Hey Lee, Sorry I missed your comment for so long! I fall behind on these quite often. So glad you found my content useful. I’m guessing you’re done with your project now. Hopefully it went well!

If you want to send over some sprayers, I would be happy to test them out and write up a review on this site. email me: [email protected]

Peel stop is amazing, but it is not meant to cover alligatoring (seeing the ridges from the old peeling paint). Peel stop prevents future peeling. Getting rid of alligatoring sadly involves lots of elbow grease. Sand sand sand.

Easiest: Rustoleum tub and Tile. Sand the tub down really good. Super clean it. Coat it with Rustoleum tub and tile. Actually holds up really well.

Oil is fine, but I personally think it’s overkill. You’d be fine with something like Kilz 2 and two top coats. Oil stinks, has high VOCs, and requires paint thinner to clean up. I avoid it whenever possible.

Bondo is pretty hard, it’s so hard that I think it’s a paint in the butt to sand. Honestly, it’s probably the best thing you could fill knotty alder with.

Awesome to hear! Thanks Steve

I’ve used the pre-mix dust control, it works great. I wouldn’t use the 20-45-90, I don’t think it offers any benefit and is just harder to sand and you tend to waste mnore.

Absolutely

Hi Bruce,

I don’t use liquid sandpaper solution, so I can’t really comment on if they do or do not work. But I understand why you may want to give it a shot. Foam brushes are good. They still leave brush strokes and are a bit slower, but they get the job done pretty good with pretty minimal brush strokes.

DAP Acrylic Latex Interior Door and Window Caulking works great!!

I have not tried out Smart Coat, but it is on my future review list.

Hi Bryan,
HVLP’s under $300 tend to be under-powered, so I can’t imagine finding one where you won’t need to thin the paint. I even thin the paint with my nice HVLP’s that cost $1,500.

I say do it if it looks better. In theory, that panel is supposed to expand and contract differently than the rest of the door which is why it is floating. In reality, as long as you use a high quality caulk, it looks 10X better and almost never cracks. If it does crack, you could have some touch up years down the road, but that’s easy and worth it in my opinion.

Really depends on the surface. Are you dealing with mold? Is the surface non-porous and needs additional adhesion?

Sadly, yes, sanding is really the only way to get those out. I’d start with 150 and work my way up to 220. Good luck.

You can absolutely still get a good finish. Valspar is a good brand. Make sure it’s covered well, sand in between coats, and move on to applying the Advance.

It depends on what type of sprayer you are using, but I’m going to assume that you are talking about an airless sprayer. Small fan width and small orifice should be used when spraying cabinets. First number is spray fan width (doulbed), second number is orifice size. So a 3-4 (6″-8″) fan width and a 09-11 orifice size. So a 309, 311, 409, 411 are all great.

Hi Nicole,

Advance does come in Matte, so my suggestion would be to have your local BM dealer get a quart ordered for you. It might delay the project a couple of days, but if you tell the homeowner that this is the correct product and it’s out of stock locally, they should be understanding. You could always go with Emerald from Sherwin Williams if you need to get it done right away. Hope this helps!

Hi Bal,
Great to hear that you’re going to tackle this project. I personally avoid products like shellac these days and prefer to use low VOC products. This is why I really like Smart Prime. But there are some other good products like INSLX Stix and Zinsser Extreme Adhesion Primer. Glad the filler worked for you!

Hi Shawn,
I thin with water. Works great. Best of luck on your project!

Hi Trista,
I’ve got a super detailed post on painting kitchen cabinets here: https://diypaintingtips.com/how-to-paint-kitchen-cabinets/
I’ve also got a lot of content on filling oak grain, prepping and more.
Quick answers though: Clean the cabinets thoroughly with a wash cloth. Give them a light sand with a medium grit 3M sponge and you’re good to go. No need to sand off the current finish, just rough it up.
I always use and recommend Zinsser Smart Prime. You can read my full review here: https://diypaintingtips.com/zinsser-smart-prime-review/

HVLPs are awesome for cabinets, but you absolutely could do them with the X5. Just use a small tip like a 311, do a little practice, and take your time. Beest of luck!

Thanks for the info!

Exactly.

Hi Gail,

Yes, you can paint over your alkyd enamel with hybrid. As long as the alkyd is cured, there are no issues.

Hi Marilyn,
I run into cabinets like this every now and then. The most important thing to consider is prep. Make sure to thoroughly clean the cabinets, give them a lite sanding, then use a good primer like Zinnser Smart Prime. Let the primer cure for a day or two, then go ahead with BM Advance for your top coat. You should be just fine. Make sure to check out my article on painting your kitchen cabinets as well, I have tons of info in there.

Hi Mary,
Sadly, no, I live in the Minneapolis area, so that’s a bit out of my area. Good luck on your project.

Hi Richard,

Honestly, I almost never use Semi-Gloss. For me, it’s probably 99.9% satin. I haven’t even used semi-gloss in years. I just don’t like the look. BUT, a clean surface with INSL-X Stix as a primer is a great starting point for any top coat. I always tell my clients to give their woodwork a good two weeks to fully cure. After that, I never get call backs about chipping or scratching.

Absolutely!

Hi Jelly,

BM’s White Dove is actually the most popular white that I use on Kitchen cabinets. I probably use it on 40-50% of the cabinet jobs I do. It’s just a perfect white for kitchen. Not too bright or sterile (if you know what I mean), but not too creamy or anything. Color is hard since it is so subjective.

I always paint the toe kicks.

Good Luck!

Hi Joe,

When spraying things like bookcases or cabinets, a smaller orifice tip is the better way to go. This will cause less paint to come out of the tip and make spraying easier. Bigger tips, when you don’t have experience, usually result in lots of runs.

A 313 is pretty good, still, be cautious for runs though. I actually prefer a 311 or 411 for spraying cabinets and bookcases with airless sprayers.

You shouldn’t need to thin. Airless sprayers don’t need thinning like HVLP sprayers do.

Hi Div,

Bin Shellac would be a greeat primer and would seal in tannins in oak wonderfully. But here is why I wouldn’t use it, the VOC content of BIN shellac is 550 grams per liter. That is massive! I refuse to use products like this anymore in order to preserve my health and be kind to the environment.

