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Painting Kitchen Cabinets: Degrease, Prime, Enamel, Cure

Updated 2026-10-31 · Sources verified 2026-07-20

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Take it apart and label it. Rust-Oleum: 'take cabinet doors off hinges and drawers out of frames. Permit in Orange County: no permit needed. Exempt finish work under FBC 105.2 and Orange County's published list — but exempt work must still comply with the Florida Building Code. The full rule and its official source are below, with the code requirements and mistakes that trip up Orlando homeowners.

Key facts before you start

Clean before you sand, or you grind the grease in. INSL-X: 'Always clean before sanding to prevent driving contamination into the substrate or previous coatings!' Grease comes off with a degreaser (Rust-Oleum names 'Krud Kutter Original Cleaner/Degreaser'; INSL-X its 'Heavy Duty Degreaser'), with the Rust-Oleum reminder to 'Pay special attention to areas around the stove, microwave, and sink'. Zinsser's primers say 'do not use TSP as a cleaner'. Then scuff: Benjamin Moore Advance wants cabinetry 'roughened by sanding (220 grit or coarser) before priming', 'Glossy areas should be dulled', and 'all dust must be cleaned'. When deglossing wood, 'follow the grain pattern ... Avoid scrubbing in a circular motion' (Rust-Oleum).
Take it apart and label it. Rust-Oleum: 'take cabinet doors off hinges and drawers out of frames. Remove all cabinet hardware', then 'Sketch a layout of your kitchen, numbering all doors and drawers' and label each with painter's tape, hardware in a numbered cup or baggie. 'Remove all door bumpers using a putty knife'. Doors painted flat 'will ensure the easiest application and best outcome'. Fill old hardware holes if the new pulls differ ('Fill all holes not needed' with wood filler, 'Allow to dry and sand smooth').
Primer by surface. Bare or stained wood: Benjamin Moore's Fresh Start all-purpose primer under Advance, or Sherwin-Williams' wall-and-wood primer under Emerald Urethane; knots and oak 'contain a high amount of tannin' that 'may show some staining', so 'spot prime severe areas' with an oil primer, or use shellac B-I-N, which 'Seals bleeding knots and sap streaks' and has 'Excellent adhesion to glossy surfaces without scuff sanding'. Thermofoil, melamine and laminate: Advance's TDS pairs them with Fresh Start, Sherwin-Williams' Extreme Bond is 'Designed for coating hard, slick, glossy surfaces' and lists 'Kitchen Cabinets ... Wall Laminates ... Varnished Woodwork' but still says scuff sanding is 'recommended on glossy, extremely hard surfaces for maximum adhesion', and must be topcoated 'within 14 days'. Test first: 'apply a test area of this primer, allow to dry properly and test for adhesion.'
Pick a cabinet enamel and obey its clock. Advance (waterborne alkyd): touch dry '4 to 6 hours', recoat '16 hours', '1 to 2 coats', and 'Do not expose to heavy abrasion or return shelves/tabletops to service for at least 5 to 7 days'; 'it could take up to 30 days to reach optimum hardness'. Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel: touch '1 Hour', recoat '4 Hours', two coats over primer, '350-400 sq. ft. per gallon'. INSL-X Cabinet Coat: recoat '6 Hours', 'superior adhesion ... even polyurethane and varnish, without using a primer', and a warning that fits all of them: 'Overworking ... can lead to brush marks or roller marks, as this product dries quickly.'
Florida humidity is on the label. Advance: surface '50°F' to '90°F' and 'High humidity or cooler temperatures will prolong dry, recoat and cure times.' Cabinet Coat: 'Avoid paint application if there is a threat of moisture condensing on the wet paint.' B-I-N shellac: apply only when 'relative humidity is below 70%' and 'DO NOT THIN'; Cover Stain oil primer: humidity 'not greater than 85%'. Rust-Oleum's cabinet kit wants 'relative humidity ... below 60%'. Run the AC, keep the windows closed and the ceiling fan off while coats dry (Rust-Oleum: 'keep windows closed, pets away and ceiling fans off').
Application: Advance by 'Nylon / polyester' brush, a high-capacity roller, or sprayed airless at '1,500 to 2,500 PSI' with a '0.011 to 0.015' tip or HVLP at '20 PSI'; thinning 'Max of 8 fl. oz. to a gallon'. Emerald Urethane: synthetic brush, '1/4 to 1/2 inch nap woven cover', airless '.013-.017 inch' tip, 'No reduction needed'. Cabinet Coat: short-nap roller 'Less than 1/2 in', HVLP thinned 'up to 8-10 oz per gallon'. Light sanding between coats 'allows for a smoother finish' (Advance). Whites yellow a little: 'This effect is accelerated in dark or poorly ventilated areas' (Advance).
Put it back together late. Rust-Oleum: 'Allow the Protective Top Coat to dry undisturbed for at least 12 hours', hang hardware after 12 hours, 'Keep drawers and doors ajar until completely dry. Install plastic or cork bumpers to backs of doors and drawers. Allow 24 hours before resuming full use', 'cure completely within 7-10 days' and 'Avoid using cleaners on new cabinetry for 7 days.' The enamels are slower to harden than to dry: a door that closes against the frame on day two will stick and peel. New soft-close bumpers on every door and drawer are the cheapest insurance.
Pre-1978 house: the cabinets may carry lead paint. EPA: 'the older your home, the more likely it has lead-based paint', 'If you are unable to determine the age of your home, it's safest to assume the area you are renovating has lead-based paint'. The RRP rule 'does not apply to homeowners doing RRP projects in their own home', but EPA still wants lead-safe practices: an EPA-recognized test kit ('LeadCheck, D-Lead'), 'Spray mister ... to mist areas before sanding, scraping', 'A disposable N-100 certified respirator', a 'HEPA vacuum cleaner', and wet wipes 'until the cloths are clean'. Every paint TDS carries the same warning: 'If you scrape, sand or remove old paint, you may release lead dust.'
Permit: none. Orange County's list of work that needs no permit opens with 'Interior or exterior residential painting' and includes 'Replacing cabinets or countertops in the same location'. New hinges and pulls have their own guide; swapping to new boxes is the same no-permit line as long as the layout stays, and moving the sink or an outlet is not.

