How to Apply Primer to Cabinets

Create a new ambiance in your kitchen by painting your old cabinets. Preparing the cabinets properly is essential to creating a smooth, evenly painted finished product. Cleaning them thoroughly to remove old wax finishes and grime will encourage the paint to adhere evenly. Cabinets usually also require sanding and a coat of primer before you can paint them -- particularly if they were previously stained. As soon as the primer dries completely you can apply paint.

Trisodium phosphate cleaner
Rubber gloves
Ammonia cleaner
80-grit sandpaper
120-grit sandpaper
Nylon-polyester brush
Brushing putty
Paint roller
Paintbrush

Instructions

- 1
  Remove all removable hardware from the cabinets, such as handles, latches and hinges.
- 2
  Mix a trisodium phosphate cleaner with water according to the product's packaging directions. Put on rubber gloves. Use the TSP solution to scrub the entire cabinet.
- 3
  Remove the wax finish, if applicable, with an ammonia-based cleaner. Allow the cabinet to thoroughly dry from the cleaning.
- 4
  Sand the cabinet with 80-grit sandpaper in the direction of the wood's grain. Repeat with 120-grit sandpaper. Continue sanding until the cabinet is very smooth.
- 5
  Use a nylon-polyester brush to apply an oil-based brushing putty on cabinets made of open-grained wood. These include mahogany, oak, ash and hickory. The brushing putty works like primer, but it also fills in tiny gaps in the open-grained surface to provide a smoother finish.
- 6
  Use an oil-based primer for cabinets made from woods that have a tight grain, such as maple. Dip a small roller into the primer and apply it to the cabinets. Brush the primer after finishing each section to smooth it out more evenly.
- 7
  Allow the primer to dry for 24 hours. If you used brushing putty, sand the cabinet again with 120-grit sandpaper.

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Kitchens