A good solution is to use Zinsser Smart Prime which has 25 grams per liter. Then, once dried, if any tannins do bleed through, then just spot prime them with shellac or Kilz original to seal those spots. Usually when I do this, there will be 4-5 small areas that need spot priming and just using a little bit of oil based Kilz is way better than priming a whole kitchen with it.

Good Luck!

If you’re just coating over the old finish, then priming isn’t necessary. I would clean everything, give it a light sanding with an extra fine 3M sponge. Then go ahead with your top coat. Good Luck!

Hi K,

First, thanks for commenting and reading the post. Your comment assumes that contractors don’t get to see the long-term results of their work. On the contrary, I see my work and care about how long it lasts more than most homeowners (as do most contractors). I offer warranties ranging from 3-5 years on all of my work. If something goes wrong, It literally costs me my income and I would be out there fixing the deck at no cost to the homeowner. So the products I use are vastly important to me and my business. When used Correctly, this stain is wonderful and will provide a long-lasting life. Sorry to assume this, but if you have mildew growing under the finish and you’re experiencing fading already, I can almost guarantee the issue is in your prep work and not the product. I would recommend calling Behr and talking to them on the phone, their warranty department is incredible and at the very least, they will help you identify the issue. Good Luck.

Yes I do. Typically those raw plywood edges need about 2 extra coats of primer and even an extra top coat. They really suck up the paint. Brushing an extra coat in between spraying on those surfaces works great.

Hi Paul,

The Graco Ultra handheld sprayers are actually mini piston sprayers that use high pressure and no air (HVLP uses high volumes of air at low pressures).

I wouldn’t use the 515 tip as it would spray out a lot of paint and have about a 10″ spray fan. You would likely end up with a lot of runs. It’s just too big of a tip for a beginner (or even experienced painters) to use on cabinets.

The 3 numbers on the tip refer the spray fan size and the orafice size of the hole in the tip. The first number is multiplied by 2 and that will be the width of the spray fan at a distance of 12 inches away. So your 515 tip would have a 10″ spray fan, where the 211 would have a 4″ spray fan (much better for cabinets).

The second number is the size of the orifice in thousandths of an inch. So the 515 has a 15-thousandths of an inch orifice where the 211 has a 11-thousandths of an inch orifice.

The 211 should perfect for spraying cabinets.

Since the hole is smaller in the tip, you will also need less pressure to spray your fluid.

Thinning: Almost every paint says not to thin it, but in order to get it to atomize to the point where you’re going to get a fine finish for your cabinets, you need to thin your paint. Once you thin your paint, you’ll need even less pressure to spray.

My advice, use the 211, use Stix, thin your paint by roughly 10%, and then start with your pressure as low as possible and slowly turn it up until your spray fun looks perfect. You won’t damage the sprayer and should end up with a nice spray fan.

You’d probably be ok doing it over two days, but if you can do it the same day, you’re likely better off.

Hi Russ,
I may not be 100% correct on this, but I believe that 3M medium grit sponges are 80 grit, fine are 120, and extra-fine are 150. Anyone can correct me if I am wrong. I do know that medium work great for sanding before primer, fine are great for sanding primer, and extra-fine are great for sanding in between top coats.

Hi Clair,

There are a couple of different ways you can clean your deck without damaging the finish. First, a garden hose and a push broom work great. I have 7 kids and my deck is always a muddy mess, I use this method quite often. Second, electric power washers have drastically less pressure than gas pressure washers. A cheap $100 pressure washer will make quick work of cleaning your deck without damaging it. I have one I use on my whole house and vehicles without any damage.

Hi Glen,

Typically, if applied well, only one coat of primer is necessary. BUT, multiple coats of primer can be beneficial. By applying 2 coats of primer, you can get more build-up of the primer which allows you to sand more without going through the primer and ultimately achieve a smoother finish. This is a technique I use when painting oak cabinets (I call it a primer “flood coat”) and helps me achieve an amazingly smooth finish and eliminate graining.

Sanding in between coats of primer is not necessary. I only sand after the last coat of primer.

Hope it goes well! Good Luck!

Hi Gg,

You are likely correct, they will probably be painted in that person’s garage. There are amazing painters who do not own shops that likely can deliver an amazing product whether they finish them on your property or not. There are also terrible painters who may very well get paint on everything in your garage (I’ve seen it many times!). IF you hire someone who does the finish work on your property, make sure you trust them.

IF they had a shop, they would likely want to bring the cabinets to their shop rather than finish them in your garage. So, I think your hunch is right, they would have to prep off their own garage. I am not saying they are bad painters though, just that your guess is likely right.

If you want someone to take them to a climate-controlled shop, call around to different companies until you find someone with a shop. Ask for photos of the shop, address, anything. I know that here in Minneapolis there are many companies with amazing facilities, you just need to find them. I actually moved to a property that has an 800 square foot shop on site. I installed an air conditioner, dehumidifier, and a heater and it works amazing. It is easier than finishing on site in most cases.

Hi Nancy,

You can absolutely paint over Impervo with Advance. In my experience, oil-based Impervo looks amazing but their water-based finish leaves a bit to be desired. Advance looks very much like Impervo Oil only without the incredibly high VOC content. Good luck.

Hi John,

I would recommend sanding before you apply the mud filler. It’s quick and easy and the potential benefits are huge. Hope this helps.

Hi Dom,

I love the Fuji Semi-Pro 2. I am hoping to get a review of this sprayer up soon. If you are running an actual refinishing business, I honestly think the that Semi-Pro 2 is your starting point and the Wagner sprayers are simply not an option. I personally use the Titan Capspray HVLP turbine sprayers for portable on site work, they are simply incredible sprayers. Hope this helps.

Hi Teresa,
Your project sounds like a unique pain in the butt! Honestly, I might be tempted myself to throw some 60 grit discs on a random orbital sander and really shred the wall up, then work my way through 80 grit, 100, and 120. Then look everything over and be very generous with drywall repair. Prime everything, check drywall again, and finally move onto paint. Good Luck!

