Why cabinet paint fails
Kitchen cabinets carry years of cooking grease, often invisible, and most have a slick factory finish. Paint can't grip either one. Brushed on without proper prep, it looks fine for a few weeks and then chips at the edges where hands and dishcloths rub.
The steps, in order
- Take the doors and drawer fronts off and label them, so everything goes back where it came from.
- Degrease every surface first. Sanding over grease just pushes it into the wood.
- Sand to dull the old finish and give the primer something to hold on to.
- Fill dents, gaps and old hardware holes, then sand the fills smooth.
- Clean off every trace of dust.
- Prime with a bonding primer made for slick surfaces.
- Spray the finish coats, with time to cure between them.
Why spraying matters
A brush and roller leave marks that show on smooth cabinet doors, especially in the side light from a kitchen window. A sprayed finish levels out flat, which is what gives painted cabinets the factory look.
Why it takes days
Each step needs time: degreaser to work, fills to dry, primer and finish coats to cure. Handling doors before the finish has cured leaves marks and soft spots. It's why a proper cabinet job takes days, and why a weekend job often has to be redone.