Painting cupboards

[john_374360139]

Hello I am sure some of you will be horrified at the thought of this but I would like to spray our caravan cupboard doors, has anybody tried this ?? if so what paint did you use. ?? I checked on earlier forums and some people have used bathroom and kitchen paint but I am not sure that i could spray with this any advise please.
We are aware that it might affect the value of the van but just fed up with that boring orangey colour.
All the best jm

 

[Damian]

The first thing to bear in mind is that the finish on most cupboards, and most of the internalwoodwork is a foil laminate on MDF or similar base material, so you will need a good primer / undercoat for the finish coat to stick to.

Depending on your skills with spraying and total cover area required it may be possible to use cans, or for large overall coverage needs, a spraygun.

If you are spraying doors, take them off and lay flat to spray.

Car paint in base to start with followed by a good topcoat in gloss .

If you use cans it is best to drop the cans into hot water for about 10 to 15 minutes before spraying to increase the pressure in the can and make the paint more sprayable.
Light coats with drying time between to get the best finish.

 

[Gybe]

It may be easier and cheaper using foam rollers suitable for paints for wood and metal.
We collected and delivered two refurbished film company American 5th wheeler office units last year. They looked as though the woodwork had been spray painted and spray varnished. It had all been done by hand without a streak or brush stroke to be seen.
Colleague took the tips from the workshop and experimented on some old kitchen doors before tackling an old motorhome he's rebuilt. Doors and drawer fronts removed and painted flat with the rollers and the cupboards roller painted in situe with careful masking, Paint used was Farrow Ball exterior grade Egshell.

 

[ValA.]

We painted ours with Farrow and Ball eggshell and a roller - some taken off and painted flat, and the others in situ. They look really good and very 'modern'. The finish is good, and clean up quite well if you spill on them (with the exception of turmeric - so don't make curries in your van!).

 

[Parksy]

Surface preparation is one of the major factors in acheiving a good finish no matter what type of paint is used, although I concur with Gybe and would use an eggshell semi gloss for cupboard doors applied with a small roller.
Lightly rub the old surface down with a good quality sandpaper such as Oakey Liberty Green medium grade. Don't try to gouge marks into the surface, just gently knock the top of the gloss off and use more pressure to get rid of any pre-existing imperfections and filler to fill holes, rub the filler down to match the rest of the surface.
Take all handles and catches off, brush the dust off completely then use a tack cloth and choose high quality brushes or rollers to apply undercoat rather than the cheap wiry and lumpy rubbish available in many diy stores, then apply the gloss finish after everything is clean, dry and dust free.

 

[Gybe]

I'm with Parksy. Preparation preparation preparation! Prep is King!
On contoured surfaces I find these are good and affordable from this retailer who offers free delivery on online orders over £10. I use their sanding pads and sanding blocks and find their Alluminium Oxide sanding paper on the roll durable and very cost effective.
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Contour+Sanding+Pads/p10736

Use small foam gloss rollers that are only open on one end and have a cuved foam end at the other. The curved foam end will get into corners and and cuves on doors. The foam rollers give maximum coverage with a very thin layer of paint similar to good paint spaying.

I hope the link is permitted. We've had great service from the comapny as customers only.

 

[otherclive]

I've been reading this thread with interest as I am thinking of painting the kitchen cupboards which are contoured and having a couple of spare cupboard doors in the loft I was going to practice with aerosol sprays and quality brushes. I hadn't thought of a roller given the contours on the doors and draw fronts. So I'll try your approach first on my practice pieces then if they look okay the bedroom pine furniture will be next before the kitchen.

 

[Parksy]

For a smooth run-free finish use a good quality paintbrush to cover any contours or trim first. Apply paint to the corners and trim edges which allows an opportunity to brush out any potential runs which later appear in the corners, before rollering the flat centre panels. Lightly criss cross the applied gloss or eggshell paint with the brush to heighten the finish and to smooth out any runs, and no brush marks will be visible in the end result.
It pays to use a small plasic paint kettle which costs about a quid to pour small amounts of final coat into when brushing, this avoids any possibility of dust etc; spoiling the finish or contaminating the paint in the original container. ( The roller tray does the same job)
If the eggshell or gloss paint starts to become sticky use a small amount of white spirit (not turps which could affect the final finish) to thin the paint slightly which renders it much easier to apply to a good finish.

 

[Gybe]

I concur with Parksy again. Sightly thinning the paint with white spirit is a must on most jobs for a good top class finish. I've tried water based paints and varnish and found them next to useless. Paints or varnish that can be cleaned and thinned with white spirit work far better in my experience.
We've recently refurbished some 1930's household doors skirting and architraves with a lot of panelled and beaded sections. Used a small paint brush to apply paint in to corners and internal curves and then roller with care using the domed end of the gloss roller. The foam rollers can also be used free hand cut to shape to dab into tricky areas for a consistent brushstroke free quality finish.

 

[john_374360139]

Thank you all for your information it is very helpfull and encouraging.
I going to go with the good brushes and foam roller with lots of preparation (fine paper ,sanding pads and tack cloth )
Now the really hard bit what COLOUR ???

Thank you jm

 

[Parksy]

Thank you all for your information it is very helpfull and encouraging.
I going to go with the good brushes and foam roller with lots of preparation (fine paper ,sanding pads and tack cloth )
Now the really hard bit what COLOUR ???

Thank you jm

I've heard that 50 shades of grey is a popular choice JM

 

[john_374360139]

Parksy that was just BRILLANT gave us a real big laugh thank you
It will probably be a whiter shade of pale ( or not )

 

[Parksy]

Or Mellow Yellow perhaps?

 

[mucky pup]

Hi John
I agree with the other comments with regard to using a gloss roller, i did all our kitchen cupboards a few years ago. The best primer to use is PSB that you can get from B&Q you just clean the doors with soapy water the when dry go over the surface to be painted using a lint free cloth dampened with the PSB. The surface will then take the paint and give a realy fantastic finnish. I have even painted glass using it. The best paint to use is a laminate paint also avalable from B&Q and comes in a full range of colours.

 

[Dustydog]

Or Mellow Yellow perhaps?

Or Paint it Black maybe??

 

[Parksy]

Or Mellow Yellow perhaps?

Or Paint it Black maybe??

You wouldn't care what colour it ended up in as long as you'd had enough Red Red Wine

 

[Gybe]

P Green for the smallest room