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How
to make Old Kitchen Cupboards Look New?
Every
homeowner will, sooner or later, be faced with renewing
and/or modernizing his kitchen. With time, kitchen cupboards
become old fashioned, pretty much damaged (heavily scratched
)or worn (thus ruining the look of your kitchen). However,
it is hard to decide on replacing the existing cupboards,
because such a project it may be rather expensive.
You
could buy new cupboards for a couple of thousands of
dollars, but If your cupboards are still in good shape
and if the drawers and doors are of standard sizes,
you can find refacing cupboards quite acceptable.
Drawer and door fronts of standard sizes can be found
in many home improvement stores. You can replace them
very easily, and paint the rest of the cupboard.
Sometimes, however, replacing all the cupboards in the
kitchen will be what you really want.New cupboards should
be chosen before the old ones are removed.You will need
to learn how to remove the old cupboards without damaging
the walls, and also how to take measurements for new
kitchen cupboards and how to install them.
If your final decision is to reface your old cupboards,
painting them is the
cheapest solution.
Without spending a lot of money, removing the existing
paint, varnish and stains from the present cupboards
and redo them in colors different from the existing
ones will give your cupboards and kitchen a totally
new look.
To get the best results that will last the longest follow
this steps when painting the cupboards:
- Take off the cupboards all the doors and take out
all drawers first. Also, take off all the drawer pulls,
knobs and hinges if you want to replace them with new
ones.
- Wash them and sand all the surfaces after that. Greasy
marks at the kitchen cupboards (grease penetrates wood)
should be removed with some standard multi-surface cleaners(ammonia-free
formula) .
Don't use soap (detergent) and water, because wood must
not get wet.
You should wash all the surfaces in order to remove
as much grime as possible.
- The next step is to apply a primer. It is important
to select a good one. Try to buy one that says no sanding
is needed. A cheap primer may not adhere properly even
if you sand slightly.If you use a cheap primer,allowe
it to dry overnight. Whatever primer you use,it is better
to gently sand the surface, to create a smooth surface
to apply paint onto.
- The best way to do the painting is to use a foam roller
and a foam sponge "brush".You will get a more
uniform coverage if you use a foam tool. Customary brushes
may leave brush marks. If you would like your cupboards
to have somewhat of a pattern I would suggest that you
use a micro fiber roller. Flat paint is not recommended
at all because body oils and fingerprints are easily
accumulated on it, and when you try to wash the cabinets
you may run the risk of taking the paint off.
Apply two coats of your chosen color , allowing each
coat to dry before applying the second one .Place the
cupboards to dry in a well ventilated room if possible.
- Let the new paint on the cupboards have enough time
to dry. Sometimes it may take a few days for the paint
to dry completely.
However, the best results are achieved if color spray are used.High quality paints
should be used both as the primer and the finish coat.Before
you decide on such a way of painting be sure to have an
extra, well ventilated room where you would paint your
cupboards.It is also very important that you have some
experience in painting with color sprays in order to prevent
the paint from "running".
The costs of a total replacement of all the cupboards
are justified if you plan on staying in the house for
a longer period of time. However, you should consider
the cheaper solution (of painting them) if you intend
to sell your house,or if your budget is limited.
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