Aaaaarrrrgggghhh! A little help please....

[Momto2Boyz]

I need help!

Dh and I found paint on the mistint rack at Lowe's and decided to repaint the main room of our house (kitchen/dining/living area...one big open space) for $4 a gallon...woo hoo. So, I have an accent wall in the living room that will match the kitchen cabinets to help coordinate the space, since it is so large.

I am having trouble with the cabinets. I painted th bottom cabinets when we moved in, so all I need to do is sand and paint those...then I plan to varnish them all, and they should be fine. But after we moved in, our neighbors gave us some upper kitchen cabinets (becuase the house had none), and DH installed them. Well, I have no idea what they are coated with...but I would swear it is teflon!

Yesterday, I sanded the heck out of them then painted on the primer. The primer said 1 hour to dry before top coat, so I waited an hour...and the primer is just peeling right off the cabinets! Even now, 24 hours later...it is still peeling off.

Do you think I got a batch of bad primer...or is it the surface of the cabinet (which is slick, even after being sanded)???? I need some advice or it is going to drive me crazy! I'm frustrated too, because now I have to go back and peel all of the primer off and sand again! Nothing like doubling up my work!

[Ceashels]

I'm not an expert... I would call Lowe's. They should be able to offer advice.

You might have to take a heat gun and scrape the cabinets before priming them. I have never tried to refinish cabinets before.

[Pemberleyan]

Are they wood with paint on them, or are they melamine (sp?)? If they are melamine, you can buy melamine paint. I'd take one of the doors off and take it to Lowe's with you. I hope you figure it out. Let us know.

[Lady_V]

The Old Man worked in a paint shop, he'd be able to give you a better answer than I could, but I know this is what we did before we eventually remodeled the kitchen.

Wash the cabinets with TSP (or Fantastik, or 409 if it isn't available) and let them dry completely.

You will want to use a stain-killing primer, and then use 2 coats of the color you want to use.

If the doors are wood but 'slick' they may be painted with enamel.

This may sound weird... but if the paint... just won't 'stick' I've seen cabinets that were contact-papered.

No one says you have to have doors

[justpeachy92]

The other thing that will make the paint peel is if something on the cabinets is oil based and the paint you are using is latex. I had that issue in a house we lived in years ago.

[stinkbug]

What kind of primer did you use? When we did our cabinets they turned out beautiful! We cleaned them all with laquer thinner, this removes grease and grime and any shine. Then we painted with KILZ. Then two coats of high gloss paint. We used a paint sprayer and they looked professionally done and the paint set and wore very well!

[sweetlittle]

I've had this happen to me too and I've done a lot of painting. So I know how you are feeling. I agree with stinkbug, but also realize that there are many different types of "KILZ" primers. Make sure you pick the right one. Most likely you'll have to sand all the existing primer off and some of the original finish in order for the paint to look nice once your done.
Take your time all these "weekend projects" usually take at least 2 times more effort than we think, LOL!

[forHISglory]

You need to find out what the composition of the cabinets is: solid wood, wood composition, plastic, etc. You can take a door to Lowe's or Home Depot and let them look at it and give you advice. But...... the doors and the cabinets may be two different compositions.

If it's solid wood, you may have to have them planed or industrially sanded. Try some solvents made for dissolving lacquers or varnishes if that is what it is covered with. Before you try other primers, I suggest that you determine composition and then try to remove the existing finish.