Cabinet Painting: How Many Coats of Paint on Cabinets Is Normal

Cabinet Painting: How Many Coats of Paint on Cabinets Is Normal

Whether you’re needing a kitchen refresh or a bathroom update, adding a new color of paint to your cabinets can do the trick. If you’re wanting to renovate your kitchen or bathroom but don’t want to invest a lot of money, cabinet painting is a great way to do so. The professionals at TRICO PAINTING have painted their fair share of cabinets throughout the years, so here are our tips and tricks for a successful DIY cabinet painting project.

Prepare Your Cabinets

Properly preparing your cabinets is a crucial step to ensuring a successful paint job. By following these simple steps, you can be sure to have flawless-looking cabinets.

  • Remove and Label Doors: First things first: remove all of the cabinet doors and any hardware that you don’t want getting ruined by paint. For your kitchen cabinets, you want to be sure to label the doors as you remove them, otherwise you’ll be spending extra time trying to match up the doors after you’ve painted. Depending on how many cabinets you have in your bathroom, you can probably get away with not labeling those doors.
  • Wash the Doors: Both the kitchen and bathroom experience a lot of traffic. In the kitchen, food splatter and grease have probably built up over time. And in the bathroom, grime and scum have probably accumulated. Washing all of your cabinet doors and removing any buildup before you begin the painting process is a step you don’t want to forget.
  • Sand the Doors: Before you begin applying primer and paint, you’ll need to lightly sand your cabinets. You don’t want to overdo it, but sand enough to provide a nice surface for the primer to adhere well.
  • Prime and Paint: Once all of the cabinets have been properly prepared, you can apply a coat of primer. Once the primer is on, you can finally apply the new paint color.

Painting your cabinets can definitely be a process depending on how many doors you have; that’s why many consider professional cabinet painting when deciding to change up the color.

How Many Coats of Paint Are Needed?

Depending on what kind of primer you’re using and the state of the cabinets, you will need 1-2 coats of primer. For many cabinets, one coat is plenty, but if you’re uncertain, a second coat won’t hurt as long as it's not applied too thick.

When it comes to the actual paint, you will need at least two coats. For some cabinets, though, you may need a third coat. Knowing how many coats of paint to put on the cabinets will ensure a long-lasting paint job so that you don’t have to do touch-ups for several years.

Whether your cabinets had been previously painted before the new color and what kind of paint finish you’re using will determine if you need a third coat of paint or not. If you’re changing the color of the cabinets from a dark color to a light color, it will often require that third coat of paint as well.

Call the Experts for Your Cabinet Painting Needs

While painting your cabinets is certainly a great DIY project, others may not have the time to take on the task. Preparing your cabinets for painting is just as important as the painting itself, and knowing how many coats of paint to apply will determine the success of your project. Calling in a cabinet painting company, like the experts at TRICO PAINTING, will guarantee that your cabinets will look great and last long. If you’re wondering how much cabinet painting costs, contact us today for an interior painting estimate. We’re here to help give you the space you’ve been dreaming of.