painting kitchen cabinets - sealer?

[flyguy]

We are about to paint our Aristokraft wood kitchen cabinets. We'll be cleaning them with TSP and sanding lightly. Then applying Gripper primer and a good quality latex paint.

Is there something we can seal them with that will increase to durability of the painted surface? Something to harden the paint or provide a layer of protection?

Thanks for any ideas!

[HayZee518]

why not just use a two part epoxy paint.

[flyguy]

Because it appears that most epoxy paints are sprayed-on and I'd rather use a brush.

[doorrepairsac]

Don't use latex

[Nestor]

Flyguy:

Why do you want to clean those cabinets with TSP first? Could you please explain that because unless those cabinets are already painted with a linseed oil or Tung oil based paint or varnish, that just don't make no sense to me no how. Is it simply because someone told you to always clean anything you intend to paint with TSP first?

After you paint, you can use a hard drying acrylic clear coat like Flecto "Diamond" Floor finish. Minwax makes a clear coat called Polycrylic, but the "Diamond" finish is intended for use on floors, which in my mind tells me that it dries to a very hard film, which will always be more protective than a softer coating.

PS: TSP is just another piece of misinformation floating around in the DIY universe. Years ago, prior to Glidden introducing the first water wash-up paint in 1959, linseed oil based paints were the norm. TSP had the wonderful ability to etch the gloss of oil based paint so that the next coat of oil based paint would stick better. Consequently, AT THAT TIME, cleaning oil based painted walls with TSP was good practice because it dulled the gloss of the oil paint, greatly increasing it's surface area, and thereby increasing the apparant adhesion of the new paint to the old.
Nowadays, most people use latex paints on walls, and TSP doesn't do anything at all to latex paints, even at strong concentrations. So, unless you're painting over a true drying oil based paint, you'd be much better off to use a decent detergent like Mr. Clean or Fantastik to clean the surface before sanding it down and painting.
The problem is that paint is the most poorly understood technology in the entire home center, and so that even nowadays there are people that will tell you to clean with TSP before painting. If someone tells you to do that, ask them why. If they can't answer that question, they don't know why they're doing it themselves.

You really only need to clean with TSP if you're intending to paint over a true drying oil based paint or varnish, and cleaning with TSP eliminates the need for sanding down the surface of that old paint or varnish afterwards.

[andrewkeith]

1. First of all clean all the dirt off the kitchen cabinet design then paint one coat of oil-based polyurethane onto the kitchen cabinets with a paintbrush.
2. Let the polyurethane dry overnight. Wet the dry, sealed kitchen cabinets lightly with water from a spray bottle.
3. Sand your kitchen cabinets with an extra fine or fine sanding sponge until the surface feels smooth to the touch. Dry the cabinets with a clean towel to remove all of the water.
4. Wait approximately two weeks for the polyurethane to cure on your kitchen cabinets. The finish will become harder and more durable during this curing time.

[jannereeves]

I would prefer epoxy paints. I have used the same for my oak kitchen cabinets.

[Allenvilson]

I would use some poly urethane and brush it on, they will look brand new, you can use it on the counter tops as long as they are not stone. Just make sure they dry well before you use them. visit TheRTAStore.com for more ideas related to home repairing issues.