1)    How to refinish kitchen cabinets?

Refinishing kitchen cabinets is a very rewarding project. With a little effort in preparing the job and the use of Graham Aqua Borne Ceramic Finishes, kitchen cabinets can be made to look like new.

A.                 Cover up counter tops and mask any areas that might be damages by cleaning and painting.

B.                 Clean the cabinets thoroughly with a good household cleaner such as Fantastik or 409. Rinse off the cleaner with water. It is very important to remove all traces of oil, dirt and grease. Paint will not stick to oily surfaces. Kitchen cabinets typically build oils and grease over the years, so it is really important to make sure all oil and grease is removed. Pay particular attention to the area around handles. It may be necessary to use a product made specifically to remove grease.

C.                 If an old finish is glossy, use sandpaper to remove the gloss. Never use steel wool, as the particles of steel will rust when a water based finish coast is applied. It is usually a good idea to sand to make the surface smooth and dull. After sanding remove the sanding dust with a rag moistened with water or use a vacuum. Do not use tack rags as they may cause poor adhesion of the finish coat.

D.                 It is not essential to use a primer since the Aqua Borne Ceramic Finishes will adhere well to the cabinets without a primer.* However, if the cabinet is not perfectly smooth, it may be desirable to use 320-00 Aqua Borne Acrylic Primer/Undercoater to fill in small cracks and surface imperfections. This primer can be sanded to achieve a very smooth surface.

E.                  Apply a coat of 532 Aqua Borne Ceramic Satin or 512 Aqua Borne Ceramic Gloss finish with a brush, roller or spray equipment. Do not reduce the finish for brush or roller application. Two coats will give maximum protection. Reduce with water as needed for spray applications. Allow to dry overnight before using cabinets.

F.                  Clean up equipment with soap and water.

G.                 Step back and admire your gleaming new cabinets!

• Note: Some very old kitchen cabinets may have been coated with shellac. Aqua Borne Ceramic finishes will partially dissolve shellac-causing cracking of the film. If cabinets to be refinished are coated with shellac, first prime the cabinets with           Acryplex #4 Oil Stain Sealer. You can test to see if the cabinets have been        shellacked by rubbing the cabinet with alcohol. Alcohol will dissolve shellac.

2)    Painting Plaster

Plaster surfaces are very good substrates to paint because plaster has good “tooth” for the paint to adhere to, is smooth and reasonably dimensionally stable. However, new plaster will not hold paint well. New plaster contains a lot of water that must come out before paint is applied. If the water is not allowed to come out, the water may force itself through the paint causing blistering and lost of adhesion. Also, new plaster is very alkaline. This strong alkalinity can adversely affect adhesion.

It is strongly recommended that new plaster be allowed to dry thoroughly, at least 30 days before a primer is applied. We do not recommend painting plaster before 30 days drying time. Quite often, in freshly plastered rooms, the high humidity can be felt. If after 30 days the humidity in the rooms is still extraordinarily high, more drying time is required to allow the water to escape from the plaster. After the plaster is dry, apply a coat of Aqua Borne Ceramic™ 320-00 Blockout/ enamel Undercoater Primer. This primer lays down to a very smooth finish and has excellent adhesion. Its 100% acrylic formula resists any lingering effect of high alkalinity. Any high quality finish coast can be applied over the primer. We recommend two finish coats of Aqua Borne Ceramic™ Flat Interior Finish, Satin or Gloss Enamel.

Since the surface of plaster is so smooth, we recommend using a short-nap roller, such as 3/8”, certainly no longer than ½”, to minimize the marks left by the nap on the wall. Spraying is an ideal application method to preserve the smooth surface of the plaster.

3)    Decorating with Dark Colors

Dark and intense colors are very popular these days for accent as well as for large wall areas. These very deep colors need to be handled differently than lighter colors. Contrary to what many people believe, deep colors generally don’t hide nearly as well as lighter colors. The principal pigment that contributes most to hiding is titanium dioxide, which is white. Light colors have considerable amounts of titanium dioxide in them so they hide well. Black also hides well. Deep colors contain little or no titanium dioxide so they don’t hide very well. Consequently, it is necessary to use several coats of deep colors to achieve good hide. With some colors, it is not unusual to apply five finish coats to achieve a good appearance.