What's included
- Doors and drawer fronts removed, labeled and sprayed flat
- Cabinet boxes and face frames sprayed in place
- Degreasing, scuff sanding and dust control
- Bonding primer made for slick or previously finished wood
- Two coats of hard cabinet enamel
- Islands, pantries, bathroom vanities and built-ins
- Grain filling on oak, if you want the grain gone
- Hinges and hardware reinstalled, or new hardware installed
- Color matching to a sample, a chip or a photo
- Kitchen protected with plastic and paper through the job
How we do it
Count and quote
Joe counts doors, drawers and boxes, checks the current finish, and gives you a written price.
Pick the color
Whites, off-whites and soft greiges are most of what we do, but any color is fine. We can spray a sample door first.
Empty the cabinets
You empty them. We mask the kitchen, remove the doors and hardware, and label every piece so it goes back where it came from.
Degrease and sand
Kitchen grease is the enemy of a lasting finish. Every surface is cleaned, then scuff sanded so the primer bites.
Prime and spray
A bonding primer, then two coats of cabinet enamel sprayed in thin passes. Doors are done flat so there are no runs or sags.
Cure, reinstall, walk it
Doors go back on once the enamel is hard enough to handle. You walk the kitchen with Joe. The enamel keeps curing for a couple of weeks, so we will tell you how to treat it early on.
What affects the price
This is the main driver. A small galley kitchen and a large kitchen with an island and pantry are very different jobs.
Raised panel and detailed profiles take more time to prep and spray than flat slab doors.
Factory lacquer, old paint, laminate and thermofoil each need a different approach. Some laminate and peeling thermofoil are not good candidates, and we will tell you.
If you have oak and you want a dead smooth finish, filling the grain adds a step.
If the new pulls need different hole spacing, we fill and drill. If they match, we just install.
Every estimate is written and itemized so you can see where the money goes. Pricing is done in person because photos hide the prep.
Good to know
Oak grain shows unless you fill it
Most 1990s Wasatch Front kitchens are honey oak. Painted white, the grain still shows as texture, and a lot of people like that. If you want it gone, we fill it. Your call, and we show you both.
Why we spray
Brushed cabinets show brush marks. Sprayed enamel levels out to a finish close to what came out of the factory.
Treat it gently the first week
Cabinet enamel is dry to the touch in hours but reaches full hardness over weeks. Easy on the doors for the first several days, no cleaners for the first couple of weeks.
Painting versus replacing
A repaint is a fraction of the cost of new cabinets and keeps your kitchen usable through most of the job. If your boxes are falling apart, we will say so.
Cabinet Painting and Refinishing questions
Will the wood grain show through the paint?
On oak, yes, as a light texture, unless we fill the grain first. On maple, alder and MDF doors the finish is smooth without filling. We will show you what to expect on your doors.
How long is my kitchen out of commission?
About a week for most kitchens. You can usually still use the sink and appliances for much of it. We will give you the exact plan on the estimate.
Do you spray or brush?
We spray. Doors and drawers are sprayed flat, boxes are sprayed in place with the kitchen masked.
Can you paint laminate or thermofoil cabinets?
Sometimes. Sound laminate takes a bonding primer well. Peeling thermofoil does not, and we will tell you if yours are not a good candidate rather than take the job.
Is painting cheaper than replacing?
Yes, by a wide margin, and it is done in a week instead of a month. If your cabinet boxes are solid, painting is the better money.
Do you paint the inside of the cabinets?
Not by default. The outside faces, doors, drawers and frames are what you see. Interiors can be added if you want them.