Hi Karen,

I think you’re asking if you need to apply a clear coat over the cabinets after you paint them. No you do not. These enamels are designed to be a top coat and are incredibly durable (potentially more durable than clear coats that would be applied over them). Applying a clear coat over the cabinets actually comes with disadvantages such as making it so future touch ups don’t blend in.

Good Eye!

You’ll notice two types of articles on my site. The first are posts where I get technical on the painting and really dig into the how to stuff. I try to use photos from my personal projects for these. The second type are “best” style posts where I make a list of some of my favorite products for recommendations to my readers. For these, I will often grab a stock photo just to help illustrate my posts. It’s not always worth going out and getting a perfect photo for every situation and to be honest, I don’t like worry about photos and stuff while I’m working, I just like to get the job done and go home 🙂

Hi Carli,

If your new holes are in a completely new location not adjacent to the old holes, then you can fill the old holes with the normal grain filler. Make sure to put on two to three coats as it will shrink a little bit and cause a small dimple if you don’t. If your new holes are right next to the old ones or even touching them, then you will need to fill the old holes with something stronger like bondo or a hard wood filler. These are stronger than the drywall grain filler and will allow you to drill into or next to them without any issues. Hope This Helps!

Hi Dawn,

Yes, a bit of the old mineral spirits does creep into the poured off batch, but this is something that can’t really be avoided. Honestly, I don’t think a little sediment getting into the pour off is really a big deal either, it is, after all, just your cleanup mineral spirits. Hope this helps!

HI Barbara,

I approach vinyl cabinets the same way I approach other cabinets. Simply clean them thoroughly (Dawn and warm water), sand them with a medium sanding sponge, prime with Zinsser Smart Prime, then top coat with Benjamin Moore Advance. Good Luck!

Hi Dres, Sorry to hear that you’re having problems. Frog Tape is literally the best tape I have found. My guess is that the real issue is a prep issue. This is VERY common on the edges of cabinets where you would likely run tape when painting the adjacent wall. Many times people will sand and clean the cabinet, but they either don’t get all the way to the edge (where the cabinet meets the wall) or they don’t get that area very well. This creates bonding issues right at the edge of the cabinet where it meets the wall. There is good news though, other than the issue of taping causing chipping, that area will likely never take any other abuse and shouldn’t cause future issues. My advice is to get an artist brush and touch up the edges when you’re done painting OR don’t tape the edges and try to paint next to them freehand. Good Luck!

I wrote a whole post on this that you can check out here: How To Clean Painted Cabinets.

I personally love Purdy brushes and Wooster. Those are pretty much all I use. I don’t have any experience with a mortar brush, but when I say stiff, I mean in relation to other paint brushes. Most brushes will say if they have a stiff or soft bristle.

Hi Scott,
If you have an air compressor that can deliver a high enough CFM already, they are fantastic. Most cheap air compressors don’t deliver enough cfm for HVLP spray guns. For my profession, and many people who don’t already own air compressors, it makes sense to purchase a sprayer with a built-in turbine. But, like I said, if you already have a nice compressor, than save the money and just buy the gun.

You don’t have to, but it might not be a bad idea depending on how the wood looks. I usually do (wood gets dirty at the lumber mills and retail stores).

Hi Anna,
The truth is that most all water based primers are not great at blocking tannin bleed throughs (stains). They are just ok. But, I don’t recommend using oil based primers for your cabinets either. I don’t like breathing in the high VOCs that come with oil. What I do is prime everything, then go back and double check everything before the top coat and hit any bleed throughs with a spray can of Kilz Original (oil). This allows me to only use the oil based primer where absolutely necessary. It works great. Usually, there are only a handful of bleed through areas and you can get away with using less than a half of a can of Kilz.

Absolutely it can. As long as the lacquer is fully cured, you can go over it with any product you would like. Lacquers tend to be more brittle, I think you will love the durability of Advance.

Hi Elizabeth,

IF you plan on putting in new drywall in a couple of years, I wouldn’t hesitate for a minute to paint over the existing wallpaper. If you plan on removing the wallpaper in a couple of years and keeping the existing walls (I’d go with new drywall personally), paint will only make the wallpaper removal harder.

I would dab a little glue under any bad peeling corners, prime everything with Kilz 2 latex, and then go ahead and paint. This option will make the walls look “good enough” for the next couple of years until you are ready for the bigger project of installing new drywall. I would vacuum the corners and any major dirt areas, then wash everything with a rag before beginning as well. Good Luck!

Hi Terence,
Funny you should ask, I just wrote up a review on Behr Semi-Transparent deck stain last week. I really like Bher, but Sherwin Williams Super Deck and Benjamin Moore Arborcoat are great tool. Also, I prefer semi-transparent for the look and how easy it is to re-coat.

Hi Meredith,
To clean bare wood cabinets, I think I would just sand them down with a fine or medium grit sanding sponge. That should take off any greasy fingerprints. For priming, I really like Zinsser Smart Prime and INSL-X Stix. Either should do great for you. Good Luck!

Hi Rick,

I actually have a gallon of Valspar Cabinet & Furniture (Oil Enriched enamel) on my shelf waiting to use it on a project so I can review it, but I actually haven’t used it yet.

However, like other oil-enriched products (hybrids), I would thin it with water (typically between 10-20%). I personally don’t use Flood Floetrol, I don’t think it does any better job than water.

I don’t recommend sanding down to wood. I like to thoroughly clean the cabinets first (warm water and even some dawn dish soap, then rinse), then sand with medium grit 3M sanding sponges. That should be enough to rough up the surface and allow your primer to adhere properly.
Hope this helps! Good luck!

Hi Wendy,

Sorry to hear about your store experience. Here’s the thing to remember, while they may deal with paint every day, they typically have very little real-world experience. Also, they may have an incentive to push certain products. I have no incentive for you to use Smart Prime (unless you buy it on Amazon, which rarely happens), I could recommend any primer on here, I recommend it because I’ve used it on my projects with complete success.

