How to Sand & Paint Kitchen Cabinets

Remove the cabinet doors from the cabinet frame. This makes it easier to paint the cabinet door and cabinet frame. Set up a work area in the garage or outside. Place the doors on sawhorses or a workbench.

Take all of the hardware off the doors. The hardware includes handles, knobs and hinges. Decide if you want to keep the old hardware or update. New hardware always enhances a new paint job.

Prepare the kitchen area. Place drop cloths on the floor. Protect counter tops and appliances with sheets of plastic. Tape the plastic around the edges with masking tape to keep it in place.

Clean the cabinet doors and the cabinet frames. Kitchen cabinets usually have grease, oil and other dirt on them that prevents paint from adhering well to the surface. Use warm water and trisodium phosphate (TSP) to scrub the cabinet doors and cabinet frame. Allow everything to thoroughly dry.

Sand the doors and the cabinet frames. Use 220-grit sandpaper. The idea is to lightly rough up the surface to allow the paint to penetrate the wood better. Remove the dust, caused by the sanding, with a vacuum cleaner or feather duster.

Apply a primer coat. A high quality latex primer will be sufficient to do the job. Some painters prefer oil-based primers and paints for kitchen cabinets because they are generally more durable than latex. However, a good quality latex primer is highly durable as well and you won't get sick from the fumes. Any mistakes can be easily cleaned with a wet rag. Prime the doors and then prime cabinet frames. Allow at least four hours for the primer to dry.

Lightly sand the primed doors and cabinet frames. The primer may leave little bumps and uneven areas. Lightly go over all the painted surfaces with a fine-grit sandpaper.

Paint the cabinet doors and cabinet frames. Use a high quality latex paint. Apply the paint with a trim brush and roller. First paint all the edges with the trim brush. Painters refer to this as "cutting in." The idea is to cut in everything with the trim brush that the roller will not be able to reach. Keep an eye open for drips and runs, which are much easier to correct before they dry. Work on one door at a time. Once you have cut the door in with the brush, paint the rest of the door with the roller. Once the doors have all been painted, repeat the process on the cabinet frames.

Reassemble the hardware. Reattach the cabinet doors to the cabinet frames.