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Can You/Should You Paint Over Plywood Cabinets? (How To)

If you’ve got plywood cabinets and want to do a kitchen renovation without breaking the bank, the good news is that you can give your kitchen a facelift. Adding new paint is a simple way to increase the value and appearance of your home.

Man painting the cabinet

You can paint over plywood cabinets. To do so, you just need to properly prep them. Because of the style of wood. To gain your desired look, you first need to sand your cabinets and apply a primer. Otherwise, your painting won’t last as long as it should. 

There are several steps that you should take to achieve the right look for your old plywood cabinets when painting them. Here are some issues that you might run into and how to prepare your cabinets for a fresh coat of paint.

Can You Paint Over Plywood Cabinets?

Woman painting the cabinet

Kitchen renovations, even ones as simple as painting your old cabinets, can significantly increase the value of your home. It is also a great way to do an affordable renovation. The average kitchen renovation if you hire a professional can cost between $4,000 to $50,000. 

You can paint over plywood cabinets and revamp the entire appearance of your kitchen. While it is a project that takes a few days, you can do it at a far more affordable rate than hiring a professional – or replacing your cabinets. When it comes to painting plywood cabinets, preparation is everything.

You want to remove your doors and cabinet drawers. With cabinets, it’s important to remember that they are tailored to fit in specific places. One of the easiest ways to avoid the headache of figuring out where to return your cabinets and drawers is to mark the spot you removed them from with painter’s tape and a number. When you go to prep and paint your cabinets, set them out on plastic sheeting and use painter’s tape to put a coordinating number in front of the coordinating cabinet. 

Can You Paint Over Plywood Furniture?

Woman painting the cabinet

Over time, paint on plywood can chip, dull, or you may just want a change. Rather than purchasing new furniture, you can drastically change the appearance of older furniture with a few steps.

Successfully painting over plywood furniture is time-consuming, but a cost-efficient process. To successfully paint plywood furniture you need to remove the current paint level. After doing so, you need to sand and paint. It is important to clean off any debris before applying primer and paint.

As furniture often has a good deal of wear and tear, over time you may notice stains. Removing these before painting will prevent them from showing through the paint. You can use turpentine to remove stubborn stains. If you’re doing this step, do so before you begin sanding your plywood furniture.

Can You Paint Over Plywood Countertops?

Woman painting the cabinet

Countertops are one area of the kitchen that, when updated, can have the biggest effect on the appearance of your kitchen space. Countertop replacement is an expensive process if you hire a professional, and if you’re doing it yourself it is a large undertaking.

Rather than replacing your plywood countertops, you can paint over them. You might think that it will be a project that takes a few days. You’ll need to cover everything else in your kitchen with plastic and painter’s tape. First, clean your plywood countertops. 

If there are any grease or other stains, you can use turpentine. After everything has dried, you need to sand your countertops before applying the primer. Depending on the amount of humidity in your environment, you can go with oil-based paint or latex-based paint. When you apply the paint, less is more, you don’t want to apply a heavy layer of paint. Otherwise, once it dries, you’ll notice remaining paint bubbles or clumps. You also want to ensure that your paint is spread evenly to avoid any noticeable spots.

Should I Paint Over Plywood Cabinets?

painting the cabinet

Adding a new coat of paint is far more affordable than replacing your cabinets. There are also some benefits that you may not have thought of when considering painting your cabinets.

Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on August 8, 2022.

You should paint over your plywood cabinets if you want to give your kitchen a new look. Painting over your plywood cabinets can also prolong their lifespan. Because you need to refinish the surface and apply new primer, repainting your plywood cabinets not only increases the value of your home but also is a relatively easy process. 

However, when deciding to paint over your cabinets or other plywood surfaces, preparing them correctly first makes the difference between cabinets that look disheveled and have peeling paint and cabinets that are aesthetically pleasing. 

What Tools and Preparations Are Needed?

Tools to paint the cabinet

The most important step when painting plywood cabinets or other surfaces in your preparation. If you don’t prepare your cabinets correctly you will notice blemishes and could even have paint that chips away over time. 

First, you want to remove everything from the cabinets, including the hardware. Then you need to clean the cabinets or surfaces with TSP. Wipe the surfaces clean. Your next step is to sand the surfaces. You can either san manually or you can use an electric sander. The best grain of sander to use is 22″ grain.

This will make your process quicker and produce a surface that is ideal for painting plywood. Before moving on to the process of painting, you must clean up all of the dust. If there is any remaining dust, there will be a visible blemish under your paint. Once your surfaces are clean, use tack cloth and painter’s cloth. These are useful tools to seal any japs. Over time, your cabinets may begin to separate around the inside lip. 

Be sure to wipe away any excess painter’s cock. This will also help ensure that all of the cracks and/or gaps are sealed tightly. You can also use Plastic Wood to fill larger hills or cracks. You can spray your cabinets with a paint gun or paint them by hand. Using a spray paint gun is the fastest and most effective method. After you make sure that your surfaces are cleaned, your next step is to apply the primer. You can do either oil-based or water-based primers. 

After applying the primer, you want to clean the surfaces again before you’re ready to paint. After painting, applying a polyurethane top coat can further prolong the lifespan of your cabinets. When you’re ready to reattach the cabinets, having bumpers on the inside will prevent the paint from being damaged due to regular use.

What Paint Do You Need to Paint Over Plywood Cabinets and Countertops?

Woman painting the cabinet

Not all paint produces the same quality result. With so many different types of paint on the market, selecting the right one can be difficult. 

One of the best types of paint to use on your cabinets after applying primer is latex paint. Oil-based paints have a long lifespan, but can be difficult to apply. You can also find latex paints that are a paint and primer mix. Using latex paint can also prevent having a heavy ‘caked-on’ appearance. 

How to Paint Over Plywood Cabinets

confused woman standing

To paint over cabinets, your first step is to remove them. One of the easiest places to paint them is either in your garage or basement as they will need to dry for at least three days before being reattached, depending on what type of paint you use. Waiting four days can prevent any blemishes, especially if you’re working in a humid environment.

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on August 8, 2022.

Your most important step in replacing cabinets is the preparation. You need to first sand and fill in any cracks, gaps, or holes. Always be sure to clean up any dust or residue before applying primer and then paint.

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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on August 8, 2022.

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