Step 7: Alternate Application: Spray the Paint On

Alternate application is to Spray the paint on Kitchen Cabinet
Photograph: Kolin Smith
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To keep the paint smooth, you should use a brush on the cabinet boxes and face frames. But for a superior finish on the doors and drawer fronts, you can apply a single coat with an airless paint sprayer. Spray the edges first; then fill in the field on the face of the door. Make sure to overlap each pass by about 50 percent, and don't let up on the trigger until the spray is completely off the surface.

Keep the doors and drawers flat and level until they are dry to the touch. Then hang them to dry completely.
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    Tools List

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    • putty knife
      Putty Knife to fill holes and dings

    • drill
      Drill/Driver

    • paintbrush
      2½-Inch Nylon-Polyester Paintbrush with chisel-tip bristles (have two, for switching from primer to paint)

    • paint sprayer
      Airless Paint Sprayer (optional; rents for $75 a day)

    • Phillips screwdriver
      Screwdriver

    Shopping List

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    1. Paint Oil-based or 100 percent acrylic latex paint specially formulated for cabinetry applications or high-traffic areas. You will need about a gallon per coat on a bank of four upper and lower cabinets.

    2. Primer to fill the wood grain and to create a smooth surface for the final coat. Look for ones labeled "high build" and "sandable." If your cabinets are laminates, not wood, get a "sealer" primer for smooth surfaces that can't be sanded.

    3. Rosin Paper to cover and protect countertops

    4. 0.5 mm Plastic to cover the backsplash and surrounding areas 5. Painter's Tape

    6. Scrubbing Sponge

    7. TSP Substitute or Degreaser to remove built-up residue

    8. Wood Putty to fill old hardware holes

    9. 100-Grit and 220-Grit Sandpaper

    10. Tack Cloths to wipe the sanding dust off the cabinets between coats

    11. Fine-Grit Sanding Sponge to smooth the primer on the trim

    12. Cup Hooks to hang the doors while they dry