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Give your metal filing cabinets a glow-up with this simple tutorial
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Tired of your plain metal cabinets? Believe it or not, you can change the look of a metal cabinet by simply painting it. The key is knowing where to start. We'll walk you through the entire process, so you can feel totally comfortable prepping, priming, and painting your cabinet.
Things You Should Know
- Sand the surface of the cabinet with fine sandpaper to get rid of any rust or loose paint. This helps your new paint to adhere to the metal surface.
- Remove the drawers from the cabinet and arrange the furniture outside so it isn't near any other objects.
- Apply one coat of primer to the cabinet surface, followed by a layer of top coat.
- Check the paint label to see how much time it needs to dry. Once it's dry, replace the cabinet drawers and move the furniture back to where it was originally.
Steps
Community Q&A
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QuestionCan I paint a metal cabinet indoors safely?SylghoulsTop AnswererIt is preferable to do so outdoors, as paint fumes can be toxic, depending on the type of paint you intend to use. With proper ventilation, though, there shouldn't be any real issue.
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QuestionCan I paint 1940s metal cabinets while they are still up?Community AnswerYou probably would want to take them down so as not to get paint on your walls, but if you cover the corners with painters tape, it should work.
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Tips
- You can paint the cabinet with oil based paint and a paint brush. The finish will not be as smooth and the brush marks will show. It also takes more time to paint with a brush.Thanks
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Warnings
- Avoid painting on a day when the humidity is high. This will hinder the cabinet drying properly.Thanks
- Painting on a windy day is not a good idea.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Spray paint for metal
- Spray primer
- Sandpaper
- Newspaper
- Cloth
- Drop Cloth
References
About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 127,668 times.
Reader Success Stories
- "Very helpful information for a novice like me. All the steps are easy to understand and well explained. Thanks."
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