Master Bathroom Cabinet Redo

Hi everyone, just finished a master bathroom cabinet.  It was painted by the homeowner in a dark brown and they were tired of the look and color.  Upon arrival I noticed several issues that I would have to take care of if I was to properly paint and faux the cabinets.  I’m letting you know so you can not only do a better job if you decide to tackle this kind of project or worse yet you hire someone who does a poor job.  At least you’ll know what to look for and what to ask for.

Client painted cabinet goes wrong.

Brush marks are deep.

Here were the issues:

1. The paint was chipping at the corners and in high traffic areas.  That is expected on painted cabinets in 5-7 years but he had just painted them a year and a half ago.  What that told me was he did not properly prep his cabinets.  Although he did paint them with oil based paint, he probably never scuffed the current paint job or prime.  In today’s market I always suggest priming the surface because you never know how well the base paint is.  You paint finish will last longer and it actually helps the top paint cover better.  There are some tricks of the trade that I will have to keep a secret.
2. Brush marks.  A good cabinet job is not going to include brush marks everywhere.  You want a nice smooth look especially on the doors and drawers.  In this case I had to sand down to the original paint or at least until I couldn’t feel the paint when I ran my fingers across the surface.  A professional tip:  rent a paint sprayer and practice, practice, practice.
3. Poor coverage.  There were areas where you could see the builders white paint showing through.  Oil paint is hard to use without professional knowledge and experience.  May I suggest you also take the opportunity to move to a more home healthy option?  Since you are going to prime why not switch over to water based paints?  There are durable options out there including hybrid paints that dry like a oil paint but without the high toxic fumes associated with oil based paints.  A professional tip:  When using any kind of paint oil or water make sure the corners and edges have proper coverage.  You must build the film up to a level that will give enough protection to the most vulnerable areas.
4. Hinges should not be painted.  Take the time to remove hinges both on the doors and on the cabinets.  It will look much better and more professional.  A professional tip:  label your doors, drawer, and your hinges.  This way when you are installing them you won’t have to spend hours adjusting.  Sharpie markers should be used for the doors and drawers, tape over the label to keep it from being painted over, mark the hinges behind the door attachment, and tape the cabinet areas and label them.
5. Sand, sand, sand.  A great paint job is always sanded between coats.  This will insure you get a smooth silky finish.  Sand lightly and use a high grade sanding paper- 250-400.
6. Top coat with a high grade polyurethane for longevity.  Make sure the millage is thick enough by applying two thin coats after each coat dries and like the painted surface sand between coats with a 400 grade sandpaper.  Spraying the poly will also give you the best results.