How To Paint Kitchen Cabinets Without Sanding

Painting kitchen cabinets is a fantastic way to breathe new life into your kitchen. You will be amazed at what a difference a quality and careful paint job on those cabinets can make. They can go from run-down looking to passing for brand new if you take your time.

But painting kitchen cabinets is an involved process that takes many steps. So, as you start to plan out this process, you might wonder if you can cut out certain steps, like sanding the kitchen cabinets before you paint them.

It is possible in many circumstances to skip the sanding step when painting your kitchen cabinets. If, however, you have chipped or peeling surfaces, cracked or otherwise damaged cabinets, then they may require sanding.

Using a quality deglosser, liquid sander or mineral spirits with a rough brush are all possible alternatives to sanding your kitchen cabinets before painting them.

As you start to organize yourself and your kitchen cabinets for a new paint job, you should get your ducks in a row. Read our step-by-step guide below so you can make sure you have thought of everything you need for this project. Next, take a really close look at your existing kitchen cabinets, as their current condition will dictate whether or not you can paint them without sanding them first.

You might have been told that you absolutely must sand surfaces before you paint them. But in reality, if you don’t have the energy to sand all the intricate nooks and crannies within your kitchen cabinets, you might be able to skip the step.

Sanding is helpful because it gives a bit of grip for the new coat of paint. It also smooths out the existing surfaces and removes possible uneven surfaces and even grime. So sure, sanding is definitely a step we always recommend, but there are often ways around it.

Take a look at your cabinets. If they are in good condition, without dents or damage, that is a good sign. Next, take a look at the paint job. Are the surfaces even? Has the paint or bare surface stood the test of time?

If you are painting over metal, are the cabinets free of rust? If you answered yes to all of these questions, then the odds are you can skip the sanding step.

Keep in mind, however, that while you might skip the sanding step, you should never skip the cleaning step. Always make sure you wipe down the surfaces and allow ample drying time.

This helps your new paint and primer stick, which becomes all the more critical when you skip the sanding step.

Painting over old paint is fine if it is completely intact. If the paint is chipped or peeling, however, you should definitely sand down the surfaces. If you paint over peeling or chipped paint, you are basically just putting a band-aid over your problem.

The chipped and peeling paint will likely continue to peel and chip over time. This will drastically reduce the longevity of your cabinet paint job.

Even if you use quality primer and paint, you will still notice the uneven layers. The chipped paint will most likely show through. So in these cases, take the time to give the cabinets a good sanding.

There are some surfaces that need to be smoothed out, and others that need to be touched up. Certain smooth and shiny surfaces, including metal and vinyl-finished surfaces, might need some roughing up.

This is because without some grit, the primer and paint might struggle to stick. In turn, this reduces the longevity of the paint, and can cause premature peeling and chipping.

If you have wooden surfaces that are not properly treated or are raw, they might need some sanding. Otherwise they might be a bit too rough and prone to pesky splinters.

This is rare, but may occur if you have specialty built (or inexpensive) unpainted wooden cabinetry.

If you are not the most experienced painter but want to make sure your cabinets look top-notch once you finish them, consider purchasing a cabinet painting kit.

Most of these painting kits have step-by-step instructions with all the materials you require for this job. This often includes a deglosser.

De-glosser, which is also sometimes called “liquid sandpaper”, is a liquid that, when applied, effectively removes top layers of paint and/or gloss from your cabinets. One of the best things about this is it is easy to apply, and requires much less elbow grease and time than sanding.

Keep in mind, however, that deglosser does not even out surfaces, meaning it will not smooth out imperfections in the material itself, but instead only works to remove a top layer of paint. In many cases though, this is all you need. This makes having a paint kit all the more practical.

If you need to rough up the surfaces a bit to ensure the paint sticks, you might think you need to sand the surfaces. While sanding is definitely one solution, there is a fast and effective alternative.

You can try using a rough sponge with some mineral spirits to achieve the same effect.

Dampen the rough sponge with mineral spirits, and then give the cabinets a firm wipe. The mineral spirits will assist the rough sponge in penetrating the surface, roughing it up just enough for your primer to stick all that much better.

Keep in mind that mineral spirits have a lot of fumes, and are a harsh chemical. Make sure you use all the necessary protective equipment when using mineral spirits.

If your surfaces are in good condition, you might be able to skip the sanding and roughing up phase altogether. Instead you can focus more intently on the following steps: cleaning and priming.

Since you won’t sand the surfaces, cleaning and priming becomes all that much more important.

Clean cabinet surfaces help the primer stick. Make sure you use a reliable and effective primer that will bond strongly with your cabinets surfaces. If you do, then you should be able to skip the sanding step without suffering any consequences.

Make sure as you search for the right primer, you are taking the surface and the paint into consideration. You need a primer that will bond well with both (not all of them will).