Kitchen Cabinet Paint

[91FE]

I picked up a Wagner conversion HVLP gun to paint a few things around the house...most notably my kitchen cabinets and stair railings. Can I just use regular Behr semi-gloss latex, or is there something better? If it matters, everything will be white.

Thanks.

[cabinetman]

The paint might have to be thinned, and/or, a larger nozzle for the gun. Experiment with a sample. If you're spraying in place, you'll have to tape off non painted areas, and you should ventilate well, and wear a good respirator. Even HVLP will make overspray in a small area.
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[baddboy_78]

I built a console table for a friend that I made out of MDF that I later painted. I tried the Behr glossy paint route and found that after it dries the paint is tacky and tends to stick to itself. It will stay this way for about a month and then it will totally cure. If I had to do my project over I would go to a good paint store and get some good oil based acrylic glossy paint and the company matching primer.

[BenW]

About a year ago I did my uppers just as you're planning. Used Dunn Edwards paint (I believe a regional company, good quality paint) in latex semigloss. Came out really nicely (100x better than my best brush jobs) and has lasted very well.

I agree with waiting a LONG time before letting painted parts be in regular contact w/each other. But doors on hinges w/bumpers have been fine. Used non-adhesive shelf paper to keep dishes from sticking to the shelves (painted entire interiors as well as face frames) so only waited a few days before using the cabinets again.

My particular HVLP and lack of knowledge made for very little paint coming out of the gun, no matter what I tried with air pressure/sprayer setting/thinning. I didn't want to thin too much because worried about adhesion/durability since the manufacturer spec'd a few tablespoons of water per gallon, but I would have needed cup(s)... again not knowing much about such things... so I just sprayed & sprayed. Made it easy not to get any sagging/drips because was hard to put on enough paint, let alone too much. You do want to avoid that, because I don't know how to remedy those blemishes without a lot of work--any touchup efforts can show easily in your nice glassy spray finish.

Masking close to the cabinets was necessary, but in my experience it didn't get airborne & fly all over the kitchen and land on everything. Though I did drape those super lightweight plastic dropcloths (.2 mil?) everywhere and sealed the doorway to the rest of the house, just in case.

I recently got a nozzle with much bigger aperture which I think will help a lot when I eventually do my lowers, now that the I consider the experiment with the uppers a success. We'll see.

For what it's worth, every paint contractor I've encountered uses oil based lacquers for this kind of stuff. Probably a better/stronger finish overall, but I'm not into that kind of cleanup or few days of residual smell, so I have them do it when it's for customers and use water based when it's for me.

Good luck!
--Ben

[91FE]

Just the kind of info i was looking for...thanks guys. I ordered the larger needle valve (#4 1.8mm) when I got my gun, so i should be in business for spraying thicker paints.

Is there any paint made specifically for kitchen cabinets, or other similar high use items?

As for the oil based paint... I live in SE PA and believe its been outlawed here for sometime now. I know you can't get it by the gallon at HD or Lowe's.

[jlm]

I recently painted some kitchen cabinet doors with Dutch Boy Kitchen & Bath paint. It took forever (about a month, as others have indicated) to fully cure out, but now it seems to be a really durable finish. It's only available in semi-gloss, I think. I imagine other paint manufacturers make similar formulations.

Another thing that helped (I sprayed it with the cheapo Rockler/Harbor Freight HVLP sprayer) was thinning it with Floetrol. It helps to level the surface faster, but doesn't seem to affect the curing of the paint the way over-thinning with water can.

[JimD]

I use my wagner conversion gun to spray white tinted Resisthane from Hood finishing products. About $25/gallon or about $35 delivered if I remember right. Resisthane dries in an hour. You need a primer under the white to get good coverage. Resisthane is rated by the kitchen manufacturers as meeting their requirements. I put it initially on plantation shutters but have since finished some cabinet doors and a drawer front with it. All the things I have finished with it (I use the clear too) is holding up well.

Jim

[Tom Slick]

I have also had issues with latex being tacky for a very long time. even when you think it is "dry" anything that sits on it for awhile will become stuck.

Laquer on the other hand dries almost instantly and looks great. no overspray issues either.

[parnelli]

Has anyone ever tried this Cabinet Coat paint?
http://www.coronadopaint.com/viewProd.asp?prodID=180

I've seen it at the store before but don't know anything about it. Maybe it's worth a look?

[eccentrictinkerer]

I've used my Wagner conversion gun to shoot Behr's premium paint right out out of the can. I always use a little Floetrol to slow the drying a little bit. I've painted in 80 degree weather and 60% humidity with no ill effect. I've never had any problem with the paint feeling tacky after 24 hours.

You have to experiment a bit, with the controls, to get a good pattern and minimium orange peel, but, then again, you have to do that with any gun.

I painted my kitchen cabinets 4 years ago with Ben Moore Impervo Latex (with a brush!). Two coats of Linnzer 1-2-3 and two coats of Impervo. Sanded, of course, between each coat and tack-ragged. 47 doors and drawer front plus carcasses.

I have two contractor friends who swore I must have had them sprayed.

We have no nicks or scratches anywhere, so I'm pretty sure it's good stuff.

[91FE]

I use my wagner conversion gun to spray white tinted Resisthane from Hood finishing products...

I've read some praise of this stuff here on the board. After checking out their website... I can't tell if it's an opaque finish or not. Is it a stain, or paint?

[91FE]

Has anyone ever tried this Cabinet Coat paint?
http://www.coronadopaint.com/viewProd.asp?prodID=180

I've seen it at the store before but don't know anything about it. Maybe it's worth a look?

I see their ads in Family Handyman every month... and they're my current top contender (might reconsider after reading eccentrictinkerer's comments about Benjamin Moore though). I'd really like to hear from someone who's used it before.

[91FE]

...I painted my kitchen cabinets 4 years ago with Ben Moore Impervo Latex (with a brush!)...

Your kitchen looks great. I just checked out the BM site and it looks like the Impervo only comes in satin. I figured I'd want semi-gloss for cleanability's sake. Any issues there?

[cgallery]

I painted my kitchen cabinets 4 years ago with Ben Moore Impervo Latex (with a brush!). Two coats of Linnzer 1-2-3 and two coats of Impervo. Sanded, of course, between each coat and tack-ragged. 47 doors and drawer front plus carcasses.

This last week on NYW Nahm said the thing everyone wants in their kitchen cabinets is brush marks, so they blend w/ the rest of the trim in the house. They were demonstrating a technique where they sprayed a finish, and then brushed the last coat.

So, is that a faucet that comes out above the cook top? I don't think I've ever seen that before.

[eccentrictinkerer]

Your kitchen looks great. I just checked out the BM site and it looks like the Impervo only comes in satin. I figured I'd want semi-gloss for cleanability's sake. Any issues there?

The paint cleans up great. My wife is a cookbook writer and editor so our kitchen is used way more than average.

Only issue is that I wish the paint was cheaper! Even with the contractor discount it's expensive(as is all Ben Moore paint). My local paint shop gave me a quart, free, just to prove that it was good stuff. I painted a toy box with itand I was convinced.