What preparation is needed before painting kitchen cabinets in my Fredericton home?

Preparation is everything with kitchen cabinet painting — it accounts for at least 60% of the total work and is the single biggest predictor of whether your painted cabinets last beautifully for 8 to 10 years or start peeling and chipping within the first year.

The first step is a thorough cleaning. Kitchen cabinets — especially in Fredericton homes where cooking is done year-round on cold days when windows stay closed — accumulate a thin film of grease, cooking vapours, and grime that’s nearly invisible but completely destroys paint adhesion. Use a proper degreaser like TSP (trisodium phosphate) or a cabinet-specific degreaser, wash all surfaces inside and out, and let everything dry fully before moving on. This step cannot be skipped.

Next comes scuff sanding. You don’t need to sand down to bare wood — you need to break the existing finish so the primer has something to grip. For stained and varnished wood cabinets (common in older Fredericton homes from the 1970s-90s), 150-grit sandpaper worked with the grain is ideal. For previously painted cabinets, 220-grit is fine. After sanding, wipe down every surface with a tack cloth or damp rag to remove all dust — any sanding dust left behind will show through your final finish as a gritty texture.

Repairs come next. Fill any dents, holes from old hardware, or gouges with wood filler or lightweight spackling compound, let it dry, and sand smooth. If any cabinet door joints are loose or separating (common in older NB homes), use wood glue and clamps to reset them before painting. Remove all hardware, hinges, and handles — tape hardware holes if you’re not moving them.

Priming is non-negotiable. For natural wood cabinets, a stain-blocking primer (Zinsser BIN shellac-based or Bulls Eye 1-2-3) prevents tannins in oak and birch from bleeding through the topcoat — oak especially is notorious for bleed-through that turns white paint yellow. For laminate cabinets, a bonding primer specifically designed for slick surfaces is required. Apply primer to all surfaces, let it dry, sand lightly with 220-grit to smooth any grain raise, and wipe clean before topcoating.

The final prep step that many DIYers skip is masking the surrounding area carefully. Cabinet painting involves spray or roller application of significant paint quantities near your walls, countertops, floor, and appliances. Proper drop cloths, masking tape, and plastic sheeting protect your kitchen from overspray and drips.

If your Fredericton cabinets are older (pre-1980s), consider having them tested for lead paint before sanding — lead test kits are available at hardware stores and testing takes two minutes. If the test is positive, hire a professional with lead-safe work practices rather than sanding yourself.

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