How to Paint Oak Cabinets

Co-authored by Sam Adams

Last Updated: April 11, 2022 References

One way to change the look of your kitchen is to paint wooden cabinets. Many people like the colonial or country kitchen style of white or cream-colored cabinets. Cabinets can be prepared and painted within 1 to 3 weeks. You must spend a considerable amount of time prepping hardwood cabinets to ensure a durable, professional finish. Oak and other porous woods may require extra prep time. This article will tell you how to paint oak cabinets.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Preparing Oak Cabinets

1
Remove a cabinet door and take it to a hardware store with a paint counter. Oak is porous, and if the pores were not filled during construction, your paint job may look pock marked. It is a good idea to check with a professional to see what paint, primer or sandpaper is specifically necessary for your oak cabinets.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Sam Adams
Professional Contractor
Expert Interview. 4 June 2019.}
2
Collect latex paint swatches at the hardware store to help you choose your color. Ask the hardware clerk for a high-quality paint that is formulated for kitchen cabinets. Low quality paints can result in drawers and doors that get stuck after reinstallation.^{[2]
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- If you want to replace the hardware in your doors, take the old pulls and hinges to the hardware store, so you can be sure you are buying the right measurements. New cabinet hardware is often made in different sizes than older hardware.
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3
Scrub the surface of the cabinets with a strong detergent mixed with water and a sponge. Rinse thoroughly and dry with clean towels. The detergent you use should be identified as a grease-cutting detergent.
- If the cabinets are extremely old or dirty, you should use trisodium phosphate (TSP) to cut the grease on your cabinets. This is an industrial strength cleaner that should be used with extreme caution. You can use 1/2 cup of TSP mixed with 2 gallons (7.5 l) of water. Make sure to ventilate the area well and rinse thoroughly before drying.^{[3]
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4
Set up a well-ventilated workshop where you can store your cabinet doors and drawers as you prep and paint them and wait for them to cure. A garage works well for this purpose. Cover the garage floor with drop cloths and bring in sawhorses.
5
Remove all doors and drawers from your cabinets with a screwdriver. Write the location of the cabinet on a piece of blue tape and stick it in the inside of the door or drawer to help you reinstall correctly. Place the drawers and door fronts in your workshop.^{[4]
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- Store the hardware in small plastic bags to ensure you don't lose anything during the removal process.
6
Apply wood filler to holes with a putty knife, if you are planning on changing the configuration of your cabinet hardware from door pulls to knobs. Place a piece of painter's tape behind the hole, to keep the putty from spilling out of the other end. Allow it to dry and then lightly sand the surface with 220-grit sandpaper.
7
Tape the inside edges of the cabinets and the outside edges of the counters. Cover the floor and appliance surfaces with drop cloths or newspaper. Tape them down at the edges.
8
Sand the surface of all the surfaces you plan to paint with 220-grit sandpaper. Spend extra time making sure it is sanded, if the oak has a thick polyurethane coating. Sweep off the dust and wipe the surfaces with tack cloth.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Sam Adams
Professional Contractor
Expert Interview. 4 June 2019.}

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Painting Oak Cabinets

1
Prime the surface of the cabinets with an oil-based primer. Apply 1 coat and allow it to dry for 24 hours. If the hardware store professional told you that your oak surface has not been filled, you will need to use an extra thick primer.^{[6]
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- For best results, rent a paint sprayer from a hardware store to apply primer and paint to the doors and drawers. Otherwise, use small foam rollers for the cabinet surfaces that remain in the house. If you don't have a paint sprayer, use a foam roller on the doors and an angled brush to get into the smaller spaces. It is not recommended that you use a brush to do all the surfaces.
2
Sand the surface of the primed oak lightly with 220-grit sandpaper. Wipe it with a tack cloth. Apply a second coat of primer, and wait 24 hours before painting again.
3
Apply a coat of latex paint with a paint sprayer to doors and drawers. Apply the paint with a small foam roller to cabinet ends inside the house. Allow the coat to dry for 24 hours, unless otherwise directed by the paint's label.
4
Apply 1 to 3 more coats of latex paint. This amount will depend upon how well the paint covers your current finish.^{[7]
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5
Allow the last coat to dry and cure for at least 5 days. Some people wait up to 2 weeks to ensure the paint is well-cured and will not stick.
- If you plan to paint the inside of your doors, wait 5 days before turning them and repeating the primer and paint procedure.
6
Reinstall your drawers and doors with the original or new hardware.
7
Remove painter's tape carefully along the edges of the cabinets and other surfaces. Dispose of drop cloths. Clean your paint rollers and brushes thoroughly.

Expert Q&A

Question

Can you really paint over oak cabinets? Does it look good?

Sam Adams
Professional Contractor
Sam Adams is the owner of Cherry Design + Build, a residential design and construction firm, which has been operating in the Greater Seattle Area for over 13 years. A former architect, Sam is now a full-service contractor, specializing in residential remodels and additions.

Sam Adams

Professional Contractor

Expert Answer

I mean, you can do whatever you'd like, and there are certainly a lot of people out there who do this. But you're right to be a little suspicious about this. Painted cabinets end up not looking particularly good a lot of the time, and the paint can peel off and chip pretty fast.
Question

Can you paint oak cabinets without sanding?

Sam Adams
Professional Contractor
Sam Adams is the owner of Cherry Design + Build, a residential design and construction firm, which has been operating in the Greater Seattle Area for over 13 years. A former architect, Sam is now a full-service contractor, specializing in residential remodels and additions.

Sam Adams

Professional Contractor

Expert Answer

Absolutely not. If you're going to paint anything with a finish on it (which your cabinets almost positively do), you definitely need to rough the material up a bit if the paint is going to stick to the grain.
Question

I am not a fan of the grain in oak cabinets and afraid the grain will still show through once painted. Is there a means to prevent this?

Community Answer

Use clear varnish before you paint, then the grain might not show as much. Don't put on a thick layer or too many layers to try to hide the grain, as this will make your cabinets thick.

Warnings

If you use TSP to clean your cabinet surfaces, it can not be disposed of in the plumbing. Consult your local recycling agencies to see if they can dispose of TSP.

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