The permit answer

No permit needed. Exempt finish work under FBC 105.2 and Orange County's published list — but exempt work must still comply with the Florida Building Code.
Source: https://codes.iccsafe.org/s/FLBC2023P1/chapter-1-scope-and-administration/FLBC2023P1-Ch01-SubCh02-Sec105.2

Orange County and the City of Orlando run separate permit offices with separate portals — and your mailing address alone doesn't tell you which one covers your home. Check which permit office covers your address →

Manufacturer instructions

The manufacturers' own instructions this guide is built from. Follow the manual for your exact model; they open on the manufacturer's site.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit for a kitchen cabinet painting in Orange County, FL?

No permit needed. Exempt finish work under FBC 105.2 and Orange County's published list — but exempt work must still comply with the Florida Building Code.

Are there specific building-code requirements for a kitchen cabinet painting?

Permit: none. Orange County's list of work that needs no permit opens with 'Interior or exterior residential painting' and includes 'Replacing cabinets or countertops in the same location'.

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Sources

https://media.benjaminmoore.com/WebServices/prod/assets/production/datasheets/TDS_0792/792_TDS_US.pdf
https://www.sherwin-williams.com/document/PDS/en/035777948040/
https://www.sherwin-williams.com/document/PDS/en/035777912867/
https://media.benjaminmoore.com/WebServices/prod/assets/production/datasheets/TDS_CC-65XX/CC-65XX_TDS_US.pdf
https://www.rustoleum.com/-/media/E9F24F940EB9498CA5F1968E00E436F7.pdf
https://www.rustoleum.com/-/media/5E5DEE25A56343DC8EFDC53481E3C2D3.pdf
https://www.rustoleum.com/-/media/3D0E41B437A7470489DAD31E1AC91AE8.pdf
https://www.rustoleum.com/-/media/6119B270667641508A4D313A848B5DB8.ashx
https://www.epa.gov/lead/renovation-repair-and-painting-program-do-it-yourselfers
https://www.epa.gov/lead/lead-test-kits
https://engageorange.ocfl.net/fast-track-permitting-services/faqs

This guide is general informational content, not professional or legal advice. Codes and county rules change — confirm permit requirements with your local building department, and use a licensed professional for electrical, gas, structural, or main-line plumbing work.