Spice Up Your Kitchen Cabinets with a Fresh Coat of Paint from a Sprayer

Upgrading your kitchen doesn't have to mean splurging on an expensive remodel. Simply painting your existing cabinets can totally transform the look of your kitchen for a fraction of the cost. Painting kitchen cabinets allows you to customize the color and refresh the style without ripping everything out. It's a budget-friendly way to give your kitchen an entirely new aesthetic.

Instead of spending thousands on new pre-made or custom cabinets, you can paint your current set for less than $100. Priming and painting the cabinets yourself with a high-quality sprayer takes just a weekend and leaves you with a dramatically updated kitchen. Plus, you can always change the color again down the road when your style evolves.

Paint Sprayers vs. Brushes for Kitchen Cabinets

Applying cabinet paint with a high-quality paint sprayer allows you to achieve a smooth, factory-finished look that is impossible to duplicate by hand brushing. Sprayers apply the paint quickly in fine, even coats that have no visible brush strokes.

Painting cabinets by brush usually results in uneven coats, drips, and visible brush marks in the finish. The texture won't look smooth or professional. Additionally, spraying wastes far less paint than applying by brush or roller. The spray nozzle deposits the paint right where you aim it without soaking and dripping.

Flawless, Professional-Looking Finish

With an HVLP sprayer, you can apply multiple super-light coats to build up to a perfectly uniform finish. The fine spray pattern lays the paint on smoothly without any heavy brush marks. Done properly, a sprayed finish looks just like cabinets that come pre-finished from the manufacturer.

No Brush Strokes or Uneven Coats

A paintbrush leaves behind obvious thick and uneven brush strokes in the paint film. It's very challenging to get a perfectly smooth brushed finish on cabinet doors and frames. Spray painting applies paint evenly across the entire surface without any lines or textures.

Less Paint Wasted Compared to Brushes/Rollers

Paint sprayers deposit a fine mist of paint right onto the cabinets rather than saturating a brush or roller pad. This controlled delivery method wastes far less paint than sloshing it onto cabinets with a brush. With less paint lost to pads, drips, and uneven coats, you'll finish the job with fewer gallons of paint.

Choosing the Best Paint Sprayer for Cabinets

Wagner Flexio Paint Sprayer

The Wagner Flexio line of paint sprayers is ideal for fine finish work like kitchen cabinets. They have fully adjustable controls for paint flow and spray width/pressure. You can dial in the perfect settings for your paint viscosity and project needs.

Flexio sprayers have a flexible hose that makes maneuvering them around cabinets a breeze. The sprayer nozzle detaches from the back housing for easy access in tight spaces.

Wagner Flexio paint sprayers come with detail and broader spray nozzles. Use the detail finish nozzle when spraying cabinets to get a fine, smooth coat.

HVLP vs Airless Paint Sprayers

HVLP (high volume, low pressure) paint sprayers are the best choice for spraying kitchen cabinets. HVLP sprayers minimize overspray by applying paint at lower pressures with larger spray droplets.

Airless paint sprayers run at much higher pressures and are better suited for larger exterior painting jobs. They provide more power but less control.

Power and Portability Considerations

Look for a corded electric paint sprayer that provides consistent power without worrying about batteries running out. Battery-powered models trade constant power for easier portability.

Air hose sprayers link to a separate air compressor to generate pressure. You gain infinite run time but lose mobility away from the compressor.

Prep Steps for Painting Kitchen Cabinets

Cleaning and Sanding

Before painting, thoroughly clean cabinets with a degreaser like TSP to remove any existing grease and grime that could ruin paint adhesion. Roughen up the surface a bit with fine 120-150 grit sandpaper. This helps the new paint stick properly.

Priming

Priming ensures uniform finish results. On bare wood, use an oil-based primer that seals the wood grain and prevents knots and stains from bleeding through. Oil-based primers dry slowly to allow brush marks to smooth out.

For previously painted cabinets, water-based bonding primers work well. They adhere tightly to existing paint layers.

Filling Holes

Inspect cabinets closely for small gaps, nail holes, or other imperfections. Use wood filler to patch and create an ultra-smooth surface for painting. Any defects will show through the new paint if not properly filled.

Painting Cabinet Doors

Remove Doors and Hardware

Taking cabinet doors off the frames allows you to thoroughly paint the door backs, sides, and edges. Leaving doors on limits access and risks paint dripping onto hinges or hardware.

Number doors and remove knobs/pulls before removing. Labeling ensures everything gets reattached in the correct spot.

Angle Nozzle Properly

Aim nozzle at perpendicular, not sharp angles when spraying doors. Holding it at a right angle prevents uneven buildup at corners and crevices.

Adjust nozzle distance based on spray settings. Closer ranges increase paint overlap for smoother finishes.

Systematic Approach

A process will prevent missing spots and doubles coats. First, spray the door frame edges. Then lay doors on saw horses to coat backs and edges. Finally, flip and finish fronts.

Let doors dry completely before rehanging. Otherwise paint may peel off rubbed edges when replacing on frames.

Achieving a Flawless Painted Cabinet Finish

A factory-smooth painted finish on cabinets requires careful spray technique. Apply multiple thin coats rather than one thick coat.

Overlap the spray pattern with each pass to build up an even film layer. If needed, do very light sanding between coats to remove any debris or dust particles.

Hold spray nozzle perpendicular and use vertical spray motions to prevent drips from developing.

Address any imperfections like bubbles or drips before the final coat. Do a final inspection and touch-up spray once the main painting is complete.

Caring for Newly Painted Cabinets

Allow freshly painted cabinets to cure for at least 30 days before cleaning or placing dishes/glasses inside. Test paint hardness first with a fingernail nick.

Clean painted cabinets gently using only a damp cloth and mild soap. Avoid abrasive pads or cleaners, ammonia, or bleach.

Inspect cabinets periodically for any scratches or nicks in the paint and touch them up promptly. This prevents damage from expanding.

With some thorough prep work, the right sprayer, and careful technique, you can achieve stunning professional results painting your own kitchen cabinets. While less expensive than new cabinets, a DIY paint job makes the kitchen look fresh and totally custom.

Painting allows you to inexpensively redesign your kitchen anytime. With limitless color options available, you can redo cabinets with on-trend shades and styles. Revitalize your kitchen space with a simple paint makeover using a high quality sprayer to ensure flawless results.