To many, priming is an unnecessary step in painting interior and exterior articles.
But priming has a very useful benefit especially for painting kitchen cabinetry.
Here’s Why You Need to Prime Kitchen Cabinets before Painting Them
Kitchen cabinets are made from wood which means they have porous surfaces. Porous surfaces benefit from priming because it allows paint to adhere better on them thereby preventing issues such as flaking or scraping of the topcoat. Priming also adds a layer of protection to kitchen cabinets against water, moisture and pathogenic growth like mold.
What Is a Primer?
A paint primer is a base coating applied to mostly porous surfaces like wood and concrete. The main purpose for such coat is to allow for better adhesion of the paint.
Primers can come in different hues of colors. It is advised that a primer with a hue matching the final color of your paint be used for a cleaner job.
Can You Paint Kitchen Cabinets without Priming?
It is possible (though not advised) to paint kitchen cabinets without priming. Take note though that such cabinet will suffer greatly in the following ways:
- The paint won’t stick as well to the surface of the wood (because it’s porous) and as such, you’ll be dealing with problems like flaking. In case you didn’t know, the main purpose of a primer is to provide a reliable surface for your paints to stick to.
- The paint job won’t turn out as clean as if a primer coat was used underneath because the porous surface of the wood will absorb the solvent in the paint and cause it to dry quickly.
- If your wood is the type that is difficult to paint, like MDF, then you will have problems trying to achieve a consistent layer of paint without a primer.
- The structural inconsistences of the wood such as grain and knots might become visible with time, and the joint, seams and cracks will show.
- If you’re painting the cabinet a different color, then the previous color might pop a bit in the new top coat and affect the finish. This is because, there isn’t a sealing intermediary medium to prevent such pop.
- Your cabinet might not be water repellent and free from producing odor, and they might not be very durable.
- When you have a primer in place, there really is no need for an after paint transparent coating called (varnish) as there is enough protection going on already. But you can still choose to add the varnish as an extra layer of protection later.
- With a primer, changing from darker to lighter cabinet colors is possible without running into a color clash. You can choose a primer that is white to paint over a darker cabinet color, and then use a much lighter paint on the white. The result is always marvelous. If you have a primer that isn’t exactly the same color as the paint, you can always tint it at the factory or shop (that is to make it closely match the final color of the topcoat paint) in order to reduce the amount of layers required for a uniform result.
With all these, it clear that a primer is actually a necessity before painting, especially for projects such as kitchen cabinets which have woods are the base for the paints to go onto.
What Kind Of Primer Do You Use For Kitchen Cabinets?
Any primer labeled “for interior” use is a great option for kitchen cabinets. These primers are typically multipurpose, and can be used on wood, tile, glass, metal, masonry, concrete, drywall etc.
Primers can be oil based or water based. Whichever you’re going for, make sure to choose a paint of the same category, i.e. choose an oil based paint for an oil based primer and vice versa for better result.
For recommendation, try:
- Zinsser (all primers from this brand are great)
- KILZ
Does Paint and Primer in One Work?
Paint and primer is a two in one product marketed by many paint manufacturers as a solution to eliminate the priming step in painting. And the thing is, it actually works.
Paint and primer does deliver all the promises it makes: that is to provide priming, as well as offer a satisfactory layer of top coat paint.
The major downside of using a “paint and primer product” is the cost which ramps up with an increase in the bulk of your work.
How Many Times Should You Prime Cabinet before Painting?
One coat of primer over a sanded cabinet surface is typically sufficient for your cabinets. If you find the need to do a second, you can always apply it after the previous one has sit the recommended period of time by the manufacturer.
How Long Should You Wait To Paint Cabinets After Primer?
Different primers usually have different wait periods before a top coat can be applied or should be applied for better adhesions. Water base primers typically dry the fastest, with some able to receive a top coat in as little as 30 minutes, whereas oil based primers may take much longer to dry, sometimes as long as a day. I would typically advise that you only apply a top coat after 24 hours of drying and curing of your oil or water based primer.
Do You Need To Sand Cabinets After Priming?
It’s good to sand the surface of cabinets after priming because it makes the paint stick to the surface of the primer even better. When sanding, use a 180 grit sand paper and make sure to go gently.
Is It Better To Roll Or Brush Primer On Cabinets?
If you have both, it’s actually better to brush and roll cabinets. Brushing helps to cut into corners and provide the light base, whereas rolling fill in. That way, you have a sufficient coat with even consistency.