Tried painting my kitchen cabinets without sanding first, what a mess

I saw some influencer say you can skip sanding if you use a special bonding primer. So I tried it on my oak cabinets in the kitchen last month. The paint started peeling off in sheets after just two weeks, especially near the sink where it gets humid. I spent 40 hours stripping everything back down with a heat gun and chemical stripper. Learned the hard way that prep work is not optional no matter what the internet says. Has anyone else found a bonding primer that actually works for cabinet paint without sanding?

3 comments

3 Comments

logan5611mo ago

I stripped and painted my oak bathroom vanity last year and tried the same shortcut lol. Ended up using Stix primer from Insl-x after sanding everything down the second time and it's held up great for over a year now in a bathroom with a shower right next to it. The key was actually roughing up the surface with 120 grit first even with that bonding primer. I also waited a full 72 hours before putting any weight on the cabinets or using them. No peeling or chipping so far and I'm pretty rough with that vanity.

shane_hayes1mo ago

120 grit is way too aggressive for oak, you're basically making new scratch patterns for the primer to hide. I'd argue a thorough degloss with liquid sander and 220 grit works better without gouging up the grain.

the_anthony1mo ago

People get way too precious about sanding grit, @shane_hayes.