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Is a clear top coat needed over Cabinet Coat?

15 years ago

Hi all,

I'm new to the forums, and I'm thrilled at all the info I'm finding.

We're building a home, and I've been collecting cabinets from craigslist. I have some maple, some oak, and some that were white-washed ??

So, I'm going to paint them all, and from what I've gathered here, what would be recommended would be to first prime (SW PrepRight Classic), then 2 coats of Cabinet Coat, with a Chinex or Corona brush. (Sanding before and after and all that..) Does that sound about right?

My question is, after the Cabinet Coat, do I need to do a top coat of polycrylic or something similar? Or is the Cabinet Coat sturdy and washable enough on its own?

Also, I keep reading about a booklet that Michael did on painting cabinets, but I haven't been able to locate it. Could someone possibly post a link?

Thanks so much,

Carrie

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Comments (5)

paintguy22
15 years ago
It's durable enough without a finish.
Faron79
15 years ago
Yep, no further coat needed.

Unless, from a design standpoint, you want more of a deep "clear-coat" look.
That would be a chunk of extra work though....like 3 or 4 coats of a Polycrylic.

Faron
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evamommy
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you!
No...I don't feel the need for the look; certainly not at the price (time and money) of another 3-4 coats. I imagine I'll be tired enough by the time I'm done.
Now to see how difficult it will be to find the right paint and brushes in my area...
Thanks again!!
Carrie
randita
15 years ago
evamommy - if you can't find Corona Chinex brushes locally, order them online. I got mine from www.thepaintstore.com. Delivery was prompt. They come in all shapes and sizes. I like the Corona Edge and the Corona Excaliber and have each style in 1", 1.5" and 2". Might want to check with the experts about what size brush to use for cabinets. If the doors are raised panel, you might want an angled brush to more easily get into the crevices. But if the cabinets are flat front, a straight edges brush would be fine.
sgab80
15 years ago
Painted my 20 yr old pine cabinets white about 3 years ago, I had glass put in a couple of the doors. After weeks of the process, taking doors, shelves out, cleaning, degreasing, sanding, prime, sand, prime, 2 coats of white-I used Benjamin Moore's cabinet paint, it wasnt recommended to coat with a clear coat, unless you want a shiny, plastic type look...I read forever about this process. To this very day, they look wonderful and clean very easily, just wipe off, no nicks. I think having no shiny clear finish makes them look like a rich, thick, white.
By the way, I did buy the 30 dollar paint brushes I had read about, but found thru the process....honestly those little foam rollers, and brushes gave a smoother finish and I could toss them at the end of the day.

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