Do You Have To Sand Before Painting Cabinets?

Painting cabinets can transform the look of your kitchen or bathroom with just a little bit of effort. While painting cabinets is a relatively easy DIY project, proper preparation is crucial to getting a smooth, professional-looking finish. One important preparatory step is sanding the cabinets prior to painting. So do you really need to sand cabinets before painting them?

An Introduction to Sanding Cabinets Before Painting

Sanding before painting is highly recommended to help the new paint adhere properly. Sanding does a few important things to prep and improve the surface:

It removes any existing finish or coating so the new paint can bond directly to the wood.
It smooths away any rough spots or splinters in the wood.
It deglosses and scuffs up slick surfaces so the paint can grab on better.
It removes any dirt, grease, wax or other contaminants that could cause adhesion problems.

So in short – yes, it is advisable to sand cabinets prior to painting them for long-lasting results. The time spent sanding will help the paint job achieve better coverage, durability and appearance.

Do You Really Need to Sand Before Painting Cabinets?

While sanding cabinets before painting is recommended for the best results, there are some cases where you may be able to get by without sanding:

If the existing cabinets are already painted, are in good condition and are not glossy, you may be able to prep for painting by just cleaning and deglossing.
For quick DIY projects like painting cabinets a darker color, you can sometimes skip sanding if the existing paint is in good shape and provides a suitable surface for painting.
If you are repainting cabinets the same color, you may not need to sand completely to bare wood. Light scuff sanding can suffice in some cases.

However, for best practices and to ensure proper adhesion and smooth results, sanding before painting cabinets is advised. The extra effort is usually worth it for long-lasting finish.

What Type of Sander Should You Use?

You’ll want an electric sander to make quick work of prepping kitchen or bathroom cabinets. Here are some sander types to consider:

Orbital sanders – These versatile electric sanders are a great choice for sanding the flat door fronts and sides of cabinets. They provide a smooth finish.
Detail sanders – For working on the intricate areas like grooves and trim, a compact detail sander is ideal.
Corner sander – This specialized tool allows you to get into the tight corners of cabinet frames.
Palm sander – A palm sander fits conveniently in your hand for sanding smaller items like drawers or decorative accents.

Make sure to use the appropriate grit sandpaper – anywhere from 80 to 220 grit will work for preparing cabinets for painting.

Sanding Techniques for Prepping Cabinets

Be sure to take the proper steps when sanding kitchen or bathroom cabinets:

Remove doors, shelves and hardware first to make the process easier.
Start sanding with a medium grit paper like 120 to remove the top layer.
Use a finer paper like 180 or 220 after initial sanding to smooth the surface.
Always sand in the direction of the wood grain for best results.
Sand all surfaces of cabinet frames, doors, fronts and sides. Don’t forget the interior of open cabinets.
Sand edges and hard to reach crevices carefully by hand if needed.
Between sanding grits, wipe sanded surfaces down to remove dust.
Once satisfied with the smoothness, thoroughly wipe cabinets with a tack cloth.

Proper sanding takes a bit of time and elbow grease but is essential for the best paint adhesion.

How Thoroughly Should You Sand Kitchen Cabinets?

For painting kitchen or bathroom cabinets, you’ll need to sand down to the bare wood. Any existing finish or coating needs to be removed so the paint can form a strong mechanical bond directly with the wood surface.

To bare wood means sanding through:

Existing paint or stain
Varnish, polyurethane or lacquer finishes
Sticky residue
Discolorations or stains

Sand away all of the above until you see clean, sanded wood with a matte appearance and feel. Sand thoroughly into any cracks, crevices, carvings and decorative corners as well.

Sanding to bare wood provides the ideal surface for your paint to stick to. If changing up colors significantly, it also allows you to alter the undertones of the wood with primer and paint.

Why Is Sanding Before Painting Cabinets Important?

Sanding before painting cabinets is so important because it directly affects how well the new paint job turns out and lasts over time. Here are some key reasons proper sanding is essential:

Enables paint to adhere – For paint to bond tightly to cabinets, it needs to interact with the bare wood fibers. Sanding removes any existing finish coatings so the paint can grab onto the wood.

Creates a roughened surface – Sanding thoroughly scuffs up the glossy surface of cabinets to help the paint stick. It exposes fresh wood by essentially creating tiny grooves and texture.

Removes surface contaminants – Grease, wax, dirt and other residues are eliminated by sanding to prevent paint adhesion issues like peeling, chipping or bubbling.

Produces an even finish – Sanding smoothes out any rough or uneven spots on cabinets so the painted finish looks uniform.

Allows changing wood tones – If you want to alter the color and tones of the wood significantly, sanding to bare wood allows primer and paint to control the undertones.

Makes paint look better – Paint color and sheen will look its best when applied to a properly sanded and prepared wood surface.