Tannins are tricky and the one area where oil primers outshine water-based primers. I always keep a spray can of Kilz Original and spot prime any tannin bleed through after the first coat of primer. Works perfectly and I end up with 4-5 small sprays of oil vs shooting the entire kitchen. The harm to the environment, the harm to my body, and the extra paint thinner expense isn’t worth it to use oils on the entire project. I hope this helps!

Sounds like you’re going above and beyond on your cabinets, they should turn out great!

Hi Mike,
I think waiting 24 hours should be plenty, but you have to make sure to use a tape specially made for this situation. I love Frog Tape. Normal Frog Tape may work just fine, but they also have another version called Frog Tape Delicate Surface, which might be even better for your situation. Regular “Painter’s Tape” doesn’t always give the best results. Also, make sure to test out a small area. Make sure the tape adheres well and releases well before taping everything. Good Luck.

Hi Carol,
I’ve done Advance on a lot of bathroom cabinets and haven’t experienced this problem. My guess is that it is a colorant issue. I would take some pictures of the vanity, then some pictures after some water has been splashed on.
A good solution might be to topcoat the vanity with a clear coat. Minwax Satin Water Based Polycrylic would work great and should solve your issues, not to mention that brush strokes won’t show in the clear coat. Good Luck!

Nope. Exterior stains are meant to be a stain and top coat in one. No need to top coat. Good luck!

Hi Jeff,

I probably paint the insides of the cabinets one in every 10-15 jobs. Personally, I hate painting the insides of the cabinets due to over-spray blow back. It all blows back in my face and there isn’t a good way around this. But that’s just a personal thing, there are no issues with painting the insides.

Time estimate per door. Probably 30 minutes on the low end and 60 on the high end. Should be somewhere in that range.

Hi Cheryl,

My first choice of primer is Zinnser Smart Prime. I also have used Kilz 2 and INSL-X Stix and like both a lot. Good Luck!

Hi Amy,
That’s a really hard question, but here are my thoughts. Occasionally batches of paint can be bad. It may go bad while in storage or on a vary rare occasion, the manufacturer can make a bad batch. I’m guessing that you’ll spend at least 40 hours painting your cabinets. My guess is the paint is fine, but at the same time, buying a new gallon of paint is probably worth the peace of mind! Good Luck!

Hey Matt,
Thanks for the compliment! Honestly, I love hearing when one of my articles helps someone.

Painting the bottoms of the cabinets. I always paint the bottoms. I really don’t like the look when people choose to not paint them. I am assuming you mean the bottom of the uppers (or potentially the tow kick under the lowers, either way). I prime them and paint them just like anything else and never have any issues. The hardest part is angling the sprayer to get good spray on the bottoms, it can sometimes take an extra coat. I think you’ll be happier if you paint them.

Good luck!

Good luck Mary!

Hi Allison,
I painted cabinets with an airless sprayer for years before switching to an HVLP. At first glance, HVLP sprayers are a little harder to learn, but they are actually much easier to use, more forgiving, and produce a better finish. Airless sprayers don’t give as nice of a finish, are more prone to runs, and waste far more paint (they have 300-500% more overspray than HVLP sprayers. You’ve given me an idea for a new post, something along the lines of “How To Use An HVLP Sprayer To Paint Cabinets”. I think I’ll put that in my todo list!

Thanks Stephane, I hope this helps you get an even better finish! Good Luck!

Hi Cathy,
Yes, whether they are painted, clear coated, or unfinished, I always start by cleaning, then sanding. The level of sanding will always depend on the condition of the cabinets, but you need to sand enough to at least de-gloss the surface, rough it up, and remove any previous imperfections. Hope this helps!

Hi Jon,
I typically don’t caulk panels for clients, but if it were my own cabinets, then yes I would caulk them (since I can fix it myself if they do eventually crack from expansion/contraction).
For sanding you do not need to go to the wood. You just need to rough up the surface, basically de-gloss it, to allow better adhesion of the primer. Hope this helps!

Hey Allen,
Without seeing what is going on, this is my best guess, and sorry, but there aren’t any great solutions for wood expansion and contraction. Wood expands and contracts a lot, especially in places like Minnesota where we have humid summers (expansion) and dry winters (contraction). Elastomeric paint is going to have a bit more elasticity, but likely a lot less than your caulk, meaning it will expand and contract differently, and probably still crack. I don’t think the durability of an elastomeric paint is going to be anywhere near Advance, nor do I think it will look that nice either. One idea might be to install a whole-house humidifier onto your furnace and aim to keep the humidity steady throughout the year. I wish I had a better solution for you.

Hey Michael,
Just got an email from you. I’ll reply in email.

Hey Nikki,
It sounds to me like you did everything right. That should not be happening after two weeks of dry time. My first guess would be a pigment issue with the paint color. I would take a door off of your cabinets and bring it into the paint store and show them exactly what is going on. Tell them you sanded the door, used multiple coats of primer and then show them the issue. I’ve gotten paint with bad colorant and it can cause all kinds of weird issues. Good luck and let me know how it turns out.

Yes I am in the US. Don’t know how to help you up there, but here is Smart Prime on Amazon.

Hey Butch,
You can switch out a cup (siphon) gun for a gravity feed gun on any HVLP sprayer. I just prefer cup guns for cabinets since they hold more and are a bit easier to shoot at different angles.

Hi Denise,
My personal favorite primer and top coats right now are Zinsser Smart Prime for the primer, and Benjamin Moore Advance for the top coat. If you click on the links you can read my full reviews on both products. Good Luck with your project.

Hi MK,
Sorry to hear about your issue. With anything like this, figuring out the cause can be tricky, so here are a couple of ideas. First, the degreaser may be the issue. Sanding should be your last step before priming. If you used a degreaser after sanding, you may have residue from the degreaser left on your cabinets. Personally, I don’t use degreasers because they can cause issues. I like to wash the cabinets before sanding, I’ll use dawn if they are greasy (with an extra rinse wipe), then I sand everything, vac, and prime.
Second guess, you may have not given the primer enough time to cure. Enamels typically don’t reach their full hardness and bonding strength for 7-30 days. So if you tried scratching the finish off on day 2, you might just be prematurely judging it.
Third guess, better prepping is needed. More sanding likely. Honestly though, I’d go with my first two guesses first.
I haven’t had a bonding issue with Smart Prime and I’ve done a lot of cabinets (for people who wouldn’t let any issues slide).
Keep me up to date on how it turns out. Good luck.

