Prime Smooth Cabinets Without Stripping

• When cabinet surfaces are smooth and undamaged, you can paint them without stripping off the old finish. Wash all surfaces with TSP or a TSP substitute to remove all accumulated oil and dirt; then rinse thoroughly and allow the cabinets to dry overnight. Follow up with a bonding primer to ensure optimal adhesion to the existing surface before applying your new finish coat.
  
  

Smooth Irregular Surfaces With Wood Filler

• If your cabinets display an uneven finish due to nicks, scratches or blistered paint, you won't need to strip off the entire finish. Fill any gaps in the existing finish with a latex wood filler; then sand the affected areas to create a smooth, level surface. For best results, use a sander that includes a built-in dust collector or that accepts a shop-vac attachment to keep paint dust out of the air.
  
  

Use a Stripper to Remove Textured Paint

• In recent years some cabinets have been supplied with a textured finish as a feature that conceals fingerprints. Typically, textures are created by adding lightweight fiber particles to the paint, and a new coat of paint would only partially conceal the texture. One of the best way to remove these textures is by removing the paint altogether using a low-odor stripping paste such as Smart Strip or Ready Strip. The paste will adhere to the vertical cabinet walls and soften the old finish so that it can be gently peeled off with a putty knife.
  
  

Avoid Powerful Strippers on Painted or Stained Cabinets

• Powerful methylene chloride (MC) strippers can de-laminate veneered plywood or other composite materials if not used properly, and MC is also a carcinogen. Vapors from some citrus-based strippers may be hazardous to chemically-sensitive people and pets. Slower-acting paste strippers using N-Methyl-Pyrrolidone (NMP) and similar low-odor solvents can remove paint effectively without emitting potentially unsafe levels of toxic chemicals into the kitchen environment.
  
  

Test Older Cabinets for Lead Paint

• If your cabinets were built before 1980, they may contain lead paint. Inhaling or consuming airborne lead paint particles is extremely dangerous, so you should not scrape, sand or strip any painted surface without first performing a lead test. Professional-grade home lead test kits are available from Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, Ace Hardware and other hardware retailers.