Do I First Put Up Backsplash or Paint Cabinets?

Advantages of Painting First

• Even the most fastidious painters will occasionally spatter or spill paint. If you install the backsplash first, you run the risk of getting paint on it. You must interrupt the painting process to clean the paint from the backsplash or run the risk of the paint drying on it. In the latter case, depending on the material used for the backsplash, it may be ruined and require replacement or the finish of the backsplash may be compromised by any attempt to remove the paint with cleaners or solvents.

Detached Cabinet Painting

• The best way to paint cabinets and keep the floor, walls and appliances out of harm’s way is to remove them from the walls and paint them in a workshop, garage, basement or, with weather permitting, outside. This also keeps the house free of paint smells and fumes and reduces the risk of the wet paint being touched or its surface compromised by dust or other airborne particles. Removing the doors from the cabinets reduces the chance of them sticking after the project is complete, as there will be no hidden spots where wet paint accumulates.

Painting Stationary Cabinets

• In some cases, cabinets cannot be removed from walls due to their age or original installation method. If you can remove the doors, cabinets will be easier to paint. Before beginning to paint, carefully mask all the edges where the cabinets meet the walls or baseboards. Cover appliances and floors with plastic tarps or drop cloths and secure them with tape to ensure they don’t come loose and expose surfaces to paint splatters and spills.

Backsplash Installation

• After the cabinets are painted, thoroughly dried and reassembled, install the backsplash. Mask the surfaces and edges of the cabinets surrounding the backsplash to protect them from the backsplash adhesives and nicks or chips caused by an errant movement of installation tools or materials. Measure the area where the backsplash will be installed twice before you buy the materials. It’s a good rule of thumb to purchase more backsplash tiles or materials than you need in case you make a bad cut or are off in your calculations. Extra materials can be returned to the store or saved to make future repairs.