Refinishing kitchen cabinets yourself can save you pennies, but some kits are actually complicated to use and have the wrong paint, materials, and instructions. If you don’t want the hassle or additional costs, our team is here to review the top options today.
If you want to know which is better, here is a detailed Nuvo Cabinet Paint vs. Rust-Oleum Makeover Kit comparison!
Nuvo Cabinet Paint or Rust-Oleum Makeover Kit?
About the Rust-Oleum 263232 Cabinet Transformations Kit
The Rust-Oleum 263232 Cabinet Transformations Kits are recommended for metal and wood furniture.
The package includes an instructional DVD, de-glosser, bond coat, decorative glaze, decorative top coat, decorative glazing cloth, and scrub pads.
To achieve the best results, follow the detailed instructions that came along with the Rust-Oleum Cabinet Transformations Kits.
Rustoleum Cabinet Paint Reviews in General
Most painters and woodworkers prefer using Rust-oleum Cabinet Transformation Kits because it’s easy to achieve their desired finish and appearance.
They found the steps easy to follow and tips on how to apply hassle-free using the base, de-glosser, glaze, and top coat helpful.
Also, they cited some drawbacks in using this kit, particularly getting bubbles while applying it on the surface of their cabinets.
Although the product is a bit more pricey than other cabinet transformation kits, they recommend using this finish for a professionally done makeover. More so, the consistency of the top coat is thin and sticky which makes it dry quickly.
Pros and Cons of the Rustoleum Makeover Kit
Pros
- Easy to use
- No stripping, sanding, and priming required
- No stripping, sanding, and priming required
- Durable finish
- Longer lifespan paint
Cons
- Difficult to apply for beginners
- Needed multiple coats
Painting Your Cabinet with Rustoleum Paint Kit: Tools & Steps to Follow
- 3 pieces of 2” synthetic paint brushes (angled or straight)
- 2” foam paint brush for glazing
- 2” painter’s tape
- Drop cloths or cheesecloth
- Plastic sheeting
- Gloves
- Lint-free rags
- Fine-grit sandpaper
- Soap and water
- Green scrub pads
- Screwdriver
- Plastic wood filler and putty knife (optional)
- Sketch paper and marker
Step #1: Prepare Your Cabinet
First, you have to remove the cabinet door and drawer fronts so you can paint the hidden areas. Don’t forget to take the handles and knobs off.
Then label the drawer using a piece of masking tape to know where to position each door and drawer.
Step #2: Clean Your Cabinet
Then, you can start cleaning your cabinet doors and drawer fronts. Use soapy water and a rag to remove grease and molds. Then wipe off the surface with a clean, lint-free cloth.
You can also slightly sand the surface for accumulated dirt in the corners of the surface.
Step #3: Seal Off the Edges With Tape
For this part, seal off the edges of your cabinets and drawers with masking tape.
We recommend doing so you can protect walls and surfaces from accidental spills. Also, cover floorings and appliances from paint drips.
Step #4: De-gloss the Cabinet’s Surfaces
Most cabinets and drawers are painted with stain, primer, and paint. So, prepare your de-glossers to strip the previous paint on the surface. Removing the previous paints will save you from difficulties applying the new coat.
Also, de-glossing improves the adhesion of the Rust-Oleum makeover paint kit. Make sure to follow the grain pattern of the wood.
Use a de-glosser with green scrub pads. We recommend using these pads to ensure strong abrasion, and you can skip sanding the surface. Then wipe it with a clean cloth and let it dry for an hour.
Step #5: Apply a Bonding Coat
Once the surface is dry, apply the Rust-Oleum’s bond coat.
This bond coat offers a good wood surface preparation for your paint. Depending on the sizes and shapes of your cabinet and drawers, you just need to use a traditional paintbrush or roller.
Rust-oleum suggests that you have to apply two layers of the bond coat. We tried it on our kitchen cabinets and drawers and got superior coverage.
After you have achieved your desired look, let it dry for at least 8 hours before you proceed with your top coat.
About the Nuvo Titanium Infusion All-In-One Cabinet Makeover Kit
The Nuvo Titanium Infusion All-in-One Cabinet Makeover Kit is a simple DIY cabinet makeover. The kit includes two 31 oz. cans of paint, a roller arm with two pieces of roller covers, two angled paint brushes, and illustrated instructions.
With this product, you won’t need to remove the cabinet drawers and doors. Users can also skip priming and adding a layer of topcoat. Depending on your desired look, you can still use a top coat but make sure it will not cause yellowing.
