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Paint Before & After Kitchens

painting laminated (melamine) cabinets

5 years ago

If you sand them, prime them appropriately and use the right paint, how long will they last? do they scratch easily . Remember, I'm talking about cabinets, not countertops, where most of the time, u r using a handle to open the cabinet doors and not touching them directly. However, one may accidently touch/scrape them. what is ur experience?

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PRO

Paint sales at Home Depot

5 years ago

Amazing at how others so tritely suggest you spends thousands of dollars, rather than spend $50 for a DYI project.

Most of the paints on the market intended for existing cabinets, will bond directly to the old finishes, including laminate, without a primer. The most important thing is that the cabinets be clean, especially of oils from cooking or being handled with oily fingers. A scuff sanding is not a bad idea too.

With proper application, the painted finish should last for years. Of course, they will occasionally get a chip when someone hits them. It is always a good idea to keep a small container of touch-up paint.

I recommend Behr's Water Based Alkyd Enamel for such projects. It dries hard, like a true oil based enamel. It flows out well, leaving minimal brush marks. It can be sprayed, but airless equipment is preferred. The best part is that it is only $35 per gallon, which should do a small kitchen.

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Comments (9)

herbflavor
5 years ago
if they are needing painting...or so old they no longer look good, then the insides and the lack of flexibility for storage and the layout probably are factors as well. I would say, put them in garage or basement and get yourself some new cabinets with better features, INSIDE and OUT.
HU-462385867 thanked herbflavor
Little Bird
5 years ago
We used to have ugly orange toned wood cabinet and doors in our mud room. We had them painted white a couple of years ago, and so far they are holding up well, even with kids scraping their backpacks against the doors, and kicking the drawers with shoes on. None of the scratches go all the way through the paint to show any of the orange wood underneath. I’m really glad we finally got them painted; makes the room much brighter.
HU-462385867 thanked Little Bird
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It's really difficult to paint plastic and have it stick. First, you need to determine if it's thermofoil or melamine. Thermofoil is thicker thqn melamine and slightly stretchy, so it's difficult to sand. Melamine is harder and more rigid, and can scuff readily with sandpaper. If you have flat slab cabinets, they're probably melamine, and if they have some profile to them, they are probably thermofoil. Thermofoil will need to be wiped down with a chemical deglosser that slightly melts it surface. That will allow the primer to bond with it. Melamine will need to be scuff sanded thouroughly. You need an alkyld primer, and do two coats, allowing it to thouroughly dry between coats. Then you can choose any color of latex enamel for a top coat that you want. That paint job will get you by for a while, but it won't really hold up to the long term. It's also a lot of work. It's up to you if you want to go through all of that for a limited benefit, but I'd personally save my effort and money towards a more thourough redo. If they were wood, it'd be another story, but painted plastic, well...... I wouldn't go there.
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HU-462385867
Original Author
5 years ago
thanks.
herbflavor
5 years ago
re the $50. DIY project : what will the kitchen be when finished? : exactly the same as it currently is. Kitchen is much about function. What is the layout, what is the storage, what are the other features: do these elements warrant a laminate cabinet facelift? Many of us have done DIY projects in our homes, myself included: but a kitchen needs discernment on many levels and in many areas. A characterization that a serious suggestion or food for thought about evaluating the right course, is "trite", is totally off the mark.
HU-462385867
Original Author
5 years ago
my readings suggest that for preparation one should sand lightly, use a primer that's specific to melamine and then paint. the experiences folks report would be most helpful if they would clarify if they sanded and used the appropriate primer and paint.
MiMi
5 years ago
Kilz makes a primer called Bin. It works very well on laminate, as it claims I painted my childhood bedroom furniture which had a wood grain laminate top. The Bin worked great. After many years of my daughter using the set the top never scratched.
PRO
Paint sales at Home Depot
5 years ago
BIN is actually made by the Zinser Company. It is also known as "Bullseye" due to its logo. It is shellac that is white pigmented. BIN is unsurpassed in terms of adhesion. However, the dedicated cabinet paints will adhere well directly to laminate.
HU-462385867 thanked Paint sales at Home Depot
MiMi
5 years ago
I stand corrected on that.. thank you. It's been a while since I used it....
HU-462385867 thanked MiMi

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