I suppose the title could have been “Puttering Around With Putty (aka: Wood Filler), Sandpaper, a Spackle Knife, and Deglosser,” but that was a mouthful. In short, we prepped all of our cabinets for primer by:
- filling holes and cracks in cabinet frames, doors, and drawers with wood filler;
- sanding everything to smooth the filler and to scuff surfaces for better primer adhesion;
- deglossing to further improve adhesion;
For the filler we used Elmer’s ProBond Professional Strength Wood Filler—two contractor friends recommended it—so we could hide old hardware holes and cracks. Because our new hardware requires two mounting holes instead of one, it was important to fill the old holes so they disappear after priming and painting.
We pressed the putty into the holes and seams with a spackle knife, then let it dry. The filled old knob holes looked like this before sanding:
After the filler had dried according to the manufacturer’s instructions, we sanded with a hand sander—starting with 60 grit to knock down high spots and following with 200 grit to smooth the surface. Sanding both evens out the putty and roughs the surrounding finish so primer and paint will adhere better. Some people skip sanding and deglossing, but we prefer to be thorough: spending a day or two up front to ensure long-term durability is worth it for a finish that lasts.
One of the doors had been retrofitted professionally using pocket holes, wood glue, and heavy-duty hidden steel screws, so it’s just as sturdy as the original doors. After filling and sanding, the seams were smooth. We’re hopeful the primer and paint will fully disguise the repairs; if not, we’ll hire a carpenter to make perfectly matched replacements. But since solid oak doors in these custom sizes are hard to find, reusing them was worth trying before spending money on new doors—savings we can put toward counters, floors, or a backsplash.
Here’s another retrofitted door after puttying and sanding:
The putty is lighter than the wood, but the seams feel flush, which is what matters most for a seamless painted finish. Don’t rely on primer and paint to hide surface imperfections—they often settle into small cracks and make them more noticeable. Our tip: get the doors as smooth and consistent in texture as possible before priming. Color differences from putty are fine because primer and paint will cover them, but unevenness and dings need to be smoothed first.
While a few retrofitted doors required more putty work, most doors only needed a dab to hide old knob holes. After puttying and sanding those areas, we moved on to liquid deglosser.
We used Next Liquid Deglosser because it’s low-VOC and biodegradable, yet effective. It removes grease and reduces shine, improving adhesion—especially important in a kitchen that accumulates grease. The deglosser wipes also remove remaining sanding dust, leaving a clean surface ready for primer.
We also filled any noticeable dings, cracks, or exposed screw holes on the cabinet frames. For example, the exposed screw hole where a cabinet used to be attached was filled and sanded so it won’t show through after painting.
After all frame touch-ups were dry, we gave everything a final sanding to smooth the filler and scuff the surfaces, then deglossed for extra adhesion insurance. We want the primer and paint to stick for the long haul. We’ve used this cabinet-painting process in previous projects—kitchen cabinets in another house, a sister’s kitchen where it lasted for years, and a built-in office desk—and it consistently produces durable results.
Here’s the kitchen after all that prep work—progress isn’t glamorous, but it’s satisfying:
Next we moved all the doors into the sunroom and laid them out for priming and painting.
To keep the doors elevated, John cut scrap wood into small risers so each piece sits slightly off the ground. That allows us to paint the top and sides without the doors sticking to the surface or sitting in a puddle of primer.
We’ll be back with a primer update later in the week. Once everything is primed, painted, and fully cured we’ll share the full reveal with details, photos, and a video covering the priming and painting process for anyone who wants to tackle this project. What have you been working on lately? We hope we weren’t the only ones busy puttying away (figuratively speaking).