Cabinet Paint Questions

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rvannie23

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Jan 24, 2017
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Hi everyone. I would like to paint my cabinetry. I inquired with a body shop/RV reno place near my parents house and the guy quoted me (prepare to laugh) $14,000 dollars to paint everything. That is of course insanity and not at all an option. I googled around a bunch and searched here as well...but there is so much conflicting info.

First, how do I tell what kind of cabinets I have? I think some parts are just covered in wood-colored paper (like the trim on the slides and the door to the bathroom and bedroom, and the flimsy siding on the island) but the actual cabinets seem to be real wood with a finish/stain on them. The sides of the drawers are unfinished, and I would guess this is what all the other wood is as well.
Second, is it possible to think I can get away with this without sanding? I found this article https://www.designertrapped.com/how-to-paint-kitchen-cabinets/ where she outlines using General Finishes Milk Paint with no need for sanding or priming, just "de-glossing".

I live alone and work 50-60 hours a week so the less I have to do the better, but I don't want this to be a poorly executed project. I am just not sure how to approach properly.

Thanks!
 
If you try to get away without sanding it the first time you will be sanding it the second time. Paint tends to orange peel and blister when applied to a surface that is not prepared properly. Miss Mermaid has done some cabinet painting so I am sure she will chime in soon.
 
I had found her post from earlier this year when she did the cabinet faces. She has a similar problem as me, in that we live in the space and it can be complicated with the sanding and all if you have nowhere to go. That's really why I'm looking for an alternative.

I definitely understand the point of sanding, but I'm wondering if the type of paint used can help with that
 
You really need to determine what the surface is first, i.e. actual wood (solid or veneer) or some kind of vinyl. Vinyl needs to be cleaned thoroughly and sanded lightly using an abrasive pad rather than common sandpaper. Wood should be sanded using something like 150-180 grit sandpaper. Vinyl should be primed, but that may not be necessary for real wood if the surface is in ok condition after sanding. However, if it is actually stained wood, the stain may bleed through the paint if not primed first.

Deglossing with a "liquid sandpaper" is a form of sanding. It works on some things. 3M Scotchbrite abrasive pads work well on many finished surfaces where you only need to remove gloss and make sure no greasiness remains. Unlike sandpaper, the pads tend to hold the dust rather than scatter it.
https://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Brite-General-Purpose-Sanding/dp/B01J05XLXS/ref=sr_1_6

The drawer sides have little to do with the rest of the construction, so I would not assume. However, the drawer fronts are almost surely the same and usually easy to tell.

Trailers like yours typically have MDF cabinet construction with either vinyl or wood veneer glued on.
 
SeilerBird said:
You can take the cabinet doors down and paint them outside.
Click to expand...

I'm not opposed to that and I have the space to do it but what about the rest? I wasn't going for a two tone look.
 
Once you take the doors and drawers outside to sand & paint, there probably isn't a whole lot left inside. We were not suggesting leaving it unpainted - just that there would be only only a small amount of dusty work left inside.

Also: modern power sanders typically have dust collection bags, further reducing the mess.
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-1.5amp/p-00939598000P
 
If it's already vinyl over pressed wood, what about another layer of vinyl? You can get it in solids as well as patterns.
 
Stephen S. said:
If it's already vinyl over pressed wood, what about another layer of vinyl? You can get it in solids as well as patterns.
Click to expand...

I'll have to look into this. After some poking around and trying to peel stuff with my fingernail I can see what is the vinyl stuff and what is actually wood with paint/varnish on it. Majority is the paper stuff, its really just the doors themselves that seem to be real wood.

Gary RV_Wizard said:
Once you take the doors and drawers outside to sand & paint, there probably isn't a whole lot left inside. We were not suggesting leaving it unpainted - just that there would be only only a small amount of dusty work left inside.

Also: modern power sanders typically have dust collection bags, further reducing the mess.
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-1.5amp/p-00939598000P
Click to expand...

Oh okay, I thought you may have been making a reference to the way MissMermaid did hers. The second part to me not wanting to have to sand etc is that it seems far more tedious. There is so much wood in this camper...I mean so much. It's insane.

I will have to think it over but this gave me some good thinking points.

 
If you do put another layer of vinyl over the old one you will still have to sand the old surface down or the new one will not stick properly.
 
SeilerBird said:
If you do put another layer of vinyl over the old one you will still have to sand the old surface down or the new one will not stick properly.
Click to expand...


I am starting to understand where the body shop got $14,000 from  :-[
 
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