I do know we’re all anxious to see my closet painted, and I’m getting nearer and nearer to that day-after-day. I’ve been caught in these paint prep steps for days now, and I’d love nothing greater than to see that stunning blue-green coloration go on these cupboards. However all of those steps I’ve to do earlier than portray actually are an important components of the method.
Sadly, it looks like these are the steps that most individuals need to skip over. I’ll always remember when the Chalk Paint craze took over years in the past. One of many promoting factors was that you simply don’t should sand earlier than portray. You possibly can simply slap that paint proper over any end, and it will look stunning, or so we had been advised. And since that Chalk Paint debut these a few years in the past, so many different paints have come available on the market with that very same declare. No sanding obligatory!
That drives me loopy, if I’m being trustworthy, as a result of the actual fact of the matter is that should you slap paint on a tough floor or a floor that hasn’t been prepped in any means, your paint end is simply not going to look all that nice. The painted floor can solely look nearly as good because the floor beneath it. Paint doesn’t magically make cracks, holes, uneven surfaces, tough surfaces, or different imperfections disappear.
And that’s precisely why I take a lot time within the prep stage earlier than I paint something, whether or not it’s a chunk of furnishings, cupboards, or the rest. Considered one of my favourite individuals to comply with in Instagram is Kayla Payne. She paints cupboards and furnishings, and her strategy is similar to my very own. I watched the entire technique of her portray her personal kitchen cupboards not too way back, and that was virtually a month-long course of for her simply to color her kitchen cupboards. She did an excellent excessive gloss end, which takes even longer and much more consideration to element that what I’m doing in my closet with a satin end, however due to all of that focus to element, her end turned out superb. As a result of she used such an excellent excessive gloss paint, she needed to sand these cupboards as much as 600-grit between coats of paint. However I liked watching that complete course of and her consideration to element.
Anyway, all of that to say that I do know I’m caught within the tremendous boring a part of this challenge (it’s boring for me, so I do know it’s boring to look at!), however it’s not a part that I can rush via. Neither is it a part that I need to rush via as a result of if I don’t take the time to do these steps accurately and take note of the small print, the completed challenge will seem like an affordable DIY challenge. And that’s the very last thing I need. I could also be a DIYer, however I by no means need my initiatives to seem like apparent DIY initiatives.
So yesterday, I labored all day lengthy, from round 10:00am to 10:30pm, with a 40-minute break to make a pot of chili, after which an hour break for lunch with Matt. And I spent that complete time sanding after which doing slightly extra priming. And virtually all the sanding I used to be doing yesterday was by hand. My objective was to take off the sharp edges from all the trim items. And I don’t know should you’ve observed, however there are lots of cabinets on this room, which signifies that there are a complete lot of trim items that wanted to be sanded.
I take the time to do that on all of my initiatives that I construct for 2 causes. First, I believe it appears to be like higher. However second, the manufacturing unit reduce edges on this pre-primed lumber is so sharp that it may well actually reduce you should you run your hand throughout it quick sufficient. Ask me how I do know that. 😀 However actually, I simply don’t like the way it appears to be like.
So I begin with 80-grit sandpaper to knock down these tremendous sharp corners after which comply with up with 120-grit after which 220-grit sandpaper to get a softer rounded-over edge, which you’ll be able to see beneath.
It’s a type of small particulars that I believe makes an enormous distinction within the completed challenge. And whereas I will be the just one who ever notices, that’s sufficient for me. It’s usually exhausting to inform the distinction earlier than it’s primed and painted. Right here’s what it appears to be like like after doing all of that sanding however earlier than priming…
However the cause it took so lengthy is as a result of I do all of this by hand. Utilizing a sander for this course of can go away gouges within the items subsequent to the piece I’m sanding, and it may well additionally take off an excessive amount of of the nook too quick and go away uneven corners. I’ve far more management if I do it by hand. And this step must be carried out after all the cabinets and shelf trim have been connected. You don’t need to spherical over the perimeters of the cupboard trim after which add the trim on entrance of the cabinets as a result of that can go away a niche between the 2 items that then needs to be crammed and sanded.
And it additionally took so lengthy as a result of there’s simply a lot of it. I sand each single one of many uncovered edges. And once more, I’ve a complete lot of cabinets and lots of cupboard trim on this room.
The excellent news is that I lastly acquired that lengthy and boring course of completed at about 9:00 final evening, after which I spent the remainder of the time till I went to mattress priming the fitting aspect of the room. I needed to chortle as a result of I ran out of primer earlier than I might get that final shelf primed. I nonetheless must prime all the corners with a brush, however I acquired (virtually) all the areas primed that could possibly be carried out with a 6-inch curler.
I’ve one other full, uninterrupted workday forward of me at the moment, and now that each one of that preliminary sanding is completed, my objective is to get the remainder of the priming carried out by the top of the day. And sure, as soon as the primer is dry, I’ll sand each single bit of each floor with 220-grit sandpaper by hand earlier than I paint. As a result of, once more, the painted end can solely look nearly as good because the earlier end. As soon as the primer is on, dry, and sanded, I’ll nonetheless must caulk, which is able to in all probability be an all-day job with this many cabinets. After which, lastly, paint!
So I’m virtually to the half that all of us need to see, however in actuality, I’m nonetheless at the very least two full work days away from paint, if not three or 4. I nonetheless must construct my glass-top shelf as properly. The glass is out for supply proper now, and as quickly as I’ve that in hand, I’ll construct the body for it in order that it may be prepped, primed, and painted after I do the remainder of the cupboards.
Anyway, all of that to say that should you’re going to go to the difficulty of constructing cupboards, don’t rush the boring steps. They are surely an important. And should you’re wanting to color cupboards or furnishings, and your first query is, “How can I do that with out sanding?”, simply know that your completed challenge could be very prone to find yourself trying like a DIY challenge. In my 30+ years of DIYing, I’ve simply come to comprehend that sanding is without doubt one of the most essential steps in portray cupboards and furnishings, and should you skip that step, it’ll present. It’s boring however obligatory.
UPDATE: I’ve had just a few individuals ask me why I don’t do my flooring earlier than portray the cupboards. Whereas that might be the logical order, the Bona Pink Out is on backorder, and I nonetheless don’t have a delivery date for it. There’s no means I need to maintain up progress on this challenge whereas I look ahead to that to reach. So I’ll proceed engaged on the cupboards and get them painted first. I spent a superb 90 minutes yesterday cleansing off all the mud from the cabinets and cupboards and getting them prepared for primer, so I’m undoubtedly going to color first. After which as soon as the paint is dry, I’ll cowl the cupboards with plastic earlier than doing the ground in order that they don’t get dusty once more.
It’s not the best order during which to do issues. It actually would have been simpler, and would have made far more sense, to do the flooring first, after which clear the cabinets and cupboards and get them painted. If I had all of my flooring merchandise in hand, that’s the order during which I might have carried out these issues. However because it stands, with one ground product on backorder, I can’t cease working and whereas I look ahead to it.
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I transform and enhance the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do the vast majority of the work on the home on my own. You’ll be able to be taught extra about me right here.
