Paint Laminate Cabinets for an Instant and Affordable Refresh

Painting laminate cabinets offers a budget-friendly way to refresh the look of your kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room. Instead of undergoing the costly process of a complete cabinet replacement, updating them with a fresh coat of paint can be an inexpensive and simple solution.

Safety Considerations

Wear waterproof gloves, protective glasses, and a dust mask or respirator when painting or sanding the cabinets.

Lay a drop cloth over floors and surfaces. Apply painter's tape around the perimeter of the cabinets to protect the countertops, walls, backsplash, and other areas.

In a clean bucket, mix two quarts of warm water with half a cup of powdered TSP to cut through grease and grime. Wipe down the cabinets with the cleaning solution and allow them to dry fully.

Remove doors and drawers. Remove cabinet hardware from the doors and drawers and place them in plastic bags. Using a marker and painter's tape, write down the hardware's source so you can easily reinstall it later.

Examine the cabinets for cracks and shallow dents. Use wood filler to fill in the scrapes and holes. Smear the wood filler into the damaged area with your finger. For larger holes, use a putty knife to apply the wood filler. Wood filler can take 2 to 8 hours to dry.

Once the wood filler has dried, lightly sand the cabinets with a medium-grit sanding sponge or sandpaper. The goal is to create a rough surface texture for the paint to adhere to.

Using a paint stirrer, stir the bonding primer vigorously. Apply the bonding primer to the cabinets using a paintbrush or mini paint roller, being careful not to leave any brush strokes.

Once the bonding primer has dried, lightly sand the cabinets with a medium-grit sanding sponge or sandpaper.

Using a clean cloth or vacuum, remove any dust residue left over from the sanding process.

Stir the paint thoroughly and pour it into a paint tray. Using a high-quality paintbrush and/or mini paint roller, apply the paint to all cabinet surfaces. Repeat this step if you determine you need a second or third coat.

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