Paint Formica Cabinets

Q. I have old laminate Formica cabinets and I want to paint them. Can I paint them?

A. Yes these laminate or Formica cabinets can be painted. This paint process was recommended by a painter as effective.

Remove the doors, hardware and hinges from the cabinet to allow access to the painted surfaces. Clean the surfaces to be painted with an ordinary house hold cleaner to remove grease and excess dirt. Then thoroughly wipe clean the surface with Paso, which is a paint surface preparation and is purchased at the paint store.

Prime the surface with one coat of XM-1 oil based primer. Apply this first coat of primer and all coats of paint with a 1/4" nap roller. Wash, rinse and dry the roller thoroughly to remove any fuzz or lint on the roller and perhaps even roll it with a lint stick similar to that used on clothes to remove lint.

Then apply two coats of latex paint of PPG Paint brand Mandarin Hall Exterior Latex topcoat paint allowing a full 24 to 36 hours between latex coat applications.

Then carefully re-install the hinges, pulls or other hardware on the doors and re-install the doors on the cabinet. Be gentle with the doors and cabinet because latex paint takes about 30 days to fully cure.

Go Back