Repainting cupboard that has lead paint for use in kitchen

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Kashka-Kat
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Re: Repainting cupboard that has lead paint for use in kitchen

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Im so envious of your work space!!! Have no garage or much of a basement - so Im gluing/sanding 12 foot lengths of trim for my front porch in my kitchen - the countertops provide nice level surfaces. So I was right in the middle of a glue operation when I found I had to push aside some stuff on the countertop to reposition my wood pieces. Not to mention the PITA of stopping every 2 seconds to wipe up the glue drips.

This am I find nice olive oil stains on the wood -arghhh. Attempted unsuccessfully to clean with mineral spirits (which stunk up my house). Im hoping an oil primer will take care of it.

ANYWAY OP they are lovely pieces and definitely all the work of getting back down to a smooth painting surface is worth it, I think.

Ihave some maple cabs from 1920s that I had some twinges about repainting (they were originally). But I will - no choice really, the paint is so embedded in pores of the wood. I think I will wipe off some along some edges and leave wood showing in some places. Nothing over the top, though. No cheesy fake antiquing or "distressing." Just the look of it being slightly worn in some places. And then I get to still see the wood - or a little bit of it anyway.

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oaktree
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Re: Repainting cupboard that has lead paint for use in kitchen

Post by oaktree »

heartwood wrote:you may be happier with a nice smooth surface to start with, but sanding the existing paint followed by finish paint is ok too...I hope you're enjoying the stripping, for some of us it can be very relaxing and rewarding...don't buy in to 'special lead encapsulating paint'...primer and two coats of paint and you will be all set...may I suggest you consider oil paint? it will leave a much nicer surface and won't be sticky as latex/acrylic tends to be...

lookin' good!
...jade


Thanks jade! I've never tried oil paint and should look into it. I already ordered Farrow & Ball, which is a high-end maker of British historic paints. I've used it on some other older furniture and also on my red stairs. It goes on beautifully and the colors are incredible in person...I like it so much more than latex paints. It's too expensive to use on my walls or trim, so I just use it on smaller things. It seems the paint is made of chalk, china clay, titanium dioxide, and water (but it's not at all like the tacky chalk paints people are using these days to destroy antiques).

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I don't know if anyone has been watching that new Netflix series Anne with an 'e'...the historic homes are absolutely stunning, and the Farrow & Ball paint looks a lot like the paint used in those interiors in terms of color and finish. Maybe they used oil-based paint...I'm not an expert.

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Last edited by oaktree on Tue Oct 24, 2017 1:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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oaktree
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Re: Repainting cupboard that has lead paint for use in kitchen

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phil wrote:it's a nice well constructed cabinet. If It were me by the time I got done stripping I'd keep the wood but I know it's more work. I think it would at least be worth removing the hinges and pulls and restoring those separately so they don't get painted. yea there are all different levels of lead paranoia and it makes it hard to draw the line. Just avoid sanding and breathing the dust. if you want to sand you might wet sand to keep the dust down.


Thanks phil! Keeping wood is always nice, but in my type of home and with this type of furniture they usually painted most things...either white or surprisingly bright colors. However, my house had entirely painted floors originally, and, if I were doing everything period, I should have repainted them but I couldn't get myself to do it. I guess I'm trying to strike a balance somehow!
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oaktree
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Re: Repainting cupboard that has lead paint for use in kitchen

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Kashka-Kat wrote:Im so envious of your work space!!! Have no garage or much of a basement - so Im gluing/sanding 12 foot lengths of trim for my front porch in my kitchen - the countertops provide nice level surfaces. So I was right in the middle of a glue operation when I found I had to push aside some stuff on the countertop to reposition my wood pieces. Not to mention the PITA of stopping every 2 seconds to wipe up the glue drips.

This am I find nice olive oil stains on the wood -arghhh. Attempted unsuccessfully to clean with mineral spirits (which stunk up my house). Im hoping an oil primer will take care of it.

