Hey everyone! I'm working on a little DIY project where I'm repurposing some old kitchen cabinets into a dry bar in my basement to save money on my remodel. I want to paint them a darker color and plan to sand them down first, then apply a Kilz primer and finally paint them. I'll be using my orbital sander mainly on the flat surfaces, but I'm curious about the grit sandpaper I should use. Should I go with a high grit or a low grit just to scuff up the surface? I don't want to sand all the way to bare wood; I just want to ensure the primer adheres well. Any advice?
3 Answers
I typically use 80 grit when I sand manually, but I’m not sure how that would work with your orbital sander. It does give a nice texture for the paint to grab onto without removing all the old finish. You might want to start with some used 80 grit instead of brand new, as it could be a bit too aggressive with the orbital sander.
Honestly, before you sand, giving the cabinets a good wash with sugar soap can really help with primer adhesion. If you do decide to sand, just be gentle with the grit. You don’t want to create sanding marks that will show up later.
The type of finish on your cabinets matters too. If they were stained, I’d suggest lightly sanding with 220 grit before applying shellac as a stain blocker. You can then paint directly over the shellac. I've done it for many stained items and it works wonders! If you go with 80 grit, just finish up with 230 to smooth it out. Also, Lowe's has a great cabinet paint that covers really well and is super durable!
They were stained and finished with something clear, and I'm going for a darker blue. I've already got sandpaper and Kilz primer, so I'll just stick with those instead of buying more products!
That makes sense! I’ll definitely layer on a good primer before painting, so hopefully any minor imperfections will be covered.