Painting kitchen cabinets

Hello fellow DIYers!

This is my first time joining in on a forum, so please forgive me if I miss any proper ettiquette but I could really use some advice on my latest project.

I have purchased rta cabinets for my kitchen, factory finished (white paint). I want to paint them dark sage and although I've refinished old pieces previously, I'm unsure of the process since these are new. My questions are:
1. Should I sand?
2. Should I prime and if so, what primer would you suggest and I'm assuming one coat would suffice? I was thinking Zinsser Bin - Synthetic
3. Paint - I'm torn on paints. Leaning toward SW Emerald but also considering BM Advance. Any suggestions based on experience?
4. Brush or roll? I've always preferred brushing but have read that mohair blend roller may be better
5. Top coat or not? I'm a perfectionist, so I don't mind extra work if it's worth it, just wondering if it is actually necessary, and if it is, what product would you suggest?

I guess thats it, unless someone else has done this and you have some tips for me! Thank you so much for any input, I really do appreciate the time it takes to help out a stranger! Hope everyone is having a great day - it's a beautiful one here today and I have two pallets sitting in my driveway so I better get on it:)

Welcome to SMC, Brenda. You'll find knowledgeable people here who will take the time to offer thoughtful recommendations.

It sounds like your cabinets are not assembled yet. If so, you might consider taking them to a cabinet shop and having them finish them for you. You'll pay more than doing it yourself, but you'll get a beautiful, smooth finish, and no headaches. If, however, you want to do them yourself, you should:

Lightly sand the surfaces with 220 or 325 grit to give the new finish something to bond to.

Definitely use a primer. Zinsser Bulls-Eye 1-2-3 WB Primer for all surfaces works great for me. Sprays great, but I'm sure it will go on well with a roller or brush, too. You might consider using SW's primer, instead. Sticking to one manufacturer's products is usually the safest bet. (Having said that, I've used the Bulls-Eye under Emerald Urethane with good results.

SW's Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel (not the same as Emerald, do not use that product) is a great product and dries/cures much faster than BM Advance. Both are easy to apply with a brush or roller, but the Emerald Urethane dries in less than half the time. Emerald Urethane will take several weeks to cure and Advance will take several months. If you want to put the cabinets into service sooner than that, you might consider using SW's ProClassic WB instead. It also goes on very well with a brush or mohair roller, dries in an hour or two, and cures in about a week. Less smell, too, almost none, actually.

No matter what product you use, you'll want to apply two coats. Scuff sand between coats to remove any dust nibs.

Good luck.

John

Thank you John, I'll just pick up primer and paint together! I appreciate the advice:)

Oh, I forgot to address your other question. There is no need to apply a clearcoat over the paint. You can, but it won't add much additional protection and it makes repair more difficult.

John

On the products, I've used both BM Advance and the Emerald Urethane Trim products and agree with John. Since SW brought out the Emerald product, I've not felt a need to buy Advance, despite it being a nice and durable solution. The cure time is much longer as he mentioned and that is undesirable to me for both application time as well as a longer time of risk for "environmental stuff" sticking to it. That said, I generally spray, so my personal go-to for this kind of application is Target Coatings EM6500 tinted to the color required. It's just a personal preference. I have the Emerald Urethane product on my front door and it's been amazingly durable!

Is there a price difference between the BM & SW?

(I prefer the BM - but - only because I was a direct competitor of SW for a huge part of my life.)(but, if the SW is cheaper I'm going with that)

I don't recall much difference in price. A pro account or waiting for a sale will get you about 30% off at SW's. I can't ever recall a sale at BM.

John

Thank you Jim, I've decided to go with the SW, it appears to be the general consensus. Hope your day is good!

I went with SW, great salesperson - she gave me 30% off (even though the sale hadn't started yet) and an extra $10, which made it close to what I pay for good Behr wall paint so I considered that a win! PS: Funny quote!

I've had such a good experience with all the SW paint I've purchased over the past few years that I wouldn't bother buying paint at the Home Center and with either sales or other considerations, there's little or no pricing difference at this point. The local store's people are great (as are those at several other locations I've visited) and they know what they are doing. In fairness, the local BM store (independently owned) is also a great operation, but I like sticking with one place and that's been advantageous relative to consistency for me.