Has anyone ever painted over stained cabinets?

Question

I want to paint my old stained bathroom cabinets white, any suggestions on how to make them look professional

Answer 1

wash them with tsp from lowes. Take the doors off. Mark them so you can put them back on. Then  sand and sand and sand. Then prime, put on two or three coats to cover. I then sealed mine to cut down on chipping. Lots of work to make it look good. Streaks are the worst to get rid of. Go back and forth and use a self leveling paint if you can find it.

Answer 2

I will assume there is a varnish coat or lacquer coat on the cabinets.  If so you will indeed need to sand, but only lightly sand.  What you want to do is basically "scratch" into the lacquer coat so that you will have a surface the paint can bond to.  The product Kilz is a very good product, but you will need to have the bathroom well ventilated.  They do make a oderless - but I think you will find the "original" Kilz will work the best.  Next - what type of paint finish are you wanting; an enamel "backed on" look or a latex gloss or eggshell look.  Any large paint center or a Lowes, Home Depot can give you the advice and paint samples to acheive the look you want.  The next trick is buying a quality white paint and if its a professional look you want - spray it on.  Home Depot and Lowes can walk you through the best ways to acheive the finish you want.  Best advice is research the look you want and take your time.

I've included a link to Kilz below - worthwhile reading up on their website.  

Good Luck!

Tom A

Sr. Construction Project Manager

Albion,MI

Answer 3

You must 1st sand them, apply a coat of Kiltz to seal the stain and then at least 2 top coats of your desired paint. Sometimes it might take a 3rd coat to even out good.

Answer 4

Here is how we did ours...but I like the roughed up look slightly. Not over done. I washed the Medium Oak cabinets with vinegar and hot water to degrease first (I regularily wash my cabinets so they weren't encrusted but did have finger smudges). Rinsed them let them dry, and put on the Kilz Primer. Then 1 thin coat of white good quality thick paint. Lightly sanded that and let dry then coated them again. Some touchups in places I missed for the 3rd round, but not many.

Because I like the worn look I sanded off a few edges here and there to reveal the oak cabinets. This was small and slight and random. Just enough to make it not look freshly done.

Did this 3 years ago and all is holding up fantastically....

Answer 5

Sand lightly, I recommend using shellac instead of primer. Shellac is an excellent sealer it will adhere to lacquers and varnishes which some primers will not. Id also use an oil base paint.  As far as professional look, spraying it would be the best option but if that's not possible use a mohair paint roller, they are best for smooth surfaces. If you end up having lines from the roller you can brush them out with a natural bristle paint brush