Turn Your Kitchen Into Your Creative Haven: Repainting Cabinets With Chalkboard Or Whiteboard Paint
When it comes to practical kitchen renovations, one of the things you should consider is coating your cabinet doors with chalkboard or whiteboard paint. Whether you're looking for the rustic edge of the chalkboard paint or the trendy whiteboard coating, you'll have a space that gives you the freedom of creative expression and better organization. Here are some tips to help you tackle the job on your own.
Disassemble Your Cabinets
The first step to this type of renovation is to disassemble the cabinets entirely. Start by using a screwdriver to pull the screws out of the brackets that are attaching the cabinet faces to the remaining cabinet structure. Use the same method to remove the fixtures and pulls from the cabinet door once it's been removed from the wall.
As you remove hardware from a cabinet door, put all of the pieces into a small resealable bag. Use a different bag for each cabinet door's hardware. Label the bag with a number, then put a piece of masking tape on the back of the corresponding cabinet door and write the same number on it. That helps you match up hardware to the door it belongs with when the work is done.
Sand Each Cabinet Surface
The best way to get paint to stick to the cabinet faces is to give that paint a rough surface to cling to. Choose medium-grit sandpaper for this, because it will clear out any dirt stuck to the doors as well. You can use either an electric or block sander to do this, and you don't need to strip all of the original paint. Just create a rough surface across the entire cabinet face.
Deal With Any Visible Damage
When you repaint the cabinet with chalk or whiteboard paint, it should cover any cosmetic flaws on the wood. However, you'll want to be sure that there aren't any holes or cracks that could interfere with the smooth finish. Fill cracks and holes with wood putty, then smooth the surface with a putty knife. Once the putty filler dries, sand it lightly to ensure that it's even with the cabinet face.
Apply The Paint
The first layer applied should be primer. This finishes the necessary foundation for the new paint. If you want to use magnets on the cabinets, which can make it easier to hang recipes and notes, choose a magnetic primer to put beneath the whiteboard or chalkboard paint. Use a sprayer if possible when you apply both the primer and the paint. That way, you get an even, thin layer every time. In addition, the sprayer ensures that you don't have any brush strokes left behind that could interfere with your ability to write smoothly on the surfaces.
Apply one layer of primer, then follow up with the recommended layers of paint based on the product you choose. Whiteboard paint is a little bit more runny than chalkboard paint, so it will go on thinner and looser. Be prepared for this by keeping the cabinet doors on a protective covering like a drop cloth when you apply the paint.
Once the paint is dry, reassemble the cabinets by reversing the steps you used for disassembly. With the cabinet doors and hardware properly labeled, you can tell which ones go together for quick and easy assembly.