Hi Mitchie,
Sorry to hear that the paint on your cabinets is cracking and chipping. Right now I’d just be guessing at what could have happened. If you can share any more info about your project, I might be able to help more. Do you know what prep work was done, primer used, top coat used, anything else?

Hi Leah,
Absolutely. Advance should be a great topcoat to go over MDF primed with shellac. The smoothness of the finish will depend more on the method you use for finishing them. I use an HVLP sprayer and thin my Advance by about 20%. I’m able to get a flawlessly smooth finish this way. I’d also recommend spraying them while laying flat on a table, it’s easier. You can read more about painting cabinets here if needed. Good Luck!

Hi Rachel,
It really depends on how you want to tackle the project. If you can handle having a whole floor prepped off and under construction for a few days, then go for it. If you think you can only get a few hours a weekend devoted to painting your trim, then I would pick one room per weekend to work on. One benefit to breaking it into smaller projects is that you learn every time you do a DIY project. Fore example, maybe on the first room, you find that you didn’t do as good of a tape job as you thought. Then in the next room, you can slow down and do it even better. Hope this helps a bit!

Hi again Penny,
If you have a sprayer and you are comfortable with it, spraying will always give you a smoother finish. I just wrote up a review/guide on the Wagner Flexio 2000 if you want to check out a cheap sprayer.
Finding BM Advance Primer and Zinsser Smart Prime is hard for quite a few people I am finding out. I would recommend ordering online. I recently ordered paint online and was really happy with what I got, but some people’s paint has shown up in bad condition from online retailers. Just make sure the retailer is a good one that will accept returns if the paint shows up in poor condition.

Hi Lynn,
I have used this method over painted cabinets without any problems. Make sure to go through all the steps I lay out in my How To Paint Cabinets Like A Pro post and you should be fine.

Hi Penny,
I actually really like the BM Advance Primer. It is a good product. I would be confident moving forward using that as my primer.

Smart Prime should be available at most Home Depot and Lowes stores. Sometimes when you get paint, it can show up chunky/old, this is not usually the manufacturer’s fault. It is usually the store selling it. They may have let it freeze in their trucks, stored it too long, or something else. Smart Prime is great, just make sure to buy it from someone who sells enough and will take a return if anything shows up not on par.

Hi Chandra,
I do have a few recommendations:
Primer: Zinsser Smart Prime (review)
Paint: BM Advance 🙂
Sprayer if you are interested: Wagner Flexio 2000 (review)

Hi Tasha,

Assuming the Rustoleum finish is in good shape, I would thoroughly sand everything down, prime and paint. I only resort to stripping if there is a major issue and no other solution since stripping a finish is very time consuming. And yes, I do sand between every coat. Medium grit before primer, then fine after primer, extra fine between top coats.

Hi Paulette,
Honestly Milesi and Renner are super niche products, both are really expensive, and neither are popular in the US. BM Advance on the other hand can be found all over the US and is one my personal favorites. You can read my review on it here: Benjamin Moore Advance: Cabinet Paint Review.

Yes. Thinning the paint will help it atomize better as you spray. Technically you may not have to thin it, but it won’t look good when you spray and will leave more of an orange peel texture rather than a smooth glassy finish. I typically thin 20% with my Titan Capspray 115.

Hi Deb,

Way to think Preventative Maintenance! If the paint at the top of door is still in good shape and you just want to seal the split to prevent future damage, I would honestly use just about any clear coat. You could grab a pint of polyurethane at any hardware store, an artist brush and just dab the clear coat over the crack. If it were me, I’d even be fine grabbing some clear fingernail polish and sealing the cracks up. Anything to stop the cracking and prevent water from getting into the wood.

Hi Steve,

Sorry you are having issues. I have a couple of guesses as to what is happening and how to fix, but without more information, these are only guesses.

The browny yellow coming through is likely the tannins from the oak wood bleeding through. An oil-based primer like Kilz Original works great at stopping these tannins from bleeding through, but the VOC content is awful and so is the cleanup. I really like Zinsser Smart Prime and have been using it on cabinets for a while now. Occasionally, small tannin spots will still bleed through the primer and I will hit those spots with Kilz Original can spray (rather than priming everything with kilz original).

The second problem (again just guessing), is that the cabinets may not have been prepped well enough. This is likely why they are peeling. They need to be perfectly clean (no kitchen grease) and everything sanded. This helps the primer bond to the cabinets. If you don’t clean/sand them well, the bond won’t be strong.

The third problem may be Zinsser 1-2-3. It is a fine general-purpose water-based primer. It is ok at bonding and ok at blocking, but not great at either. I prefer Zinsser Smart Prime, Kilz Original (high voc), Benjamin Moore Advance Primer, and a few others. They bond better and block tannins better.

Fourth, Berh Cabinet Coat. In the post I state “While I do like Behr products, I do not currently recommend any of their paints for kitchen cabinet finishing” and I still stick to this. I’ve used their cabinet products and I am not impressed. I have had bonding issues and it doesn’t look as good as Benjamin Moore Advance (my preferred cabinet top coat) or other products.

So now a good solution… Stripping them will be a ton of work and I would avoid it if at all possible. Most finishes don’t reach their maximum hardness until roughly 30 days. So, even if you do everything right, you still may be able to peel a good finish with your fingernail during the first week. HD should know this and not be doing that. I’d give the finish some time and see if it hardens, if so, you can then just re-prime and topcoat with a better primer and better topcoat. That would be my first suggestion before scraping/stripping which could take MANY hours.

Let me know how it goes!

Hi Susan,
You can absolutely use joint compound (this method) for filling in the groove on the cabinet. Make sure to sand out the groove good before applying compound though. If the groove is really big/deep, and the cabinets get abused a lot, moving to a harder drying wood filler wouldn’t hurt.