Step-By-Step Process for Sanding Cabinets

Here is a more detailed look at the complete step-by-step process:

Remove doors, drawers, shelves and hardware. Remove surface mounted hinges if possible.
Fill any cracks, holes or defects with wood filler and let dry completely.
Wipe cabinet surfaces down with a deglosser or liquid sandpaper if already painted.
Start sanding cabinets with 120-150 medium grit sandpaper. Always sand in the direction of the wood grain.
Sand the cabinet box frames, door fronts and sides, edges, grooves and interior of open cabinets.
Use detail sanders or sand by hand to scuff corners, crevices and intricate trim work.
Change to a finer 180-220 grit sandpaper after initial sanding to smooth everything out.
Wipe sanded surfaces clean with a dry cloth after each pass to remove dust.
Once completely sanded to bare wood, wipe cabinets down with a tack cloth to remove final dust.
Apply wood filler again if needed to fill any holes or imperfections revealed by sanding.
Allow to dry fully, then lightly sand again if needed to smooth the filler flush.
Clean and vacuum up all sanding mess before priming and painting.

What Grit Sandpaper Should You Use?

Choosing the appropriate sandpaper grit is important for proper cabinet prep. Here are some tips on selecting sandpaper:

For initial heavier sanding, use a medium 120-150 grit. This helps remove the existing finish quickly.
Move up to a finer 180-220 grit after the initial sanding to smooth the wood ready for painting.
For previously painted cabinets with intact existing paint, you may only need to degloss and scuff sand with 220 grit.
For varnished or stained cabinets, start with 80-100 grit to strip the finish before moving up in grits.
Finer grits up to 220 smooth the wood fibers opened up by coarser paper for ideal paint prep.
Garnet and aluminum oxide are common sandpaper materials for wood. Silicon carbide is extra sharp for fast removal.

Follow a progression of sanding grits for an ideal wood surface to accept new paint.

Sanding Tips and Tricks

Keep these tips in mind to make sanding kitchen cabinets go quicker and get the best results:

Always sand in the direction of the wood grain – not just in a circle. This prevents unsightly swirl marks.
Fold the sandpaper into a pad for more comfortable grip and pressure when sanding by hand.
Change sandpaper sheets frequently. Fresh paper exposes new sharp grains.
Occasionally wipe sanded surfaces clean to remove clogging dust and see your progress.
Apply extra pressure on varnish, shiny areas and wood figure to remove them.
For detail sanding small areas, wrap paper around scraps of wood, foam or your finger.
Use painter’s tape to cover nearby areas you don’t want accidentally scratched or dusted.
Work your way through grits methodically. Don’t skip more than one grit progression at a time.

What If Cabinets Are Already Painted?

If repainting already painted cabinets, you may be able to get by with less sanding:

Lightly scuff sand with fine 220 grit to degloss and rough up the existing painted finish.
Use a liquid deglosser first if the current paint is very glossy or hard for sandpaper to scuff up.
Focus on sanding any damaged or problem paint areas to feather and smooth them out.
Clean thoroughly after sanding to remove paint dust before repainting.

Sometimes existing paint just needs a good scuffing for new paint to adhere to it properly. But if the paint is compromised at all, take it back down to bare wood.

How to Sand Hard-to-Reach Cabinet Areas

Sanding kitchen and bathroom cabinets goes beyond just the flat door and side surfaces. Make sure to sand all areas thoroughly:

Inside of cabinets – Sand the interior of open cabinets and shelving. Paint will adhere better and be protected from inside moisture and grease.
Cabinet edges – Sand all exterior edges and inside cabinet frame edges evenly so paint wraps cleanly.
Trim and accents – Use detail sanders and sanding blocks to scuff intricate trim pieces, curves and hard-to-reach crevices.
Grooves and panels – Fold sandpaper into a thin strip to slide into grooves. Wrap it around a narrow scrap piece of wood to sand panels.
Corners – Sand inside and outside corners carefully by hand so you don’t round them over. Use corner sanding blocks or tools if needed.

Leaving an unsanded spot can allow paint trouble down the road, so be thorough on all cabinet areas.

Sanding vs. Stripping Cabinets

Instead of sanding, you also have the option of using chemical paint strippers to remove old paint and finish from cabinets. But sanding has some advantages:

More control – Sanding lets you work gradually to only remove as much material as needed for prep. Chemical strippers can be unpredictably aggressive.

Less messy – Sanding can create a lot of dust, but chemical stripping leaves behind sticky residue and liquid drips than need cleanup.

Safer – Most strippers have strong fumes and need careful handling to prevent skin burns or eye injuries. Sanding is safer overall.

Better surface – Sanding leaves behind a lightly textured surface ideal for paint, versus stripping which leaves a slimy smooth surface.

No damage – Strippers can cause unintentional harm like bleaching or raising wood grain. Sanding is gentler and safer for the wood.

While stripping does offer a labor-saving alternative to sanding, it comes with more risks and disadvantages in most cases.

Can You Use Paint Primer Without Sanding Cabinets First?

