Your bathroom is a small space. Yet, it gets heavy use and is exposed to a lot of moisture every day. If your cabinets are looking a little grimy, outdated, or just plain tired, you’re not going to enjoy the time you spend in there. 

The good news is with cabinet painting, you can refresh the bathroom and achieve more beauty in a way that’s simple and affordable. To get there, below are a few do’s and don’ts to keep in mind.

Do’s for Painting Bathroom Cabinets

The quality of your cabinet painting job rests on how well you prep. In fact, it’s where professional painters spend the most time, ensuring cabinets are cleaned, well-sanded, and primed. If you want newly painted cabinets that look like experts performed the job, then you too need to invest in prepping. This includes:

Do Remove Doors, Drawers, Hardware, and Hinges

The first step in the cabinet painting process should be to remove your doors, drawer fronts, hardware, and hinges. As you’re removing them, make sure you’re also numbering them (and the hardware), so you know exactly where each door, drawer, pull, handle, and screw goes when you’re ready for re-installation.

You’ll then want to take the doors and drawer fronts outside, or wherever you plan to paint. Taking the doors off the cabinet boxes enables you to reach all the corners and sides for more professional-looking results. 

Do Clean Surfaces Thoroughly 

Use a degreasing product to clean the surfaces of your cabinets. This will ensure all those fingerprints, as well as grime, dust, and other build-up gets removed. Once you’re done washing each one, rinse it twice to get it completely clean, free from contaminants, and ready for the next step. 

Do Sand Your Cabinets

If your cabinets are in decent shape, you might be tempted to skip this step. Do yourself a favor, though, and take time to perform a light sanding. 

Your new paint, along with how the light reflects on it, can highlight all those little scratches, divots, and other imperfections you didn’t sand down. Sanding properly and evenly across your cabinets – including doors, drawers and boxes – will also help the primer properly stick, so the end result is smooth. Once you’re done, clean up thoroughly afterward, wiping down each cabinet to ensure no specks of dust are left behind. 

Do Use Tape & Drop Clothes

If you want to achieve professional results, you have to follow the same rules expert painters do. This includes taping off the areas where you’re painting and using drop clothes to protect everything and avoid splatters. Otherwise, you’ll be scraping little droplets of paint off your floor for years to come.

Do Tint Your Primer

You’d be surprised to know that one of the hardest colors to paint over and cover up is white. If you’re going from one color to a drastically different one, it can also make the job of painting cabinets more challenging. 

To help you through it, consider tinting your primer with a small amount of your paint color. It will save time and money on paint, make the process easier, and produce a better-looking end result. 

Don’ts for Painting Bathroom Cabinets

When it comes to painting your bathroom cabinets, there are also plenty of don’ts to avoid. Any one of these can sabotage your project and waste the time, effort and money you put into it. These include:

Don’t Sand Indoors

While you want to ensure the outside of your cabinet doors and drawers are as close to perfect as possible, don’t sand inside your home. This will create a cloud of dust that you and your family will inhale. It can be problematic especially if you have someone with allergies or asthma in the home. Instead, take everything outside and wear a disposable painting safety mask to protect your lungs. 

Don’t Use a Paint Brush

This is a common DIY mistake and will result in brush strokes that can be seen after the paint dries. For the best results, use a sprayer. This will give you a clean, smooth look. You can purchase or rent one, depending on your preference. 

If, however, you’re not comfortable using a sprayer, invest in some good quality foam rollers instead. Purchase several different sizes too so you can easily reach every nook, cranny, and corner on your cabinet doors and drawers. 

Don’t Skip Priming

You might consider skipping priming if you’re painting your cabinets a darker color or the same color. However, priming does more than simply cover up old paint. It also helps new paint better adhere to the cabinets. This makes the end result more durable and longer-lasting, so you don’t experience issues with wear and tear quickly. 

Don’t Use Cheap Paint

If you do, it will show in the outcome of your cabinet painting job. Even if it looks ok at first, over time, your cabinets will be less durable and more apt to show marks, scratches, and other visible flaws. Instead, use a paint product designed for cabinets, not walls. It will stand up to the heavy-duty use your bathroom cabinets experience. 

Don’t Only Apply One Coat

If your cabinets are being painted the same or a similar color, you might think one coat is enough. However, paint can pool in areas, leading to spotty-looking results. To avoid this, let the first coat settle for a bit, then go back and deal with any drip marks or paint that’s pooled in corners before it dries completely. 

Even if the first coat is flawless, you still need a second. The old paint color, marks or other imperfections can show through in the light of day, once you reinstall the doors and drawers. Avoid the disappointment of this happening with a second coat of paint. 

Interested in Professional Help with Cabinet Painting?

Clearly, there’s a lot that goes into cabinet painting. One small misstep can sabotage your entire project and all your hard work. If you’d prefer to get help from experts – and avoid the hassles and headaches altogether – consider N-Hance®. 

Our professional cabinet painting team can create a brand new look with your bathroom cabinets for a fraction of the cost of a renovation. Plus you’ll avoid all the DIY mistakes that are common and costly. Instead, you’ll have access to an endless rainbow of colors and finishing techniques to choose from. We’ll also be able to give you a new look in a matter of days, not weeks. It’s an easier, more affordable way to beautiful bathroom cabinets.

If you’d like to learn more about our approach to cabinet painting and how it can give new life to old bathroom cabinets, call your local N-Hance at (855) 642-6230 today for a FREE estimate.