Hey Guy,

Personally, if you’re just painting trim and you don’t expect it to get too much abuse, you are probably fine just painting over it with your Behr Premium Plus. I would probably do the same in my own home. I wouldn’t recommend the same for cabinets or a high traffic area, but general trim, sure, save some time and you’ll probably never have an issue.

Hey Maria,
I recommend satin for almost all kitchen cabinets.
By topcoat I do mean the final coat of BM Advance. I do not topcoat them with a clear coat.
I spray on every coat and sand in between coats. I recommend spraying to anyone who is willing/can spend a little bit more money on their tools.
I typically do 1 coat primer and two top coats, but a third top coat is sometimes needed in different situations.

Hi Brenda,
I just answered a similar question on this post: How To Paint Kitchen Cabinets Like A Pro.

In short, yes, you shouldn’t have any problems. Just make sure to sand everything with fine sanding sponges and prime with a good bonding primer before starting (something you should do no matter what type of finish is on your trim). I recommend 3M Fine Sanding Sponges and Zinsser Smart Prime.

I actually just wrote a new post addressing this here: Painting Over Oil Based Paint

Sure. This is the Purdy Pro Extra Glide 2.5″ Stiff brush: https://amzn.to/396U8ic

It is my absolute favorite brush, works great for this project, and will last years if you take care of it.

Thanks Peter. Good luck!

As long as the previous paint is in good shape and you sand it first, you shouldn’t have any problems going over it.

Hi John,
Feel free to send pictures if you keep having issues, I’ll do my best to help you find the issue.

Hi John,
Since the compound is put on quite thin, it usually takes maybe an hour to dry (not even if the humidity is low).

Hey Tim,

Durobond is a great product, just not for cabinets in my opinion. It is a great drywall product that is good for first coats. I wouldn’t use it on a top coat due to how hard it sands (it literally has glue in it). When looking for a grain filler, you only need to fill tiny little holes in wood. You want something that sands really easy and honestly, being able to wash it off areas has been incredibly helpful to me over the years.

Absolutely. It’s all about the prep. Make sure to scuff the laminate and use a good primer like Zinsser Smart Prime.

Hi Craig,

Thanks for the question. Typically I wash cabinets down with a wet rag and then scuff with a sanding sponge. This works 99% of the time. Occasionally, I will run into cabinets that are exceptionally greasy, and then I will wash with some dish soap. With highly detailed areas, I take extra time when sanding, that’s really it. I personally don’t use deglossers and think they are usually unnecessary when dealing with kitchens. That being said, a deglosser won’t hurt anything, I just don’t use them. Sorry, I’m sure this doesn’t help much!

Hey Adam,
Gald to hear you liked the article and hopefully I can help you eliminate some of those callbacks. All I can give you is my experience, but I am pretty confident in my process. Like I’ve stated here, I haven’t had a kitchen cabinet callback in years (honestly I don’t remember one in the last 10 years).

I actually live in MN as well, NW of Minneapolis.

I don’t use shellac or any solvent-based products anymore as I have had concerns for my health over the last 10 years. Also, I don’t use airless sprayers on cabinets. They create too much overspray and waste too much product. I switched to HVLP sprayers for cabinets and honestly, nothing beats spraying cabinets with a Titan Capspray 115 HVLP, they are amazing and produce the best finish possible. Just a quick bit on this. An airless sprayer (let’s say Graco 395) is going to spray between 2000 – 3300 psi. That’s a LOT of pressure. A dialed-in HVLP is going to spray at 10-15 psi. Also, the overspray is drastically less with an HVLP. Usually an airless has 20-30% overspray where an HVLP is between 5-10%. So I use a #3 tip in a Maxum 2 gun with product thinned by roughly 20% on average.

I have made the mistake of using grain fillers that are way too hard to sand. I would stay away from the DAP grain filler. Honestly, thinned Plus 3 mud works amazing and I have NEVER had an issue (other than people not believing me that drywall mud works amazing for grain filler). I sand it down until it just fills the grain, nothing else. You don’t want large patches of mud sitting on the surface. I know that with the dry winters here and humid summers, we get some serious expansion and contraction of wood. But, ff the door is painted on all sides, the expansion and contraction of the wood should be minimal and not present any issues. This is why when I am doing doors (normal doors, not cabinet doors), I always make sure to prime and paint the tops and bottoms.

Tannins are a problem, especially in oak. I started using Smart Prime (the link will take you to a review I recently wrote on it) and have been extremely happy with it. I do still bring a can of aerosol Kilz along on jobs just to hit any bleed through that makes it through the Smart Prime. Then two coats of Advance (my review of that as well). As long as I am diligent about addressing the bleed through before I get to the topcoat, I have not had any calls of tannins bleeding through after the job is completed. I use these two products because they perform amazingly well and both have extremely low VOC levels which I and my clients like.

Top coating your enamel. I never do this. Advance is made to be a top coat and doesn’t yellow. Most clear coats will yellow more over time than Advance, so I avoid them. Plus adding a clear topcoat creates a touch-up nightmare for the homeowner in the future. If they have a small brush and the Advance paint I used, they can easily touch up and big dings or scratches that they create in the future. A clear coat makes fixing issues like that much more difficult and they simply don’t blend.

Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other question I can help with!

Hi Sady,

I have dealt with this a handful of times. I cut off any peeling with a razor blade, but keep everything that isn’t peeling. Then I prime the sides an extra time before beginning the process on everything else. Then skim the sides with grain filler, sand smooth, then prime again with the rest of the cabinets and go from there.

That should make the sites look good and smooth. Hope that helps!

Hi Lauel,

My guess is this could be one of three things.

You may not have much of a deep graining issue on your cabinets if the original clear coat is already filling it in nicely. Occasionally I will run into oak cabinets that have such a thick clear coat (maybe it was brushed in as well) that the grain is already filled quite nicely with clear coat and doesn’t take much filler.

It could be that you didn’t work the filler into the grain enough before sanding.

Or It could be that you are over sanding. This grain filler sands easily (which is why I love it) but this can result in over-sanding.