ANYWAY OP they are lovely pieces and definitely all the work of getting back down to a smooth painting surface is worth it, I think.

Ihave some maple cabs from 1920s that I had some twinges about repainting (they were originally). But I will - no choice really, the paint is so embedded in pores of the wood. I think I will wipe off some along some edges and leave wood showing in some places. Nothing over the top, though. No cheesy fake antiquing or "distressing." Just the look of it being slightly worn in some places. And then I get to still see the wood - or a little bit of it anyway.


Yeah, the paint was actually pretty thick! I'm glad I stripped it off...it's a much better surface to paint now. I also am not sure I could get it down to the wood. The bottom layer is milk paint I think, and it is really on there. I'd love to see pictures of your maple cabs!

One reason I loved my house is because of the outbuildings, though I have to rush to finish this cupboard before it gets too cold. I haven't insulated the barn yet, but it will happen once it gets a new roof. I might be doing the painting in the kitchen, but the paint I'm using is nontoxic.
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Re: Repainting cupboard that has lead paint for use in kitchen

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Hi Oak, I love the F&B colors but have never used them - seriously thinking of getting one of the cream colors and painting my ceilings + walls above picture rail. A lot of light colored paints Ive used over the years turn out so disappointingly drab/gray.... just because of how they are made, not enough pigment to overcome the color of the base. Or so a color expert told me on another forum. If its a case of "you get what you pay for," Im thinking it might be worth spending $$$ to get something better. Color is important to one's psyche I think - whether one is conscious of it, or not.

Do they come in oil base for furniture/cabinets? I wasnt quite sure based on how you described them.

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Re: Repainting cupboard that has lead paint for use in kitchen

Post by Mick_VT »

I love those original colors, if it were me I'd be going back to those on the repaint
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oaktree
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Re: Repainting cupboard that has lead paint for use in kitchen

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Kashka-Kat wrote:Hi Oak, I love the F&B colors but have never used them - seriously thinking of getting one of the cream colors and painting my ceilings + walls above picture rail. A lot of light colored paints Ive used over the years turn out so disappointingly drab/gray.... just because of how they are made, not enough pigment to overcome the color of the base. Or so a color expert told me on another forum. If its a case of "you get what you pay for," Im thinking it might be worth spending $$$ to get something better. Color is important to one's psyche I think - whether one is conscious of it, or not.

Do they come in oil base for furniture/cabinets? I wasnt quite sure based on how you described them.


It's not oil based, but they seem extremely durable. The colors are really amazing and rich in person. It is $$$, but you can buy little sample cans to be really sure. I have not been at all disappointed despite the cost.
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oaktree
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Re: Repainting cupboard that has lead paint for use in kitchen

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Mick_VT wrote:I love those original colors, if it were me I'd be going back to those on the repaint


I thought really hard about it because the colors are beautiful! But I think I'm going to revert back to a slightly less early stage with an off white. Too much red with my already red staircase in the kitchen!
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oaktree
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Re: Repainting cupboard that has lead paint for use in kitchen

Post by oaktree »

Kashka-Kat wrote:Hi Oak, I love the F&B colors but have never used them - seriously thinking of getting one of the cream colors and painting my ceilings + walls above picture rail. A lot of light colored paints Ive used over the years turn out so disappointingly drab/gray.... just because of how they are made, not enough pigment to overcome the color of the base. Or so a color expert told me on another forum. If its a case of "you get what you pay for," Im thinking it might be worth spending $$$ to get something better. Color is important to one's psyche I think - whether one is conscious of it, or not.

Do they come in oil base for furniture/cabinets? I wasnt quite sure based on how you described them.


I also used BM Cotton Balls for my walls (and for parts of the house had SW match it)...it is a very luminous white. It's white with just a little yellow...it doesn't cover well because it lacks gray, so I had to spend more and do 3 coats everywhere (did not expect to have to do this). But it really looks like it glows with warm light. Gray in the whites makes the paint cheaper, I think, because it covers better.
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