Giving your kitchen a mini-makeover by painting the cabinets yourself can save thousands over the cost of installing new cabinetry. But brush painting cabinets can be tedious and leave unsightly brushmarks. That’s why using the best paint sprayer for kitchen cabinets allows DIYers to achieve smooth, flawless finishes comparable to professional spray finished cabinetry.
We’ll also guide you through choosing the right spray gun for cabinet paint jobs based on your needs and experience level. Follow our top tips to select the perfect paint sprayer for successfully transforming your cabinets from dreary to dazzling.
Assess Your Kitchen Cabinets’ Condition Before Painting
The first step to prep your cabinets for a paint makeover is assessing their current condition. Note the existing finish – are your cabinets currently stained, painted, or varnished? Check for any damage like cracks, swelling, blistered or peeling paint. Proper prep is crucial for good paint adhesion, so thoroughly clean cabinet surfaces and sand glossy areas to rough up the finish.
Repair Damage & Apply Primer
Fill any cracks or holes with wood filler, allow to dry fully, then sand smooth. Lightly sand doors and frames to help the new paint adhere. Wipe away dust before applying a high-bonding primer specifically formulated for cabinetry. Opt for an oil-based primer for the most durable foundation. The primer coat enhances paint adhesion and evens out variations in surface color and texture.
Why Paint Sprayers Are Preferable Over Brushes And Rollers For Refinishing Cabinets
Painting cabinets with traditional brushes or rollers requires applying multiple coats to avoid brush marks and uneven coats associated with manual methods. But paint spraying allows for faster application and coverage with less effort. Advantages of spray finishing kitchen cabinets include:
- A smooth, consistent, brushstroke-free finish
- Professional, factory-like results in less time
- Excellent for spraying cabinets in place vs removing them
- Less hand fatigue from not needing to brush/roll excessively
- More control over application amount and texture
Airless vs HVLP Sprayers: Which Is Best For Cabinets?
When selecting a paint sprayer for refinishing cabinets, you’ll come across two main technologies:
Airless Sprayers:
- Uses higher pressure to atomize thicker paints like latex and oil-based enamels
- Best for covering large surface areas more quickly
- Provides great penetration of paint into the wood
- Requires diluting paints minimally or not at all
HVLP Sprayers
- Uses lower pressure with higher air volume to apply lighter paints
- Provides superior control for applying fine finishes
- Best for detail work spraying cabinets in place
- Requires thinner paints so more dilution is needed
For most cabinet paint jobs, an HVLP sprayer allows better control and atomization for smooth results with fewer runs.
Key Features To Look For In A Paint Sprayer For Kitchen Cabinets
When selecting the best paint sprayer for flawlessly finishing kitchen cabinetry, key features to look for include:
- Adjustable pressure and material flow control suitable for spraying unthinned latex and oil-based cabinet paints
- A fine finish low pressure nozzle for applying the final coat
- At least a 0.5 gallon per minute (GPM) paint tip size
- An included cleaning kit for easy clean-up
- Multiple nozzles to handle various paint viscosities
- Adequate hose length to easily maneuver around the cabinets
- Ergonomic handling and easy portability
- Turbine-powered for consistent, fine spray dispersion
Our Top Paint Sprayer Picks Ideal For Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing
Based on key criteria like adjustability, reliability, value, and smooth fine finish capabilities, we recommend the following as the best paint sprayers for DIY kitchen cabinet painting :
1. Fuji Semi-PRO 2 HVLP Spray System
- Turbine provides max airflow for silky finishes
- Non-bleed spray gun limits overspray
- Includes multiple fan pattern nozzles
- Easy to control fan size and paint flow
- Best for fine finishing work like cabinets
2. Graco Magnum X5 Airless Paint Sprayer
- Powerful enough for unthinned latex and oil-based paints
- Fully adjustable pressure up to 3000 PSI
- Supports up to 0.31 tip sizes for heavy coatings
- Great for doors, frames, and boxes
- More overspray than HVLP models
3. Wagner Flexio 590 HVLP Paint Sprayer
- Two nozzles for fine finish or high coverage work
- X-Boost turbine allows thinning at lower pressures
- Adjustable flow rate and wide spray patterns
- Easy to clean and change paint cups
- Lightweight and easy to maneuver
4. Graco TrueCoat Pro II Electric Airless Sprayer
- Designed for spraying unthinned latex and oil-based paints
- Fully enclosed motor to reduce overspray
- Supports up to 0.015 tip sizes for fine finish work
- Excellent control and less overspray
- More expensive but professional quality
Prepare Your Cabinets For Painting By Removing Doors, Handles and Hinges
To ensure you can spray all cabinet surfaces evenly, remove all doors, drawers and hardware before painting. Number each door and drawer to ensure easy reinstallation in the correct spots. Use screw protectors when removing hinges to avoid damaging the screw holes. Removing everything allows spraying the cabinet boxes and doors conveniently. It also avoids needing painter’s tape to mask off hardware.
Set Up A Protected Spray Area
Cover the floors, walls and countertops around your workspace with plastic drop cloths. Newspaper and paper won’t adequately protect surfaces from paint mist. Wear old clothes and closed toe shoes since overspray likely will happen despite tarps. Ventilate the area well by placing a fan or two in open windows to direct paint fumes and mist outside.
Set Up and Adjust Your Paint Sprayer For Great Results
Read all safety, setup, and operating instructions before using your paint sprayer. Fill the hopper with the properly thinned paint; use a viscosity measurement cup to help gauge the thickness. Adjust the nozzle to a wide fan pattern for painting the cabinet boxes. A smaller fan width focuses the spray for the frames and doors. Set the flow rate midrange, then alter as needed once spraying.
Dial In Spray Pattern and Consistency on Cardboard
Practice spraying a piece of cardboard to set the correct paint consistency before applying it to your cabinets for the best control. Adjust the pressure, flow rate or thinning as needed to minimize runs and drips. TEST your settings on scrap materials first to ensure you achieve the desired spray pattern and texture.
Apply Thin, Even Coats Allowing Proper Dry Times
Plan your spraying sequence strategically by starting with the cabinet frames and boxes before doors and drawers. Maintain a distance of 6-8 inches between the spray gun nozzle and the surface. Use parallel strokes, overlapping each pass 50 percent to ensure consistent coverage on kitchen cabinet surfaces. When spraying vertically, spray side to side. For horizontal surfaces, spray front to back.
Allow Complete Drying Between Coats
Apply multiple thin coats of cabinet paint rather than one thick coat, allowing proper dry times between each application. Most cabinet paints require at least 24 hours drying time before adding another finish coat. Rushing the job leads to drips, runs and brush marks marring the smooth finish.
After the final coat, let the painted cabinets cure at least 48-72 hours before reinstalling the doors and hardware. The full curing allows the paint to fully harden and prevents imprints or dents when replacing the hardware. Now you can put everything back together and install your upgraded kitchen cabinets.
With the right prep work, set up and application techniques following our guide, even first-timers can master how to spray paint kitchen cabinets like a pro. Be patient, work methodically, and maintain proper sprayer distance and overlap. The result will be durable, ultra-smooth cabinets that look factory finished!
We hope these tips help you select the best paint sprayer for flawlessly transforming your old kitchen cabinets affordably. Don’t settle for brushstrokes and uneven coats with manual painting. Invest in an adjustable paint sprayer suited for cabinetry instead. The ease and quality of results are well worth it – and you save thousands over the cost of new custom cabinetry!
