You’ve been planning your kitchen remodel for quite some time now, but financial constraints have forced you to freeze the much-needed face-lift project. At this point, you can’t even glance at your old, worn out kitchen cabinets. You see fingerprints, grease stains and chipped wood everywhere and this disastrous combination drives you crazy. Can you actually upgrade your cabinets without refacing them with help from a team of experts? Yes you can! As long as you can spare a couple hundred dollars and have moderate DIY skills and a basic set of tools, your success is almost guaranteed. Here are the most important steps that you should follow to paint your kitchen cabinets like a pro in less than 3 days and save big.

1. Clean Thoroughly. Clean every single inch of your kitchen cabinets using a clean cloth and soapy water. Once you finalize this initial phase, address stubborn grime and fingerprints using a heavy-duty de-greaser. Let the surface dry naturally before getting to the second step.

2. Prep the Surface. Next, you would have to rough up the entire area that needs a new coat of paint by using 100-grit premium sandpaper.

3. Apply Multiple Coats of Primer. Once you are done with the sandpaper, start applying the primer to help the paint stick better and last longer. It is highly recommended to opt for a “high build” primer designed to fill the wood and the entire surface that you want to paint better than any other product currently available on the market. You will need to apply at least 2 coats of primer to prep your old cabinets for painting.

4. Choose Your Paint Wisely. Not all paints are created equally, so which type should you choose to achieve a smooth look that can stand the test of time? For many years in a row, painters have been using oil-based formulas that are adequate especially for cabinets placed in high-traffic areas. Nonetheless, oils can make your job a whole lot messier and their fumes could pose considerable health risks. If you think that these drawbacks are quite intimidating, consider opting for latex paints. These dyes are much safer and are just as easy to apply as their counterparts. Latex-based formulas designed to breathe new life into old custom kitchen cabinets are marked “100% acrylic” and represent a great pick if you’re interested in obtaining aresistant, attractive finish without exposing yourself to a sky-high amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Latex paints are actually pretty low in VOC, so they don’t have that awful smell that people usually associate with dyes.

Last but not least, in case you can spare a little bit more money to take your project to a whole new level, think about buying and installing new hardware or apply a delightful faux finish that could constitute the new wow factor of your indoor space. In case you need more inspiration or a helping hand when it comes to kitchen remodel work, just contact us to get the assistance that you may require.