues that often go unnoticed.

They’re Experienced with All Cabinet and Painting Materials

Cabinet materials and types of wood react differently to paint colors and stains. For example, some types of plastic laminate cabinets will never accept a topcoat of paint, but could undergo the cabinet refinishing process so that they can be painted rather than replaced.

Professionals can provide you with advice specific to your cabinets.

Get a Free Estimate from Oceanside Painting & Refinishing

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly way to paint or stain your kitchen cabinets, contact our team at Oceanside Painting & Refinishing for a free estimate. 

We specialize in cabinet refinishing, a process in which we strip away the old color, make minor repairs, then paint or stain your cabinets with the new color of your choice. 

If you have any questions or want to request your free estimate, call us at 732-818-0092, send us an email at phil.oceanside@gmail.com, or fill out the quick form below!