Monday, October 19, 2015

Kitchen Cabinet Repainting – It’s (Almost) all about the Prep!

It happens often.  We get a call for kitchen cabinet re-painting from someone who recently had their cabinets re-painted by a painting “professional” and the paint has started chipping.  First the door bumper comes off and takes the paint with it, then there is moisture from the boiling pasta or the dishwasher which introduces more evidence of paint adhesion failure, then a door gets a nick and additional paint starts to chip off…

It’s a homeowner’s nightmare.  They thought they got a great price, from a painter that was reputable.  Maybe they even used him/her before and were happy with the work on their walls and trim.  Or perhaps they felt satisfied that they didn’t go with the lowest price quote.  The completed cabinets looked good at first, BUT…  What Happened? 

Cabinet Surface Preparation is not the same as trim preparation

When Re-painting kitchen cabinets, the most critical step is surface preparation.  This is important for trim painting as well, but for typical trim, effective preparation is not anywhere near as difficult to achieve.  In the kitchen, dirt, hand oils, cooking oils, residual cleaning solutions, build up from cooking smoke, etc. must be meticulously removed and the surface prepared properly in order for the paint to stick reliably.  This requires specific knowledge about adhesion and the expertise, skill and attention to detail to properly prepare the whole cabinet – grooves, corners and all.  Most painters do not have the knowledge or experience to tackle this critical step for the kitchen cabinet re-paint process.  If this step is not done correctly and meticulously, the paint WILL Peel.  That lower cabinet painting price wasn’t so great after all. 

Primers – there are BIG differences

It’s hard to believe that a key to beautiful durable cabinets is actually the undercoat.  A bonding primer designed for cabinets is the next essential ingredient to cabinets that will remain beautiful for years to come.  A bonding primer is designed to grab onto difficult-to-adhere to surfaces such as factory finishes on existing cabinets.  These primers chemically bind to the surface becoming one with the cabinet surface.

Have it done right, or don’t do it at all

Having your kitchen cabinets painted cheaply and incorrectly is worse than not re-doing them at all – Really.  If the adhesion fails due to inadequate preparation or the application of an unsuitable primer, the only options to resolve the problem may be  to have all the paint stripped, a very costly process, or the even more expensive option - purchase new cabinets.  Don’t fall into the trap of a cheap cabinet re-paint job.  It’s just too expensive!

Masterwork Painting specializes in kitchen cabinet painting.  We have dedicated kitchen cabinet finishing craftsmen, standardized procedures and expertise to transform old cabinets into better than new ones that will remain beautiful for years to come.

Posted on 10/19 at 11:29 AM
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