How to Do a Glossy Red Cabinet Finish

Painting Preparation

• 1

  Wipe cabinets down with a liquid sandpaper product on a cloth to clean off any grease and dirt and to make the the existing finish slightly rough and better able to hold a new finish, according to Utah State University Extension.

• 2

  Take the cabinet doors off of the cabinets by unscrewing their hinges with a screwdriver or taking out the metal pins that hold the hinges in place.

• 3

  Remove metal hardware, such as cabinet handles and hinges, from the cabinets unless you want to paint them red as well.

• 4

  Place the cabinet doors on plastic sheets to protect the workspace from paint stains.

• 5

  Sand wooden cabinets if they have any areas that are not smooth to create a good surface for the paint to adhere to.

• 6

  Apply tape to the walls around the borders of the cabinets to protect them from paint stains.

Painting the Cabinets

• 7

  Apply primer with a brush. Make sure to choose a primer that is compatible with the material the cabinets are made out of and with the type of red paint you purchased to use on the cabinets. Use a thick enough coat of primer to obscure the wood grain on wooden cabinets for the glossiest finish.

• 8

  Allow the primer to dry thoroughly before painting the cabinets.

• 9

  Double-check the paint label to make sure it is compatible with the type of primer on the cabinets.

• 10

  Paint the cabinets with a glossy red paint using a brush. When painting wooden cabinets, paint in the same direction that the wood grain runs in. Don't forget the cabinet framework.

• 11

  Allow the paint to dry thoroughly.

• 12

  Paint the cabinets with another layer of the glossy red paint if the single coat of paint looks thin. Two coats of paint are better than one coat.

• 13

  Allow the paint to dry and cure to a hard finish. This can take up to a week, depending on the type of paint. Oil paint can dry to a hard finish within 48 hours, while it can take up to seven days for acrylic-based paint to cure.

• 14

  Reattach the hardware, such as handles and hinges to the cabinets, and put the doors back onto the cabinets.