Can All Cabinets be Repainted?

Let’s just say most cabinets can be repainted, but not all of them.   Further facts about Bentonville, AR can be found here.

Condition

If broken hardware is your only problem, yes, your cabinets can be repainted.  Because drawer pulls and door handles are mostly standard sizes, they can easily be replaced at your local hardware store. Information about Can Dark Colored Cabinets Be Repainted can be found here.

If the colors are just wrong, that’s certainly not a problem.  With the proper prep work, any color can be painted over any color.

If the cabinets are currently covered in an oil-based paint, that can be a problem.  You will need to perform a little more prep by taking the gloss off the oil-based paint.  This can be done with light sanding.

Poor Condition

But if your cabinets are in poor condition, you will have to spring for new cabinets. Over the years, the wood behind the drawer pull may develop groves where fingernails have dug into it a million times.  The edges of the drawers may be worn down.  

The same goes for the cabinet doors.  The wood at the edges of the doors gets worn off.  The area around the handles gets gouges and chips in the wood.

When the wood of the cabinets is damaged, repainting can’t fix that.