A step-by-step order for repairing kitchen cabinets before painting: sort cosmetic from structural damage, degrease, fill, sand, prime and seal. Includes fixes for dents, chips, sagging doors and stripped screw holes.
For kitchen cabinet repair that lasts under paint, work in this order: sort cosmetic damage from structural damage, degrease, fill and repair, then sand, prime and seal before any color goes on. Paint only changes color. One expert quoted by Which? says the top coat "won't create a smooth finish or cover any faults."
Is the damage cosmetic or structural?
Wipe the cabinets with a damp cloth, then look closely. Bob Vila advises addressing chipped wood, swollen or warped surfaces, delamination and cracks in the frame before you paint.
Dents, dings, small chips and old screw holes are cosmetic. Fill them and paint over. Swelling, soft spots, water stains, peeling laminate and cracked frames are structural. Paint cannot add strength to damaged wood. The same article notes that multiple areas of damage may mean replacement is the better call, but have a professional check whether repair is possible first. If you are weighing repair against a bigger change, our page on kitchen cabinet refacing vs painting lays out the trade-offs.
What tools and supplies do cabinet repairs need?
Gather a degreaser, wood filler or sandable putty, sandpaper from 100 to 220 grit, a tack cloth, primer, screwdrivers and painter's tape. A putty knife, a sanding block and a vacuum help too.
Benjamin Moore's supply checklist adds a damp sponge and a grease remover. Remove the doors, drawers and hardware first so you work on flat surfaces with room to let everything dry.
How do you clean and degrease cabinets before repairs?
Use a degreaser or a TSP substitute. A cabinet expert quoted by Which? says built-up grease "can't be removed with normal soap," and paint over leftover grease will separate and wear poorly.
Clean before you sand. Sanding dirty surfaces can drive grime deeper into the wood and hurt primer adhesion, according to Benjamin Moore's refinishing guide. Products such as Simple Green Surface Prep clean and degrease cabinets before painting. If the doors were ever waxed or polished, remove that with an ammoniated cleaner, per the Sherwin-Williams application FAQ.
How do you fix dents and dings in wood or MDF doors?
Press wood filler into the dent, let it dry, and sand it flush. Overfill slightly, because most fillers shrink as they cure and need a second pass. Sand and reapply as needed.
Keep the sanding focused on the patch. The goal, as the Which? expert puts it, is to smooth the filler and also slightly roughen the surface so paint has something to grip. On open-grain wood like oak, the grain can show through unless it is filled or sealed first.
How do you repair chips and gouges on edges, laminate and thermofoil?
Sand loose edges gently by hand, fill the gouge, and sand it level. Use a small piece of sandpaper around edges and rounded profiles so you do not cut deeper.
On laminate, fill shallow chips, then prime with a product made for slick surfaces. Benjamin Moore names its Fresh Start high-hiding all-purpose primer for laminate. If a laminate or thermofoil surface is lifting, peeling or bubbling, treat that as a structural sign. A filler patch will not hold on a surface that has let go of its backing.
How do you fix sagging doors, loose hinges and stripped screw holes?
Fill the old screw hole with sandable putty or wood filler and let it set fully before you drive the screw again. Sand the filler flush and re-drill if needed. Tighten the hinge screws once the patch is hard.
First check why the door sags. If the wood around the hinge is swollen, soft or water-stained, moisture is the problem, and new screws will not hold. Find and fix the leak or humidity source, then repair or replace the damaged piece.
How should repairs be sanded so patches do not show?
Sand with the grain and work in small areas, as Sherwin-Williams advises. Move up through the grits: 150 to 220 is the range Benjamin Moore gives for dulling the existing finish until it is rough. Start at 100 to 125 only if you have nicks or paint to remove quickly.
Then vacuum the cabinets and wipe them with mineral spirits or a tack cloth to remove all dust. Dust left under primer shows as bumps in the final coat.
What primer and sealer stop patches showing through?
Use the primer made for the surface. Benjamin Moore recommends its Fast-Sanding Primer tinted close to the finish color for wood, and the all-purpose primer for laminate. It also warns against lacquer-based primers, which can keep the finish from adhering.
Plain wood needs sealing. Without a sealant, oil from tannins in the wood can seep through and cause dark spots, Which? explains. Sherwin-Williams suggests an alkyd wood primer on bare wood for adhesion and to help prevent bleeding. After the primer dries, sand lightly with 220-grit or finer, concentrating on drips and pooled spots in inside corners.
| Damage | Repair | Sanding | Primer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dents and dings in wood | Wood filler, second pass for shrinkage | 150 to 220 grit | Wood primer |
| Old screw holes | Sandable putty or wood filler | 150 to 220 grit | Wood primer |
| Laminate chips | Fill, then prime | 150 to 220 grit | Fresh Start all-purpose primer |
How long should primer and paint dry between coats?
Give primer at least 1 hour, per Benjamin Moore, but overnight is safer. Which? advises overnight for primer and each coat, since wet paint over damp paint leaves a lumpy finish.
Product data sheets give firmer numbers. Benjamin Moore's Cabinet Coat data sheet lists 1 hour to tack free, 6 hours to recoat and 14 days to full cure at 77°F and 50% relative humidity. Humid kitchens dry slower, so treat those as best-case figures. Wait before rehanging doors, and go easy on them during the cure. For color choices once repairs are done, see our 2026 kitchen cabinet colors guide.
When is it time to bring in a pro?
Call for help when damage is widespread or structural, since patching many areas costs more effort than it saves. PaintPro handles cabinet prep, filling, priming and finishing across Middle Tennessee, from Spring Hill out to Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood and the towns on our service area page, and you can start with the PaintPro Tennessee home page to learn more about how we work.