Oak cabinets are a staple in kitchens and bathrooms alike. They also happen to be one of the most common cabinets to paint. But before you pick up a paintbrush, STOP! We’ve first got to talk about the best primer for oak cabinets. And yes, you NEED to prime (sorry!).
If you’re not sure what the best primer for oak cabinetry is or why it’s important to use one, I’ve got you covered!
Why Do You Need To Prime Oak Cabinets?
Priming is an essential part of painting cabinets because it adheres to the wood’s surface, blocks out the stains and tannin bleed-through, and provides a smooth, clean base on which to apply your paint.
The right primer will help seal up any imperfections in the wood and make sure you get a smooth, even finish. It will help paint stick and reflect a smooth and even sheen!
Oak cabinets that were so popular throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s have two fairly undesirable things going for them:
- They’re typically stained in colors ranging anywhere from golden honey to straight up Cheeto orange!
- It’s got some intense wood grain. If you are going for a modern, smooth finish, you’ll need to cover up that grain. (P.S. – if this is you, make sure you check out my free mini course all about how to fill wood grain!)
Thankfully, the solution to both of those little troubles is to prime, prime, prime!
The Best Primer For Cabinets Is An Oil Primer
So, we’ve established that priming oak cabinets are a must-have (really, it doesn’t matter the species of wood you have, Oak or anything else…it all needs priming)
One of the biggest keys to a long-lasting paint job on cabinets is not just priming, but also making sure you use the best-suited primer. Not all primers are created equal.
It’s important to pair the right primer with whatever substrate you’re applying it to. And, when it comes to cabinets, especially oak cabinets, it’s very important that you use an oil-based primer.
Why Is Oil Primer Better?
Working with hundreds of DIYers over the years, it’s been my experience that when I say the words “use an oil-based primer”, it immediately evokes fear and sends them into a mild panic attack.
But, I’ve got good news for you!
It’s really not that scary when you know what you’re doing and know how to work with it! (Side note: this is just ONE of the many reasons I created my cabinet painting course – to help DIYers in their cabinet painting journey so they know what to do and how to do it correctly)
I realize that oil base primer is not as easy to work with as water-based primers… I won’t sugarcoat the truth. Using an oil-based primer is slightly more difficult, but when you know the tricks and secrets, it’s really not that bad.
Plus, I can promise you this: oil is a much better primer to use on your oak cabinets vs. a water-based primer. You can trust me on this, and I’ll tell you why…I learned the hard way!
Early in my painting career, I used a water-based primer when painting cabinets until I learned better. And guess what? After painting cabinets in hundreds of homes, the only homes I’ve been called back to for touch-ups or re-dos are in those early few homes when I used a water-based (latex) primer. 😭
Learn from the mistake I made years ago, latex primer on cabinets = bad | oil primer = your friend.
Sometimes You Have To Ignore The Paint Store
Another thing I hear a lot from the students taking my DIY Cabinet Painting 101 course, is that when they go into the store to purchase their oil base primer, the person behind the paint counter tries to talk them out of buying it. Inevitably, they will instead try to talk them into a water-based primer.
Grr!!
I cannot tell you HOW much this annoys!
It’s been my experience that the people SELLING the paint at a store have never painted a day in their life (just my personal experience, I know this is not an absolute truth).
I’ll get off of my soapbox before I really get started on a rant. Just know that it’s not uncommon for the paint sales associate to do their best to dissuade a homeowner from buying an oil-based primer.
Stick to your guns…you’re doing the right thing!
Which Oil Is The Best Primer For Oak Cabinets? My Top 6 Recommendations
To help you along in your oil primer shopping excursion, I’ve put together a list of the best oil-based primers for oak cabinets. This list also works for any other type of wood cabinets you have too!
- Sherwin Williams ProBlock Oil
- Zinsser AllPrime
- Zinsser Coverstain
- Insl-x Prime Lock
- Benjamin Moore Multi-Purpose Oil Base
- Fine Paints of Europe Oil Undercoat (This primer is the creme de la creme – It’s on the higher end of the price scale and you may wonder, is it worth it? Yes…yes it is)
Tips For Working With Oil-Based Primer and Oak Cabinets
- Make sure you clean cabinets first. There’s no point of priming for a smooth finish if your cabinets are going to be covered in grease, dirt, hair, food particles etc. Primer won’t stick to dirty cabinets. Make sure you clean your cabinets thoroughly < that post will show you how.
- Oil primer must be thinned before using. Period. Even though the can’s label will most likely say “No thinning needed” or even “do not thin”, this is one time I want you to ignore the label. Oil-based primer is very thick! You MUST thin it with mineral spirits to give it a brush-able or sprayable viscosity.
- Oil primer needs time to fully dry. After you prime, you will lightly sand the primer smooth, and it needs to be 100% dry before you can properly sand it. How do you know it’s fully dry? It will sand to powder. If it gums up and collects clumps on your sandpaper, the primer is not fully dry and you need to give it some more time! Patience is a virtue:)
- Dispose of all materials soiled with oil primer or mineral spirits into a plastic or metal bucket and fill with water. Then, take the bucket to your local waste management facility—don’t just toss it in the trash. Also, make sure you never pile rags or materials soaked with spirits. Remember, it’s flammable.
Ready To Tackle Your Oak Cabinets?
You can totally do a killer DIY paint job on your cabinets. I have faith in you!
If you’d like even more in-depth tutorials from start to finish, check out my cabinet painting course where I will virtually hold your hand the whole way. You’ve got this!
More Posts To Read:
- The Best Ready-To-Assemble Cabinets – My Cabinet Joint Review
- Extreme DIY Kitchen Renovation (Before & After)
- My ZLINE Appliance Review: Would I purchase them again?
- 12 Best Tips For Using Fine Paints of Europe High Gloss
- Exactly How To Paint Oak Cabinets (Written By A Pro!)
I have a question, I’m have a house someone tried to paint 1 coat of flat white paint on the cabinets not only is it scratching and rubbing off when I was cleaning them the paint was kind of clumping together..it’s a very bad paint job on the oak, it looks like there was no prep. How do I deal with this.
They also had a second group of the oak cabinets they did the same thing on, but 2 coats of the flat white. What’s your suggestion for me to fix or repaint correctly? I’m just not sure if the primer will work how it is.
In order to fix this and refinish the cabinets, you’ll need to sand off as much of this paint job as you possibly can. Then you’ll be able to start over completely and use one of the primers listed here. Probably not what you wanted to hear, but hope this helps! xo Kayla
How much mineral spirits do I use to thin the oil based primer?
It ranges from 20-30% usually.