repainting kitchen cabinets after taking off molding-trying to avoid shadow outline in new paint
Tommasini53
| Posted in General Discussion on
Ghost of old molding shows through new primer and final paint.
We’re giving our kitchen a face lift that includes repainting the cabinets. I’m knocking off the decreative molding that is on the cabinet doors so they are simply flat fronts.
The molding is glued on, and i’ll be filing and sanding any damage caused by removing the molding.
One the door i tried, even after using a random orbit sander and priming prior to painting, I still see a faint ghost or shadow of the old molding showing through the new paint. Is the ghost/shadow outline avoidable??
do I simply need a couple coats of primer prior to painting??? I welcome suggestions from experienced painters. thanks in advance. – adam
Replies
You may need to prime the areas with a color "more extreme" than the final color. Eg, if the repaired areas are white and you will be painting things a light cream color, you may need to apply a much stronger cream colored primer or first coat to the repaired areas.
Sometimes, when repainting with the surface's original color, it's necessary to apply a new, different color to the entire surface before switching back to the original color for the final coat.
thank you...that's an interesting twist...something you must have learned with experience.
I'm not sure what kind of ghost you are seeing, but if it's a ridge or textural difference, I would allow the new paint to fully cure, then lightly wet sand the paint by hand with 600 grit wet or dry sandpaper on a rubber block then repaint that area.
Prime with white pigmented shellac.
It all depends on what is creating the ghosting. Two things come to my mind. The first is Dan's reaction. That what you are seeing is paint and the shadow of old covered paint/primer. Even heavily pigmented paints will be a bit translucent. Only additional coverings will remove the ghost. The other, highly likely, reason is that the glue that held the molding has filled the grain of the wood, making it a smooth/unbroken surface. If the cabinets are oak which has a pronounced grain, this is even more probable. In this case, your best course of action is to apply a coating of paste filler to the entire surface to fill the wood grain evenly. Then prime and paint.
I have been known to use a strong magnifying lens to look critically at a surface that I'm finishing. With the lens, surface irregularities become much more pronounced and one can "see" why that stubborn mark is still visable.
Paste wood filler.
Sapwood, your take seems likely, but the poster should be aware that paste filler is not the same as wood-dough or elmers type fillers that are made to fill holes. Paste filler is like extra thick paint that is applied to the entire surface of an open grain wood such as oak and then wiped or scraped off. I've found that it can be hard to come by these days. I've never seen it at a big box home store. A good professional paint store might have it.
You're both talking Idle conjecture. The O.P. hasn't indicated the type of wood or the actual finish(s) he is working with. That's why white shellac was simply mentioned. I don't see how you can go wrong with this as a primer for interior paint finishes... and it can limit some unkown variables fouling a new paint finish. I say this because it could just as plausilby be an incompatible orignial finish that is bleeding through new top coat causing the "ghost".
At any rate, the paste filler is good to know about....and is as easy as ever to buy due to the power of the internet. This is the one I use:
http://www.mcfeelys.com/product.aspx?id=21993
I find the application quality, performance ,and shelf life excellent
Cheers!
As others have noted a good sanding and primer (oil or shellac) and a re-sand before paint should take care of the ghost. To make certain that you haven't left any slight ridges even after sanding run your fingers across the area in question with your eyes closed. If you can feel even the slightest line it will jump out when the paint hits it, especially paint with a sheen. To ensure that you have removed the ridge pull a scraper along the grain. A blade from a utility knife works well like a mini card scraper. Do this before your final sanding with a flat block - then prime and sand with a super fine sponge or paper on a flat block. Hopefully that will get you there. Good luck.