How to Redo Kitchen Cabinets After They Have Been Painted With Latex Paint

Remove cabinet doors, drawers and hardware. Label each door on the back with a number on a piece of painters tape to keep track of where the door should be hung after your redo. Empty out your cabinets and clear off counter tops. Mix the TSP with water according to the label and clean cabinet doors, drawers and cabinet fronts. You may also want to take this opportunity to thoroughly clean the insides of cabinets, too. Rinse everything with water.

Sand all cabinet doors, drawers and frames with a coarse-grit sand-paper and then a fine-grit sandpaper. The purpose of sanding is to remove the finish of the old paint. Clean the cabinets again with warm water to remove dust.

Repair cabinets where necessary. If you plan to replace old hardware with hardware of a different size, fill the holes from the older hardware with wood putty. If the cabinets have any other significant nicks or gouges, fill them with wood putty, following the directions on the product label.

Make any other desired cosmetic changes. For example, you can add raised panels or trim, if desired.

Prime and paint. Tape off walls and cabinet interiors, if needed. Use a latex primer, foam roller and paint brush to prime all surfaces to be painted. Follow the instructions on your primer can to allow the proper drying time. Apply the paint to all cabinet frames with a brush or roller. Paint cabinet doors and drawers with a paint brush in as few strokes as possible. Brush marks will level out as the paint dries.

Wait 24 hours for paint to dry, and then reattach hardware. Rehang all cabinet doors and insert all drawers.