How to give kitchen units a facelift
Space Solves
How to give kitchen units a facelift
The Guardian, Saturday 6 June 2009
My kitchen units are made out of some sort of composite material that resembles laminate flooring. If I painted it with an appropriate paint, would it stand up to the wear and tear of a busy kitchen? Or would replacing the doors and drawers be a better idea?
DIY expert Julian Cassell, author of DIY: Know-How With Show-How (Dorling Kindersley, £25), says, “Yes, you can paint your door and drawer fronts, provided you follow the correct preparation procedure. First, remove all handles, to make painting easier, then give the door and drawer surfaces a good sanding to provide a key for the paint, and wipe down with a cloth dampened in white spirit to get rid of any dirt/dust residue. For primers, try Zinsser B-I-N primer (from most builders’ merchants, or £14.80 for one litre, from u-diy.co.uk) – this is applied by brush and has the added advantage that it dries quickly.
“You can now apply whatever paint you like – two coats of an eggshell, if you’re looking for a matt finish, or one to two coats of undercoat followed by a final gloss finish. For best results, rub down all surfaces with a very fine-grade silicone carbide sandpaper between coats (3M Wet Or Dry Sandpaper, £2.49 for a pack of four sheets, from focusdiy.co.uk). Refit handles once painting is complete and dried.”