Like other cabinet transformation kits, this job is not a one-day or even one-weekend job. To give your cabinet a professional-looking makeover, you must prep right and apply the Giani Nuvo Titanium Infusion All-In-One Cabinet Makeover Kit accordingly.
Nuvo Cabinet Paint Company Information
The Giani Nuvo Cabinet Paint Kit is manufactured by the Giani Granite company which was founded in 1959.
With more than 50 employees located in Saint Louis, Missouri, their dedication focuses on providing practical, budget-friendly DIY paint kits for renovating your home furniture, tables, and cabinets among others.
Their DIY paint kit started on their Giani Countertop Paint which leads to their “Rescue & Resolve” mission. Their goal is to rescue your outdated decor and give it another fresh look depending on the styles of homeowners.
With their mission comes the passion of Giani Granite which inspire and push for innovations in DIY paint kit. For them, you do not have to be an artist or an expert in using their makeover kit
Nuvo Cabinet Paint Kit Reviews in General
The majority of woodworkers and painters rely on Giani Nuvo Titanium Infusion Cabinet Makeover Kit for a simple and modern design [1]. Most have shared that the Nuvo kit gives a natural appearance and finish.
When using the kit, most didn’t encounter struggles or obstacles. Moreover, applying the second coat to their cabinet surface didn’t leave marks of brush strokes.
The drawbacks they only encounter are the paint dries too quickly so it is not advisable to pour the entire can on the tray paint. Then, using wood fillers over the holes and dents should be avoided; instead, use a primer before painting.
Pros and Cons of the Nuvo Cabinet Paint
Pros
- Gives a natural look/ appearance
- Great coverage with a smooth finish
- Durable
- Easy to use
- Minimal preparation needed
Cons
- The color description may differ from the actual color
- May not be enough if you have larger cabinets
Painting Your Cabinet With Nuvo Makeover Kit: Tools and Steps to Follow
- 300 to 450 grit of sandpaper
- Liquid de-glosser
- Small-tipped artist brush
- Screw driver
- Painter’s tape
- Fast-drying wood filler
- Paint roller tray
- Plastic sheets
- Marker
Step #1: Prep your Work Area
Prepare your workspace by applying plastic sheets on the floor and to surfaces that you don’t want to be painted. Determine the ventilation and the weather condition before you start painting.
Step #2: Prep Your Cabinet
Then, empty the cabinets and clean the surface using a de-glosser to strip off the old paint.
For grease, you can use a de-greaser or Tri-Sodium Phosphate substitute. You must also remove the hinges and knobs and tape the edges and walls.
For dents and holes, use a primer or sealer instead of wood filler. After removing the cabinet drawers, label them with numbers starting with what drawer should go first.
Step #3: Do Scuff Sanding, Then Clean the Surface
Next, get your fine-grit sandpaper and start sanding the surface. Fold the sandpaper to get into the detailed areas on doors and drawers, including the corners on the frames.
You must follow the wood grain direction and avoid circular motion. Make sure you sand the areas near the handles and the surface near the stove where most of the oil and dirt accumulate.
Once done with sanding, clean the surface using soap and water. Get a clean, lint-free cloth and start wiping off the sand.
Step #4: Seal Off the Edges With Tape
After sanding, ensure that floorings cover with plastic sheets, the appliances nearby, and surfaces that you don’t what to get painted with.
You don’t want to get your paint in the wrong places, including the base or interior of your cabinets.
Step #5: Apply Your Chosen Paint
Depending on the shades of Nuvo cabinet paint, start painting the cabinet frames before the cabinet drawers and doors.
Use up-and-down brush strokes for the vertical sections and side-to-side strokes for the horizontal sections.
The backdoors of the cabinet should be painted as well. Naturally, doors have designs and styles with bumpers. The technique on this one is to paint around them. Then keep the doors open to cure the paint for two hours.
After the first coat is dried, apply the second coat. The second coat enhances the sheen of your cabinet.
Avoid applying a thick layer of coat which can affect the coating’s performance. Then wait for at least 8 hours for the coat to dry.
Features of Nuvo Cabinet Paint and Rust-Oleum Kit
To give you a rundown of the important considerations when choosing the perfect makeover kit, here is a detailed Rust-Oleum vs Nuvo Cabinet Paint Makeover Kits features comparison:
Inclusions
When you purchase the Nuvo cabinet paint and Rust-oleum makeover kits, you can get the primary supplies, including paints.
