How to Repaint MDF Kitchen Cabinets Home Guides SF Gate ~ Kitchen Kabinet

Freshly painted MDF cabinets can give your kitchen a sleek new look.

Kitchen cabinets are a major component of any kitchen, so it's important to keep them looking good and to match them to the rest of the kitchen's decor. Repainting the cabinets is one way to achieve this goal. Before the cabinets can be repainted, they must first be prepped. This process involves removing the old paint and priming the surface. When repainting cabinets made of medium-density fiberboard, or MDF, you have to use an oil-based primer because a water-based primer causes the fibers in the wood to swell.

Remove the doors and drawers from the cabinets. Unscrew and remove the hardware from them. If there is glass inset in the doors, tape paper into place over the glass on both sides to protect it.

Cover the floor, countertops and any other objects near them, such as the stove or refrigerator, with tarps.

Apply a chemical paint stripper to the surfaces being repainted with a brush, and allow the stripper to interact with the paint for the time specified by the manufacturer. Wear safety goggles, a mask and gloves when handling the paint stripper.

Scrape the paint off the surfaces of the cabinets with a putty knife. Hold the putty knife at a low angle, to the point where it's almost flat against the surface, to prevent the blade from digging into the surface and nicking it. Apply more paint stripper if needed. Use a stripping brush for curved or intricate sections of the cabinets, such as the molding.

Patch any nicks or holes in the surface of the cabinets with vinyl spackle. Sand the spackle smooth with fine-grit sandpaper.

Sand the entire surface being painted twice, first with 150-grit sandpaper, then with 180-grit sandpaper. Wipe the dust off of the surface with a tack cloth. Don't use water on MDF because it will raise the fibers in the wood and ruin the smooth surface that you just sanded.

Apply the primer to the surface of the wood. Oil-based primers and paints are more durable than latex paints, but but aren't as environmentally-friendly and can be more difficult to clean. Use a 2-inch paintbrush for larger areas of the cabinet facing, such as the rails and stiles, and a 1-inch brush for smaller, more detailed areas. You can use the 2-inch brush on the cabinet doors, but if you're worried about leaving brush marks on the doors, you can rent a paint sprayer and use that instead. Use a sprayer outside, or in your garage. Allow the primer to dry.

Paint the cabinets, doors and drawers, using the same method that you used when applying the primer. Use latex paint if you used a latex primer, and use an oil-based paint if you used an oil-based primer. Allow the paint to dry.

Apply a second coat of paint to the cabinets, doors and drawers, and allow it to dry.

Reinstall the hardware on the cabinets, and place the doors and drawers back into position.

Things You Will Need

Screwdriver
Painter's tape
Paper
Tarps
Chemical paint stripper
Safety goggles
Mask
Gloves
Putty knife
Stripping brush
Vinyl spackle
150-grit sandpaper
180-grit sandpaper
Tack cloth
Primer
2-inch paintbrush
1-inch paintbrush
Paint sprayer
Paint

About the Author

Carson Barrett began writing professionally in 2009. He has been published on various websites. Barrett is currently attending Bucks County Community College, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in sports management.

Photo Credits

Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images

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