Why does every video on painting skip the step about sanding between coats?

I just finished repainting my kitchen cabinets in Austin, took me about 3 days total. Every single tutorial I watched online said to clean and prime, but nobody mentioned that you have to sand lightly between each coat of paint. I skipped it on the first door and the finish came out rough with brush marks everywhere. After I went back and did a quick pass with 220 grit on the rest, the final result was way smoother. Why do people leave this part out when it makes or breaks the whole job? Does anyone else think this is the most overlooked step in DIY painting?

3 comments

3 Comments

kimr7414d ago

Oh man, that kitchen cabinet job sounds like a beast. I totally feel your pain, that sanding step is a secret handshake nobody warns you about. I learned it the hard way too on a bookshelf project, ended up with a lumpy mess that looked like I painted with a sponge. It's weird how these tutorials make it look so effortless but skip the real tricky parts. And honestly, 220 grit between coats is a game changer, sanding is annoying but it's the only way to get that flat, glassy finish you're actually paying for. Your doors probably look amazing now though, right?

emerym365d ago

Haha right? I swear the sanding step is like the secret boss level nobody mentions. I did a whole set of nightstands once and skipped the fine grit because I was impatient, ended up with this gross orange peel texture that would NOT go away. Had to strip it all down and start over, lesson learned hard. Now I'm militant about it, even if my hands are cramping by the end lol. But yeah, when you finally run your hand over that last coat and it feels like glass, it's all worth the hassle. Your kitchen's probably straight up professional looking now.

violaramirez14d ago

Alright, but is it really that serious though? I mean @kimr74, sanding between coats is a pain but calling it a "game changer" feels a bit dramatic for some paint.