The Nuvo makeover kit includes two 31 oz of paint, one roller arm with two roller covers, two angled paint brushes, and illustrated instructions.
Meanwhile, the Rust-oleum transformation kit has an instructional DVD, de-glosser, bond coat, decorative glaze, decorative top coat, decorative glazing cloth, and scrub pads.
Clearly, the Nuvo cabinet paint kit is complete rather than the Rust-oleum makeover kit. So if we are talking about the availability of supplies and tools, Nuvo provides these materials in the kit.
Other tools that your paint job requires can be bought separately.
Preparation Requirements
Both Nuvo and Rust-oleum claim that there is no need for sanding, no priming, and no stripping of the surface before painting.
But a little elbow grease on preparing your cabinets before painting is essential for your desired result.
So we have to de-gloss and sand the surface, particularly the areas where grease and dirt accumulate. We have done this to ensure that there is enough adhesion on the surface for the paint.
Therefore, in terms of preparation requirements, both Nuvo and Rust-oleum must have good wood prepping.
Ease of Use
Every woodworker loves to use paint kits that are not time-consuming and take less effort, to begin with.
So, for Nuvo and Rust-oleum transformation kits, you can quickly restore the cabinets following the instructions from each kit.
But, between the Nuvo Cabinet Paint vs the Rust-oleum makeover kits, we observed that latter requires a top coat, glazing, and de-glossing, while former can be done without glazing and a top coat finish, you will get your desired result.
Moreover, Nuvo comes with paint brushes and rollers, so you do not need to worry about the size of the brushes and rollers.
Obviously, Nuvo cabinet paint has done its job to give a real deal more convenience for using their makeover kit.
Price
Despite the fact that cabinet restoration is expensive, we all know that you can save more pennies with the Nuvo Titanium Infusion All-in-one Makeover kit.
Hiring professionals to renovate your cabinet can cost you a hefty price, but purchasing makeover kits could save you more than $100. In this aspect, Nuvo clearly wins since it is more affordable than Rust-oleum.
Area Coverage
The standard kitchen cabinetry is 100 sq. ft. which Nuvo and Rust-oleum can cover. The coverage includes the back surface of the cabinet and the doors, which can be tricky to apply because of the design.
But both Nuvo and Rust-oleum makeover kits did their purpose to restore our old and dull kitchen and bathroom cabinets.
Customizable Finish
When you think that your cabinet finish cannot be customized, think again. Because when we tried the Rust-oleum Decorative Glaze, the result was beyond our expectations.
After using the decorative glaze, we have a modern, more sheen surface than a Nuvo finish. Depending on your desired result, you can thicken or thin layers of glaze.
Usable Surfaces
As we tested the two makeover kits, we found no issues using them on multiple surfaces, including metals. It can also adhere to melamine and laminate cabinetry.
Professional-Looking Outcomes
Although you can achieve your desired result using Nuvo and Rust-oleum, we managed to have a more professional-looking cabinet using the latter.
The Rust-oleum kit offers more than a typical cabinet finish. The result is far different from Nuvo since Rust-oleum has a Decorative Glaze and Top Coat that enhance the appearance of your cabinet.
While you can see that using glaze is optional, we have proven that it should be used for cabinets to acquire the best result.
FAQ
What kind of paint is most durable for kitchen cabinets?
The most durable paint for kitchen cabinets is acrylic paint. Unlike enamel or latex paint, acrylic paint on your kitchen cabinets requires less maintenance.
You can easily wipe off the dirt and grease accumulated on the surface. Also, acrylic paint is water-based, which is safe for indoor surfaces.
What paint types do professional cabinet makers use?
Depending on the wood surface, exterior or indoor surfaces, you can use oil- or water-based. But most professional cabinet makers use oil-based paint.
However, citing health issues, water-based is highly recommended for indoor surfaces. As mentioned, water-based has a low odor, while oil-based emits high VOC for a strong smell.
Overall Winner: Nuvo Titanium Infusion All-in-One Makeover Kit
After careful consideration, our team hailed the Nuvo Titanium Infusion All-in-One Makeover Kit as the overall winner. It offers affordability, ease of use, and the inclusion of materials and supplies needed for a successful project.
In our Rust-Oleum vs Nuvo Cabinet Paint comparison and tests, it proved to be reliable for correct surface coverage and its detailed instructions thoroughly helped us along the way.
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