How to Repair Paint Flaws on Wooden Cabinets

Making the Match

• The key to a good repair job on flawed or damaged cabinet paint is to match the color. This may seem obvious, but it's not always an easy task. If the cabinets were recently painted and you still have some of the paint leftover, you're good to go. If the cabinet painting was done by the manufacturer, consult the owner's manual and handouts, an original receipt, or the manufacturer's website to find the name of the finish. Touch-up paint may be available from the manufacturer or a distributor of that particular cabinet brand. If the paint finish is old, attempt matching the color by taking a digital photo. Hold the image up to the actual cabinet to make sure the color matches or you'll end up with the wrong shade of paint. Another option is to clean the cabinet door, then scrape away at least an inch square of the existing paint and take the chip to a paint store. Some paint stores can digitally match colors based on images or objects you show them; inquire with your local store before making a special trip. Some stores offer color-matching phone apps for this purpose. If the paint does not match as well as you'd like, you may have to repaint the entire cabinet or at least the surface with the damage; otherwise, your touch-up will be obvious.

Scratches

• If the paint finish is merely scratched, showing wood or another paint color underneath, a paint marker may be all you need to correct the flaw. Felt-tip paint markers work much like regular felt-tip markers designed for paper. They're available in common finish colors. Even if the color looks like it will match, test it first on an inconspicuous area. Fill in the scratch by drawing over it in the direction of the scratch, rather than across it, to make the touch-up less obvious. If the shade does seem slightly different than the surrounding area, color in part of the surrounding area as well, rubbing much of it off with a rag to blend it into the existing finish, including the scratched area. The marker color will be less noticeable this way than one long marker line. A paste wax over the scratch and surrounding area protects the finish.

Chips, Drips and Lint

• If paint has chipped off the cabinet but the wood beneath it is not dented or damaged, some sanding is in order before touch-up work begins. The same is true for paint drips or paint roller lint hardened in place. Sand the perimeter of the damage and the area surrounding it with a fine-grit sandpaper to smooth the damage area and scuff up the existing paint. If you're removing roller lint or a paint drip, pick, scrape or sand it away, then sand the surrounding area. Remove dust with a tack cloth, then paint over the damage and surrounding area with the appropriate matching paint color. If the fresh paint is too obvious once dried, sand and repaint the entire surface so the finish is consistent.

Deep Damage

• If the flaw goes beyond the finish, such as a deep scratch or dent in the wood itself, you'll need to fill the dent in with some non-shrinking filler. Sand the surrounding area first, removing dust with a tack cloth. Apply the filler with a putty knife, removing as much of it as possible from outside the damaged area. Sand over the putty once it hardens, remove the dust, then paint over it as with painting over any shallow flawed area.