Painting over melamime kitchen doors

Yes, since melamine is designed to shrug off most things, you will need a specialised primer for it. There are many available such as Zinsser BIN (I think).

Most are applied by brush, so if you want a finish suitable for spraying, then you will need to find a spray version or else borrow a spray gun...

Word of warning - this ain't going to be as easy as you think. It will be a lot more work that you imagine. And the finish won't be the trendy super-high-gloss you see in your mind...

It sounds great in theory, and this is something I did myself a couple of decades ago for my bro's new house - cheap melamine units which he wanted in the latest trend of super high gloss red.

I abraded the units with 'wet an' dry paper (as you would car bodywork), primed it using spray filler (aerosol for cars), spent years (well, it felt like it...) wet and drying that down to get a perfect finish for the 'guards red' paint, and then a few more weeks applying layer upon layer of 'gloss' paint to build up a thick enough coat. My gwad - and this was a very small kitchen.

And then weeks of cutting and polishing and polishing and polishing...

In the end it look 'fine' but was not ever the deep gloss, 'lose yourself in the depths of colour' finish we'd see in a nearby showroom.

I'd suggest considering a compromise such as a satinwood finish, and this could be applied to good effect using just a foam mini roller.

I'd ready to be proved wrong, but I've been there and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy... You've heard of 'tennis elbow' and 'housemaid's knee'? Well I had - seriously - 'spray finger'. The first joint of my right index finger ached with an ache that you wouldn't believe - if I brushed it against anything - even my coat sleeve - an electrifying shock shot up me armie.


Ok, ok, ok, - this can be done. Question - do you have access to a cove with a compressor and spraying facilities? So's he could use epoxy or 2-pack paint? And has room enough to hang up all the doors for the job?

Yes - go ahead. Nope, prepare for hell...

 

A mate of mine used a local Car Body Spray shop to paint his existing kitchen unit doors.
His were made of the same material as your pictures (MFC), even the plastic edges were the same.

I think it cost him about £550 to have all the doors and drawer fronts done, and the finish was superb. A real deep shine!!! They did all the preparation as well. The doors are sprayed and baked at quite a high temperature. This gives the durable finish that's needed.

If you really want that depth of finish and durability, get a local company to quote you, as it is highly unlikely you will get any where near the quality of finish that they will be able to produce.

Snezza.

 

I used a primer from "International paints" and then the melamine paint from the same lot.......it's still chip free after a few years

 

Sticky backed plastic.

 

I do kitchen resprays on a fairly regular basis , in a workshop with spray booth however and having done a few on site I'd agree with DA on how much of a pain it can be , and to be honest I'd look into as moppy has suggested, self adhesive vinyl . Since the doors are plain it will be easy to apply and give a consistent look across all doors and it's very durable.
It can also be obtained quite cheaply online so would probably be a more cost effective option, as long as you take your time applying it to keep bubbles out it should be a doddle .

 

Dulux one coat white gloss.

 

Hayemaker, by all means ask your friend how much he'd charge - no harm in doing so. However, beware if he hasn't done this sort of thing before.

Not because he might mess them up - I doubt he will - but simply from 'does he know how much hassle might be involved?'

He might want to do you a favour and offer a real cheap price, but then find when he has all these doors literally hanging around his paint shop for a fortnight with other 'proper' jobs queuing up outside, the 'gloss' may well wear orf...

But, if he says "Yea - no probs. Peasy!", then cool.

If you really, reaaly want to do this yourself, then look at 'Hi-Cote' aerosols. They are meant to be sort of twice the concentration of paint, so smaller tins at around 150ml. I have to say, I have Peugeot red tins and they do give a nice thick-looking glossy finish.

Are you familiar with using aerosols? If not, hmmmm. It's a case of getting the right amount down - not so thin that it looks dusty or orange-peely (which will require huge finishing afterwards), or not so thick that it runs or has ripples in it (ditto), but just the right amount so's each spray-line blends seamlessly into the next one laid down - you spray in straight lines, start at the edge nearest, and put down a line. Then another immediately, overlapping the first by at least a third, and again, and again. Not too far away - I never do the 18" that some recommend.

As for tiles - you planning to paint them too?!

Jeepers...

 

Ah - were you asking betwixt black and white for the unit fronts?

If so, white will be easier to make look good than black. Black shows up every defect, every ripple, every thingy...

 

Does the vinyl wrap heat shrink at all? Would help make a neat finish on the door corners.

 

Yes, a good clean should be all it needs before 'wrapping'. Sugar soap or Jif or similar, with all residue washed off should be fine.


And - yep - you have realised the main complication in wrapping such sharpish corners...

Or'nary vinyl would have to be cut and folded over the corners, much like wrapping a Chrimbo pressie, and this can be effective if done with some care - the cut edges and overlaps shouldn't be obvious from a couple of paces.

However, you do now have a much wider range of true 'wraps' available due to the car industry - have a looksee on eBay for instance.

However, although these wraps are designed to be heat-stretched/shrunk, I think you'll find such a straight corner to be a 'mare. I think these wraps mostly stretch with heat rather than shrink.

I think you will really struggle to get a smooth application over the corners. If you will manage it at all, I think your best bet would be by laying the door flat, face up on something secure - a stool. Lay the wrap on (following instructions such as peel/roll from one end - or possibly t'middle - use blade to remove bubbles, etc), and then you are left with a couple of inches of wrap falling over all the edges.

Choose one corner and grab the end of the wrap - as wide an amount as possible direct out from the corner. Pull very gently and then play the heat gun over the whole corner area.

Keep trying to pull the wrap down over the corner - see if it'll go without creasing. No? Lift up and apply slightly more heat.

Repeat until success or you give up...

 

First thing is to level those units ;-)
Reckon this is a non starter. Spray white with car paint a couple of times. Realise it looks carp. Bin the lot. Go to Wickes for some cheap white off the shelf units.

 

Cool - you have the stuff, so need to have a go

Try and do the corners without cutting first - have a coupler of inches of wrap falling over beyond the whole door, gently press the overlap on to the edges in the middle of each run so's it's chust the corners wot are left - with a couple of inches going up from each corner not pressed down.

Then play the heat. See if there's any way to get it going around the corner without creasing - you might get it soft enough to effectively mould it flat.

Also heat the couple of inches of warp going up from each corner and pull that gently too - the idea being to make these bits stretch whilst leaving the actual immediate 'corner' bits relatively unstretched.

If that fails, then cut and trim the corners so's there's chust a small neat overlap - which you will barely see.

 

I'd be interested to see pics of the results, not for any other reason than a genuine interest in how it goes.