Quality primer helps paint adhere to surfaces, but it isn’t meant as a substitute for proper sanding and prep. Primer adhesion and paint performance will still be compromised without sanding first:

Peeling and cracking – Paint and primer will fail prematurely without a roughened surface and pores for the products to grip and fuse to.
Flaking and bubbling – Lack of sanding allows contaminants to get trapped under the coating, causing adhesion loss and bubbles.
Poor coverage – Paint won’t bond and penetrate properly over an unsanded slick surface, which can lead to uneven sheen and patchy areas.
Needs extra coats – More coats of primer and paint will be required for good coverage if the wood isn’t properly prepped by sanding.

Quality primer helps paint stick to surfaces, but it can’t replicate the mechanical bonding and grip achieved through proper sanding.

How to Sand Wood Panels in Cabinets

The recessed wood panels in cabinet doors and sides have some specific sanding needs:

Use a sanding block or foam pad narrow enough to fit into the grooves. Wrap sandpaper around the block.
Fold a piece of sandpaper and slide it in the grooves sawing back and forth to sand.
Be mindful of the wood grain direction and sand in long strokes following the grain.
Don’t aggressively round over the edges and corners of the recessed panels.
Change to finer grit sandpaper once the panels are prepped to smooth them out.
Finish by dry dusting or wiping with a tack cloth to remove all dust from the grooves.

Proper prep and sanding of the cabinet panel details will allow for smooth painting.

How to Sand Decorative Painted Cabinets

Sanding intricately detailed or decorative painted cabinets requires some extra care and attention:

Use finer grit 180-220 sandpaper to avoid overly scuffing details in the existing finish.
Wrap sandpaper around small scraps of wood, foam or your fingers to detail sand curves, carvings and trim areas.
Use a gentle touch and safeguard decorative elements from too much abrasion.
Hand sand ornate areas. Avoid aggressive mechanical sanding.
Feather out damaged spots in the existing paint through careful hand sanding.
Smoothly transition glossy areas by blending the deglossing.
Blow out or wipe paint dust from crevices so it doesn’t clog fine details.

The goal is to scuff and prep without ruining the existing painted decoration and details. Work carefully by hand.

How to Sand Inside Corners of Cabinets

The inside corners where cabinet sides, doors or face frames meet can be tricky areas to sand thoroughly:

Fold sandpaper into a narrow strip or use sanding sticks and blocks to fit inside corners.
Wrap paper around thin scraps of wood or foam to make improvised sanding tools for corners.
Where two corners intersect, wrap paper around your finger and sand carefully by hand.
Fold paper in thirds like a fan and slide sections back and forth to sand where walls meet.
Blow, vacuum or wipe dust from corners so abrasive dust doesn’t continue scuffing.
Don’t aggressively round over or reshape inside corners when sanding.

Finesse and specialty sanding tools allow you to prep inside corners for an even painted finish.

Sanding Wood Filler on Cabinets

Using wood filler is common during cabinet sanding prep:

Once filler has fully dried per the manufacturer’s directions, sand flush with the surrounding surface.
Use the appropriate grit of paper for your stage of sanding. If doing initial coarser sanding, use 120-150 grit paper.
Sand in a circular motion to blend and smooth the edges of the filler into the surrounding area.
Avoid heavy pressure which can pull out the filler material. Use a light touch.
Wipe away dust and reapply extra filler if any low spots appear after initial sanding.
Finish sanding filler smooth when you do the final sanding passes with finer 180+ grit sandpaper.

Sanding wood filler properly blends it into the wood surface for an invisible paint finish.

How to Sand Old Paint Off Cabinets

Removing old paint through sanding takes patience and effort:

Use coarser 80-100 grit paper to strip paint faster from large flat areas and surfaces.
Increase to 120-150 grit paper once you approach the bare wood to prevent over-sanding damage.
For lingering paint in crevices, molding and carved details, hand sand carefully with folded paper.
As you get closer to bare wood, lighten pressure to avoid sanding into the raw wood.
Watch for the paint to start gumming up the paper as the last layer is sanded off and the wood is revealed.
Finish by smoothing the revealed wood with 180-220 grit once the old paint is fully removed.

With multiple passes and increasing grits, old paint can be gradually sanded away to prep the cabinets.

How to Sand Cabinets Without a Sander

Lacking an electric sander shouldn’t stop you from prepping cabinets properly:

Hand sand starting out using 80-100 grit paper to remove existing finish. This will be slower but works.
Fold paper into a pad shape and sand using long strokes following the wood grain direction.
Use sanding blocks wrapped in paper to make hand sanding flat surfaces easier.
Switch to finer 120+ grit paper once you approach bare wood to smooth it.
Focus pressure on stubborn glossy finishes, edges and corners.
Take frequent breaks and switch hands to avoid fatigue since hand sanding is taxing.
Allow extra time for by-hand sanding and prep in your project timeline.

While manual hand sanding may take more elbow grease, the finish results can be just as good.

Tack Cloth for Final Sanding Prep

After all sanding is complete, it’s extremely important to wipe all surfaces with a tack cloth:

A tack cloth is a cheesecloth material with a light adhesive coating designed to lift dust.
It removes the fine dust left behind from sanding that could ruin paint adhesion.
Simply press it against all areas you sanded