Need painting advice please

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user 26

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I have a question for any painters out there. I've got white primer on all the cabinets in the kitchen ... and they are all hanging back up. a nightmare of removing all the hardware and taking down the doors and then rehanging them all ... 16 cabinets and 8 drawers i think.
can I just paint the finish coat over the primer with them hanging and simply remove the pull handles??? And then go back very carefully and paint around where they hang? I am dreading ... and putting off ... taking down all those doors again with no help. And no clean dry place to lay them down. When I took down the doors, it was endless a task unscrewing screws that had been in place for decades. And then putting down plastic bags outside to prime each door and all the rest of it. ugh
Practically in tears here over this kitchen that isn't even mine ... hard to deal with the truth of this house and the attitude of the people who live here. That no one will help, no one cares. I suggested a painting party ... I would supply pizza or whatever if people would help. No. One person handed me a gift card to buy the paint. (thank you!) But the doing ... ? No.
There are also walls and trim to paint. So much! And six windows I have not even touched.
The issue goes much deeper than paint.
 
Get some painters tape - it is blue, comes wide, and is easier than masking tape to take off. Tape around the areas you do not want to get painted (so you do not have to be so careful when painting). Take off the pulls and have at it. Put down newspaper or something to catch any drips from the doors/drawers.
 
Oh My, yes I have cried my eyes out at the thought of such a big project, knowing that I would be prying the paint brush out of my hand at the end of the many days it would take to finish. Hang in there and just tackle one small project at a time. When it comes to painting all help usually disappears...you are not alone!
In an ideal world you would paint the doors in a horizontal position to avoid the drips and allow the paint to "sit down" flat on the surface. But, yes, you can paint them as they are hung. Personally, I would lightly sand the primer and wipe each door well to remove the dust. Use a tack cloth if you have one but be sure to wipe them clean after a light sanding with #0000 sand paper or one of the fine, foam sanding pads. As gillumhouse suggests, you can tape off the hardware if you do not have a steady hand, but this is not a perfect solution so no matter what you do you will need to take care that you do not slop the paint all over the things that should not be painted. I always use Ben Mo ore oil-based paint for woodwork and add a little Pene trol to it to make it really smooth. You are in the same area as I and so I think you probably use the same type of paint. If you decide to go with a water-based paint the clean up is easier but the painting results, IMHO, are not up to snuff because the paint dries before it smoothes out and leaves brush marks. You can add Flo trol to water based paints and that helps.
I have painted our entire house more than once and have had the good fortune of having a wonderful mentor who shared his painting secrets. I hope it goes well for you but remember....sand, clean, caulk, tape, paint and check for drips but don't "touch up" the water based paint once it is drying or you will leave brush marks instead of a mirror smooth surface.
 
I painted my cabinet door faces (not the insides) with the hardware off and the doors laying flat. Ditto the drawers. That said, of course you can paint them in place! Tape the hardware with blue painting tape. (I would take the handles off to make life easier.)
It's going to be hard to paint the boxes with the doors in place. You may decide after the first one to just take them down one at a time and lay them on the counter. They won't be as hard to get down this time. You've loosened the 50 years of grease.
Go slowly and put newspaper down on the counters. Are you rolling or brushing the paint on? I brushed. If the doors are flat you can roll.
Put the paint in a glass jar with a wide mouth so you're not lugging that big paint can around and you're not messing with the big roller pan. If you're rolling, use a smaller roller and it won't be as heavy.
Get a book on tape. I recommend Sophie Kinsella. Laugh your ass off while painting.
 
thank you, all! good suggestions.
listening to something funny while doing it is a great idea.
 
Oh, my heart bleeds for you. I just did our kitchen, 24 cabinets all with drawers, inside and out. I would help you if I could...I got a friend to come in and chat at me, she is handicapped, so couldn't do much labor, but helped my spirits a great deal. Do listen to something. Sugar up that Coffee!
Get an electric screwdriver and remove the hardware, it gives a better job in the end, and is probably just as fast as tapping, tearing tape off and touch up. You can do a few at a time and work your way down the kitchen. I used a roller. (Keep your wet roller/tray in a sealed plastic trash bag, don't clean it down each day)
Do use a paint that will dry HARD. Oil is best, but there are some latex enamels that will do...you will find you will have to touch these up more often than oil. You can go right over primer no problem.
In the end it will look so much better you will feel proud, and rightly so...good luck!
 
seashanty forgot to shave this morning.
picture-26.jpg
 
wearingboston.jpg
ark, you are a meanie ... okay, i've shaved. here i am, 'wearing boston' as we all are this weekend
so it is 18 cabinets and 12 drawers plus trim, lots of wall space etc. will have to do it little by little. one housemate said 'i will help you ... but not yet' hopefully, as i paint as i have time, she and/or others will grab a brush. they don't have to paint WITH me while i'm painting. so i drew up a little sign to leave with all the supplies with little instructions for rinsing the brushes as though i'm assuming others will step up. we'll see.
 
wearingboston.jpg
ark, you are a meanie ... okay, i've shaved. here i am, 'wearing boston' as we all are this weekend
so it is 18 cabinets and 12 drawers plus trim, lots of wall space etc. will have to do it little by little. one housemate said 'i will help you ... but not yet' hopefully, as i paint as i have time, she and/or others will grab a brush. they don't have to paint WITH me while i'm painting. so i drew up a little sign to leave with all the supplies with little instructions for rinsing the brushes as though i'm assuming others will step up. we'll see..
Try using the really small roller. That really makes things go faster for me. You have a narrow disposable paint tray, then when you're done for the day, just put the whole thing in a plastic bag, then when you're ready the next time, it's ready to go. I also put my pain brushes in that bag. I hate washing them out just to use them again!
 
wearingboston.jpg
ark, you are a meanie ... okay, i've shaved. here i am, 'wearing boston' as we all are this weekend
so it is 18 cabinets and 12 drawers plus trim, lots of wall space etc. will have to do it little by little. one housemate said 'i will help you ... but not yet' hopefully, as i paint as i have time, she and/or others will grab a brush. they don't have to paint WITH me while i'm painting. so i drew up a little sign to leave with all the supplies with little instructions for rinsing the brushes as though i'm assuming others will step up. we'll see..
Try using the really small roller. That really makes things go faster for me. You have a narrow disposable paint tray, then when you're done for the day, just put the whole thing in a plastic bag, then when you're ready the next time, it's ready to go. I also put my pain brushes in that bag. I hate washing them out just to use them again!
.
I roll the roller up in a plastic bag but I do rinse the tray and the brushes. The brushes tend to get gunky if I don't. I have gone back and used a roller a week later and it's still damp.
 
yes, i've got plastic wrap around the brush i just used. have done with a little roller before, never with the whole tray but that would great if i can just tie it up and re-use especially if i'm painting a bit at a time over several weeks. knew you'd have ideas in here! if i can say 'just wrap up the brush in plastic wrap for the next time' i bet that might encourage some as they won't have to clean brushes. i will change the note right now!
 
yes, i've got plastic wrap around the brush i just used. have done with a little roller before, never with the whole tray but that would great if i can just tie it up and re-use especially if i'm painting a bit at a time over several weeks. knew you'd have ideas in here! if i can say 'just wrap up the brush in plastic wrap for the next time' i bet that might encourage some as they won't have to clean brushes. i will change the note right now!.
If you haven't used them before, they sell a foam roller good for cabinets, it puts the paint on smoother.
 
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