My guess is the first one. You probably filled the grain just fine. Often times you don’t see much of the filler left behind, but even those little bits you do see can really help improve the finished look of your cabinets.

Good Luck!

Hi Robert,
It depends on the size of the kitchen, but the compound actually goes really far. I buy it in 5 gallon buckets due to how much work I do, but I would imagine that a quart would get most people through their kitchen.

Hey Steve,
BIN Shellac Primer is great. It is a fantastic primer. But it has a VOC content of 539 grams / liter, which is absolutely huge. It carries a super high health risk and even a high flame risk. When I was younger, I always chose performance over safety, then I started looking for the best mix, now, my safety is number one. But I won’t use BIN in any situation these days as I don’t want to compromise my long term health. I actually just did a review post on Zinsser Smart Prime which has a 25 g/l VOC content (which is fantastic) and this is a great primer I use all the time.

Hi Beth,

I would LOVE to see any before and afters of your project when you’re done!

After I sand the grain filler (drywall compound), I simply use a shop vac and a brush attachment to clean off the dust. Any dust left after a good vacuuming will be so fine that it won’t cause any issues, I can promise you that (I’ve done hundreds of kitchens). You definitely do not want to wipe down the cabinets with a wet rag or tack cloth after sanding the filler. A wet rag will reconstitute the compound and pull it out of the grain and a tack cloth can cause issues in the finish. So just stick to a good vacuuming with a shop vac after the filler.

Once you’ve sanded the primer, do the same thing. Use a shop vac and brush attachment to clean everything up before your first top coat. Even after sanding the first top coat, I clean everything with a shop vac and brush attachment. After the first top coat though, if it makes you feel more confident, go ahead and wipe things down with a wet rag. Honestly though, anything left from a good vacuuming won’t affect your finish.

Hi Lisa,
Sorry to hear that you are having trouble. First, don’t wipe down drywall compound with a damp rag (and don’t use tac cloths, they cause more issues than they solve). A damp rag will end up reconstituting the compound and pulling it out of the grain. When I am done sanding, I simply vacuum with a shop vac and a brush attachment. Anything more than that is unnecessary. You do not need it perfectly clean, just shop vac clean. You still have to apply primer (then sand and vac), then after you apply your first top coat and sand that, that is when you shoot for a flawlessly clean surface. Still, a shop vac usually gets that good enough, but you can absolutely wipe things down with a wet rag after your first top coat if you wish.

Hey Bonnie,
Sorry to hear that you’re having problems with your doors! It sounds like you are doing everything possible to get as little texture as possible on your door. Sadly, the only way I know of to get absolutely no stipple or brush marks would be to actually spray your doors. Maybe that is an option you should look into. I have a post on choosing the best sprayer for the right project and am currently working on an intro to spraying post as well (hopefully I will have that up soon).

Hi Amy,
Yes, I do use a primer. I recently switched to Zinsser Smart Prime as I’ve found the bond of this primer is exceptional.

Hi Mike,

650 feet is a lot of fence!

An Airless sprayer will be the fastest method by far, but also probably waste the most amount of paint.

A regular cup gun will be slower, but have less overspray.

HVLP guns are going to have the least amount of waste typically 3-10%, but will be drastically slower.

A brush and roller will have the least amount of waste, but also be the slowest.

So you have to decide if you want to waste more time or waste more product (money).

As far as the stain only lasting a year, that is a bummer. Typically horizontal boards will last 2-3 years but verticle boards like fences can often last 5+ years with a good stain. So my guess is either application error or poor product.

Personally, I would go go home depot and rent a nice sprayer. I would have someone following me with a brush and roller. 1 person sprays on the stain while the other follows and rolls it in and brushes out everything. You can have the sprayer back in a day and be out $100 but it won’t take a week!

Hope this helps!

Hi Amanda,
I personally don’t use paint conditioners. I typically thin with a bit of water (10% for brushing, 20% for spraying). If I am brushing something, I have to be ok with some brush marks no matter what. If you really don’t want brush marks, consider getting a paint sprayer (HVLP).

Hi Kathy,
Absolutely sand the cabinets before you apply the compound. I sand and vacuum mine before applying the compound (oftentimes will wash them with warm water and dawn if they are greasy from cooking).

Hi Edna,

The longer you wait, the more durable your doors will be when you put them back up. So, if you can wait a week or two, great. However, I often times put doors back on the day after I finished spraying them. Because they are so fresh I wear gloves to keep them clean, I am extremely careful, and I put clear bumpers on the backs of the doors so that they do not stick together.

Hi Theresa,

Honestly, any stiff bristle brush works just fine. You don’t have to buy an expensive brush for this. Just don’t buy a soft bristle brush, stiff work a lot better.

Good luck. Check back in and let me know how it went!

Gape Mist SW-6548 from Sherwin Williams

Hi Staci,

That is a concern. To get around this I do two things. First, I use Painter’s Tripods. These are little triangle tripods that keep your door off the table and only leave tiny spots, if any.

Second, I always to the backs of the doors first. Thies means that the front side will never have to sit on the table after it has been sprayed. So if 4 little dots are left on your cabinets, they will only be left on the back side.

Hope this helps!

Hi Gayle,
You can absolutely apply a glaze over Advance. There are different types of glazes, some of which will require you to let the paint cure longer before applying. But any latex glaze should be fine to use after 24-48 hours.

Hey Mark,
The Wagner Felxio 890 and Flexio 3000 are actually quite different, but both would be just fine for your cabinets.
The 890 actually has it’s turbine in the storage case, which makes the actual sprayer much lighter. This is really a big deal. Both spray guns are heavy when they are full of paint, but the Flexio 3000’s turbine is built into the gun, making it much heavier. This will really crush your arm over time. Other than that, I think they are actually really similar sprayers.
If you are looking for an upgrade from the 890, the Flexio 5000 is more comparable.

Hey Stephen,

Not a typo. But I completely get where you are coming from. If you don’t know what you are doing, you can really make a mess of a wall with 3/4 nap. But if you do know what you are doing you can get a tight stipple that looks no different than a 1/2 nap and roll out your walls significantly faster. BTW – I never give a new guy a thick pad, they always get 3/8 or 1/2.

