By Jim Wilkerson
Pick Your Hardware
A major mistake people make when starting a kitchen remodel is to paint their cabinets before picking out hardware. The problem with this is that the holes from the old knobs and hinges may not line up with the holes on the new hardware. Then you’re stuck with either filling holes and painting again, or settling for hardware that matches the old holes.
Pulls or Knobs?
You may not realize that you can switch from drawer pulls to drawer knobs. Prior to modern drawer slides, pulls were often necessary because you had to have a two-hand grip to open a silverware drawer. The current trend is to use knobs on both doors and drawers. An added benefit is the selection of knobs is many times greater than that of pulls.
Upgrade Your Hinges
Hinges are often upgraded to a self-closing type during the remodel process. The hole patterns on these hinges are not standard so it’s important to have the hinges selected before you begin painting. Also, the barrels on self-closing hinges are thicker than standard hinges. This difference may require the repositioning of the hinges to allow double doors sufficient room to close completely, even if the hole patterns of the old and new hinges are the same.
Filling Holes
Don’t use putty! Putty shrinks and chips out and will be visible under the new paint job. Putty also doesn’t hold screws very well, so your doors have a much greater chance of loosening and becoming misaligned.
If you need to fill the existing holes, the best approach is to first enlarge the hole with a 1/4″ drill bit. Then plug the hole using a standard 1/4” dowel or plug. Standard white wood glue will make the filled hole as strong as the original wood. Once the glue dries, the plug can be flush cut and sanded smooth. With this fix you can then re-drill the holes without worrying how close you are to the old holes.
Clean Surface for Painting
Before you start painting, it is important that the wood be thoroughly cleaned. Any wax or grease will keep paint from properly bonding. Murphy’s oil soap or Spic & Span are two excellent choices for cleaning solutions.
It’s best if the surface is lightly sanded, then primed. Always clean before sanding. or you will grind the grease or wax into the surface. The time spent in preparing the surface will go a long way in making the finish smoother and more durable.
Ask Blackhawk
We hope that this article has helped. If you have any questions or would like to talk to an expert about your remodel, cabinet hardware concern or best types of paint to use, don’t hesitate to call us at 704.525.2682 or stop by Blackhawk and and have one of our extremely knowledgeable Decorative Hardware or Paint associates assist you with any questions.
