Every homeowner will, sooner or later, be faced with renewing and/or modernizing his kitchen. With time, kitchen cupboards become old fashioned, pretty much damaged (heavily scratched )or worn (thus ruining the look of your kitchen). However, it is hard to decide on replacing the existing cupboards, because such a project it may be rather expensive.

You could buy new cupboards for a couple of thousands of dollars, but If your cupboards are still in good shape and if the drawers and doors are of standard sizes, you can find refacing cupboards quite acceptable.

Drawer and door fronts of standard sizes can be found in many home improvement stores. You can replace them very easily, and paint the rest of the cupboard.

Sometimes, however, replacing all the cupboards in the kitchen will be what you really want.New cupboards should be chosen before the old ones are removed.You will need to learn how to remove the old cupboards without damaging the walls, and also how to take measurements for new kitchen cupboards and how to install them.

If your final decision is to reface your old cupboards, painting them is the

cheapest solution.

Without spending a lot of money, removing the existing paint, varnish and stains from the present cupboards and redo them in colors different from the existing ones will give your cupboards and kitchen a totally new look.

To get the best results that will last the longest follow this steps when painting the cupboards:

• Take off the cupboards all the doors and take out all drawers first. Also, take off all the drawer pulls, knobs and hinges if you want to replace them with new ones.

• Wash them and sand all the surfaces after that. Greasy marks at the kitchen cupboards (grease penetrates wood) should be removed with some standard multi-surface cleaners(ammonia-free formula) .

Don’t use soap (detergent) and water, because wood must not get wet.

You should wash all the surfaces in order to remove as much grime as possible.

• The next step is to apply a primer. It is important to select a good one. Try to buy one that says no sanding is needed. A cheap primer may not adhere properly even if you sand slightly.If you use a cheap primer,allowe it to dry overnight. Whatever primer you use,it is better to gently sand the surface, to create a smooth surface to apply paint onto.

• The best way to do the painting is to use a foam roller and a foam sponge "brush".You will get a more uniform coverage if you use a foam tool. Customary brushes may leave brush marks. If you would like your cupboards to have somewhat of a pattern I would suggest that you use a micro fiber roller. Flat paint is not recommended at all because body oils and fingerprints are easily accumulated on it, and when you try to wash the cabinets you may run the risk of taking the paint off.

Apply two coats of your chosen color , allowing each coat to dry before applying the second one .Place the cupboards to dry in a well ventilated room if possible.

• Let the new paint on the cupboards have enough time to dry. Sometimes it may take a few days for the paint to dry completely.

However, the best results are achieved if color spray are used.

High quality paints should be used both as the primer and the finish coat.

Before you decide on such a way of painting be sure to have an extra,

well ventilated room where you would paint your cupboards.

It is also very important that you have some experience in painting

with color sprays in order to prevent the paint from "running".

The costs of a total replacement of all the cupboards are justified if you plan on staying in the house for a longer period of time. However, you should consider the cheaper solution (of painting them) if you intend to sell your house,or if your budget is limited.