Repainting kitchen cabinets is a sequence of cleaning, sanding, priming and coating, and the quality of the result depends mostly on the steps that come before the paint.
Holiday gatherings put the kitchen to heavy use, and households with sound but worn cabinets can consider a repaint instead of replacement. Homeowners comparing how contractors describe the work can read the cabinet painting information from a Colorado company such as Front Range Painters Colorado Springs, then bring the same questions to a contractor nearby.
Reader’s guide
- What: Cabinet painting puts a new coating on existing boxes, doors and drawer fronts in place of replacing them. The work runs from cleaning and sanding through primer to finish coats.
- Who it affects: Households whose cabinets are structurally sound but worn, stained or dated, and owners preparing a house for sale.
- When to act: Well ahead of the first large holiday meal. A finish can feel dry long before it has fully cured, and the cure period calls for gentle use.
- Who to call: A painting contractor, after checking license and insurance. In an older house where earlier paint may contain lead, ask for a professional trained to handle it before any sanding starts.
The steps, in order
Contractors generally begin with an assessment. They check whether the cabinets are solid wood, veneer or laminate, because each takes a coating differently, and they look for loose joints, water damage and peeling.
The cabinet boxes stay where they are. Painters tape off walls, cover counters and floors, and set up a separate place where the doors can dry flat.
Doors and drawer fronts then come off. Each is labeled so it returns to its original opening, and the hinges and pulls are set aside.
Hardware choices belong at the start. Changing the style of pull leaves old holes to fill, and keeping the existing pulls saves a step.
Cleaning is the next step and the one most often skimmed. Kitchen cabinets collect cooking grease, and paint does not hold on a greasy surface.
Sanding follows. Its purpose is to dull the old finish so that the new coating can grip, a process sometimes called deglossing. Dust is wiped away before any primer goes on.
Repairs come next. Filler covers dents and old hardware holes, and caulk closes gaps at the seams.
Primer is a coating that bonds to the surface and gives the paint something to hold. Finish coats follow, with drying time between them.
Curing is the final stage for the coating itself. A cure is the period in which a coating hardens fully, and it can run longer than the time the surface takes to dry to the touch. The coating manufacturer’s instructions set the timeline.
Reinstallation closes the job. Doors are rehung and hardware goes back on.
Timing deserves thought. Painters’ schedules can fill ahead of the holidays, and a kitchen with its doors off is hard to cook in. A job that cannot finish before guests arrive may be better scheduled for January.
Weather plays a part throughout. Temperature and humidity affect how a coating dries, and product labels state the range in which each one should be applied.
What shapes the price
Cabinet painting is priced by the work and not only by the paint. In general terms, several factors decide the total.
The count of doors and drawer fronts weighs most. Each is cleaned, sanded and coated on both sides, and ornate door styles take longer than flat ones.
The condition of the surfaces comes next. Cabinets that need repairs, or that carry several old coats, take more preparation.
A large change in color adds coats. Painting the inside of the boxes, replacing hardware and working around a kitchen that stays in use add time as well.
The method has an effect. Spraying and brushing produce different finishes, and a contractor can explain the choice and the protection needed for nearby floors, counters and appliances.
Repainting is also compared with replacement. New cabinets mean demolition, new countertop cuts and sometimes plumbing and flooring repairs, while a repaint keeps the existing boxes.
A repaint does not fix a poor layout or damaged boxes, so the comparison depends on what the kitchen needs.
Written estimates should list these items rather than give a single figure. A single figure makes comparison between painters hard.
Questions for a cabinet painter
The general process ends where the particulars of a kitchen begin. Those particulars are questions for the painter.
- What preparation comes before primer, and how is grease removed?
- Which primer and finish coating will be used, and why are they suited to cabinets?
- Will the doors be painted on site or taken away, and where will they dry?
- How many days will the kitchen be out of normal use, and how long should the finish cure before the cabinets are loaded?
- Does the painter hold any required license and carry insurance, and can proof be provided?
- What does the written estimate include, and what happens if repairs turn up?
- If the house is old, how will earlier paint layers be tested and handled?
Care afterward is simple. Mild soap and a soft cloth are generally recommended, and harsh abrasive cleaners can wear a new finish. The painter or the coating label can say what to use.
Warranties deserve a direct question. Some painters stand behind chipping and peeling for a set period, and any such promise belongs in the written estimate with its limits stated.
A painter who answers these in writing gives the homeowner something to compare and something to refer back to later.
Older kitchens and old paint
Not every set of cabinets is a candidate. Boxes swollen by water, joints that have come apart and doors that have warped may need repair or replacement before any coating can last.
Cabinets in older houses, including many farmhouses in rural counties, may carry layers of paint applied decades ago. Some older paint contains lead, a metal that is harmful when dust from sanded surfaces is inhaled or swallowed, particularly by young children.
Testing for lead and working safely around it are tasks for professionals trained in the work. Homeowners should raise the question with the painter before any sanding starts, and anyone with health concerns should speak with a doctor.
Fumes are a separate matter. Primers and finish coatings give off vapors, and a kitchen with closed windows in cold weather holds them longer. Contractors generally plan for ventilation, and the product label states what the manufacturer requires.
The holiday meal is only the first test. Cabinets repainted this fall will be handled daily through the winter, which makes the cure period and the cleaning advice worth asking about at the start.