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How to Prep Cabinets Before Refinishing

Cabinet prep is the step that decides whether the new finish lasts or chips. Here is what proper prep involves and why skipping it is the most common reason cabinet refinishing fails.

Clean Thoroughly

Kitchen cabinets collect grease that prevents primer and paint from bonding. Thorough degreasing with the right cleaner comes before any sanding. Skipping this step is why new finishes peel near the stove and range hood.

Scuff Sand and Patch

Surfaces are scuff-sanded so primer grips. Dings, nail holes, and scratches get filled and sanded flush. Hardware is removed and labeled so reassembly is clean.

Prime With the Right Product

A bonding primer rated for the existing coating — stain, lacquer, or paint — is applied. This is the step DIY jobs skip and the reason they fail. The right primer is what keeps the finish bonded to the cabinet.

Then Finish

Only after clean, sanded, primed surfaces do the finish coats go on — cabinet-grade paint or lacquer applied in the right number of coats and cured properly before reassembly.

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