Hi Michael,
I couldn’t tell you 100% for sure, but that looks like a cedar tone or redwood. You can see more deck stain colors with links to the colors in this post: https://diypaintingtips.com/deck-stain-colors/

Hi Aimee,
As a standard rule of thumb, I tend to see that water-based exterior stains typically last longer than oil-based, but oil-based stains look better. Not 100% true across the board, but true more times than not.

Hi Janine,
I typically use 120 – 150 grit paper or medium grit sanding sponges to sand the grain filler. After the primer is on, I use 180 to sand the primer (or fine grit sponges. Then after the first topcoat, I use 220 grit or extra-fine sponges.
Hope that helps!

Hi Andrea,
I am thrilled that you found my site useful! I will have to look around a bit and see if I can find those colors for you. I typically use Van Dyke Brown glaze from Sherwin Williams (so that is probably it).
Something I’ve done whenever I try a new glazing technique or finish is I go to the re-use store and buy 3-4 old cabinet doors. I then paint them up and practice glazes on them to get the exact look I’m going for.
For you last coat, as long as you have a smooth surface and a dust free environment, you should not need to sand the last coat.
Good luck with your project!
Ryan

Hi Harry,

A polycrylic or polyurethane won’t offer any extra durability over these enamels. The only time I do spray a clear coat over my painted cabinets is when I have applied a glaze or distressed finish.

If you painted your cabinets with normal wall paint, (which I have seen done many times), then maybe a clear coat would provide extra durability. But when you are using any kind of hybrid, water, or oil enamel made for kitchen cabinets, you shouldn’t need any extra protection.

Hi Kelly,
Glad you found the article helpful. Benjamin Moore actually has a primer called Advance Primer that is made to be used with the Advance topcoat. If you’re on a budget, I’ve actually found that Kilz Latex 2 Primer works quite well also.

Hi Renee,
I’m actually in the Minneapolis area. My business is https://www.MinneapolisPaintingCompany.com. Feel free to check it out and give me a call anytime!

Hi Ryan,
In my experience, color had a bigger impact years ago than it does now. Also, even then it was only select bright colors that produce problems. These days, if the paint color you are using is causing the paint project to take longer, you are probably using really cheap paint. Use a high-quality paint product and you should have a similar experience painting tan, blue, red and even yellow.

And no one was talking about production painting. When a painter is doing production, they will go MUCH faster than I discussed above.

Hey John,
This is awesome that you started finishing your own cabinets. What a great way to get more work out of existing clients.

Yes I have applied poly after painting cabinets, but I’ve only done this after glazing cabinets. I’ve never poly’d cabinets just to add more shine. Personally, high gloss cabinets sound a bit hard on the eyes! But to each his own!

How long you should wait before spraying poly over Advance is probably a perfect question for a Benjamin Moore rep. But If I were doing the project, I would feel fine waiting 24 hours. I’d probably finish the last top coat, leave for the night and come back the next day to spray on the poly. I can’t think of a reason why this would be a problem.

I don’t know the correct term for this, but typically, you can always apply top coats in less caustic pattern (not the right term, I know). For example, I could spray a coat of oil over a coat of lacquer, and a coat of water based over a coat of oil base. Going the other direction, however, can have disasterous results.

Hi Gena,

If you cabinets were properly sanded and primed before painting, then the paint shouldn’t come off with tape. The bigger worry would be tape residue left behind on your cabinets after being on for a long time. In this case, it is worth using the highest quality tape you can. Better tapes tend to have clean removal even after 30+ days where cheaper tape can leave a sticky residue behind. Tapes like Scotch Delicate Surface or Frog Tape Delicate Surface both have 60 day clean removal periods and should work great for you.

If your cabinets weren’t prepped and primed properly, these delicate surface tapes would still be your best bet since they will have the most gentle release.

Reagan,

I am not looking for floor squre footage, but rather wall square footage. A 13 x 13 room with 8 foot high walls will be 52*8 which is 416 sq ft, which is why I said “roughly a 13′ x 13′ bedroom with 8′ ceilings”.

Painters don’t care how much floor space a room has, but rather how much wall space (that’s what we’re painting!).

Hi Penny,

When bleaching water stains with oxalic acid, you need patience. It will take quite a few coats and a lot of time. I like to take a “before” picture to compare and measure my progress. This helps show me it’s working and keeps me motivated.

To neutralize with baking soda, mix baking soda into water and brush onto the area you were bleaching. You should see a reaction as you apply the baking soda and water. It will fizz like soda. Keep applying until there is no more reaction. Then wipe clean with plain water and a rag.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Sarah! I am actually working on a glazing “How To” at the moment and hope to have it ready soon.

Hey Ron, Yes I do recommend caulking the length of the trim that runs against the wall. What happens if you don’t is that the small gap between the trim and the wall will show as a contrasting shadow next to the white trim. It doesn’t look good. By caulking this gap, you eliminate the gap, any shadowing and can then create a perfect tape line between the trim and the wall.

Nope. We just typically remove them because we are painting the rest of the house at the same time. It also allows us to avoid getting paint on the house while painting the shutters and allows us to do less ladder work.

Thanks for the feedback Nix. I will get this fixed asap!

Thanks for catching my mistake!

Adriana,
Sorry to hear you are having troubles with your project! Sadly, it sounds like you have a lot of sanding in your future.

I don’t actually think it’s necessary to sand back down to wood though. I would start by sanding the top coat until it is smooth to your liking. If you find that you got everything smooth to your liking and you didn’t have to sand down to bare wood, then I would go ahead and apply another top coat. Two top coats might be necessary if you sanded off a significant amount of your first top coat (make sure to sand between these coats as well!).

I can’t imagine that you’ll have to sand off everything down to bare wood.

I would also look for any other reasons that you think you got the orange peel texture. Were you using a sprayer? If so, was the paint properly thinned for the sprayer? Too think of paint can create an orange peel texture when spraying. I actually just finished a post on the best sprayers for these types of projects: https://diypaintingtips.com/best-paint-sprayer/

Good Luck! Hope it turns out great!