Best product for DIY white cabinet paint or lacquer?

2 years ago

I’m having built in cabinets installed in my living room. I will be painting them myself because it’ll be saving $1,000 less the cost of product. I am pretty confident in my abilities because I painted all of my kitchen and bath cabinets years ago, but I can’t remember what I used and I’m sure there have been superior products released since then. The doors will be wood but the boxes will be faux, just like the rest of my cabinets throughout the house. What product would you recommend for a DIYer? The cabinets will be white and I plan to spray them.

Featured Answer

bry911

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

My 2 cents...

First, you don't need to spend $1,500 on materials to spray an entertainment center in a home.

So I have a half a dozen sprayers including airless, air-assisted airless, and HVLP. I will always reach for the HVLP first if I need quality work done, it will give great results. Your Graco Spray Station 2900 HVLP is probably fine. Just make sure the turbine is getting enough air to the gun so your paint stays properly aerosolized and make sure your tip is good.

If you have to get a new gun, I would personally recommend picking up a Fujispray Semi-Pro2 for $489. After your project is over you can ebay it for $400.

BIN is fine for the primer. Shellac sticks to everything and everything sticks to shellac, it is easy to apply, it is delivered with grain alcohol so is about as toxic as a sharpie, and it blocks tannin bleed. BIN fell out of favor for kitchen cabinets because it gets brittle when exposed to a lot of moisture, but you are not painting the deck of the S.S. Minnow, this is an entertainment center in your living room.

I personally wouldn't bother with a 2k poly for cabinets in the living room of an occupied house. There are several 1k poly's that still meet industry standards and don't have isocyanates. Frankly, there are dozens of finishes that will be fine for what you are doing. Envirothane 200 from Envirolak is a decent product for home sprays and you can get it delivered to your door, if you are spraying through your hvlp make sure to get the reducer also. There are also products like Kem Aqua plus that are on par with lacquers but can be sprayed in a home.

Good luck

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Comments (7)

PRO
PPF.
2 years ago
I plan to spray them

What sort of spray equipment do you have?

the boxes will be faux

Faux? What's the actual material?

I’m having built in cabinets installed in my living room

What will they be for?

What product would you recommend

Depends on your answers to the above questions.

There is a huge amount of info on this topic available via internet search, and lots of YouTube videos too.
User
2 years ago
Its about process and experience much more than the paint. Prep is 90% of the job. Application cannruin that 90%, but it’s importance is over exaggerated if good choices have been made, and practice has been done.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/PaintingKitchenCabinetsforProfit/
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texmax13
Original Author
2 years ago
@PPF. sorry for the delay, I reached out to the cabinet maker and he said it will be a mixture of maple and MDF, the insides of the cabinets will be white melamine.

I have an old Graco Spray Station 2900 HVLP that hasnt seen the light of day since 2013, so I may need to upgrade.

It will be for a built in entertainment center with a lot of concealed storage. Mixture of cabinets and drawers on the base and up top will be large cabinets, a few open shelves and shiplap where the tv will hang. The open shelves and countertop will be stained wood, everything else will be painted white.

I plan to prime with BIN because thats what I’ve used in the past.
texmax13
Original Author
2 years ago
@User I remwmber the tedious process when refinishing my kitchen years ago, but it’s been quite some time so I’m sure I could use a refresher. I just joined the group, thank you!
User
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
You can certainly DIY this, but if he only wants to charge you 1K? Jump on that with both feet. You'll spend MORE than that in equipment and materials to do it to a good enough level to compete with a pro level finish. BIN is not even a competitor in the professional finisher’s realm. Its strictly amateur DIY level. And not compatible with professional finishing systems.

Pick up a new X5 and get a new guard and fine finish tips. Then pick one of the new professional 2K waterborne coating systems like Milesi, Envirolak, Renner, Centurion, Renner, Sayerlack, etc, and stick within their primer and topcoat, depending on the look you want. Also pick up a bunch of sandpaper, denatured alcohol, gloves, tape, 3M plastic, paper, an air cleaner, air filters, a respirator, cartridge, floor protection, zip poles, drying rack or extra sawhorses, and goof off. You’re now at about $1500 of materials. And you still have a week or so of work ahead to wiped down the build oils off, sand, prime, and paint.
strategery
2 years ago
No.