Your Perfect Cabinet! - What Paint Grade to Use

RTA cabinets are as attractive as their refrigerators. But you may not know whether the paint that you are using on the cabinets is a good grade or not.

It is important to choose quality paint for cabinets since they will be used for a long time. They are more than furniture and should be cared for properly. Here are some tips to help you determine whether your paint is a good grade or not.

First, look at the color of the metal around the perimeter of the cabinets. Is it a glossy finish? Or is it dull? Dull metal shows up better when looking at it under a magnifying glass.

A grade for RTA cabinets is a matte finish. This is the best grade for use on these kinds of cabinets. It is possible to find RTA cabinets with a gloss finish too, but they don't last very long.

You should also look at the texture of the various surfaces. The rims should be shiny and smooth. The tops should be rough but still be flat.

You should also look at the cabinet doors. Most are made of metal or some other material that doesn't look very good when compared to the edges. The doors may be rounded at the top.

What you want to do is apply a coat of primer. Make sure that you have a primer that is made for use on rusted metals and is non-conductive. You may want to test the primer first so that you can determine which one you want to use.

When applying the primer you should brush it on to all of the decorative edges as well as the backsplash. Let it dry, then apply the coats of paint according to the directions on the can.

There are times when RTA cabinets will need to be painted by someone other than the manufacturer. If you don't know how to paint them yourself, you may want to call in a professional to come out and do the job.

When dealing with RTA cabinets, the paint isn't going to dry overnight. You should expect it to take at least four to six hours to completely dry.

Some paint suppliers will deliver the paint in containers. If this is the case, it is important to open them and let them dry before putting them in the cabinets.

Keep in mind that you want to be careful when painting RTA cabinets. It is a labor intensive project and you don't want to end up with a heavily stained cabinet when you are trying to keep it simple.