Comparing cabinet painting contractors to uncover the best one for your specifications and style requires a substantial amount of consideration. The first place to focus on is by knowing precisely what aesthetic you're trying to achieve for your kitchen cabinets. You should ask contractors to see samples of their prior work matching your vision beforehand to gain a feel for their experience and ability. Professional contractors would be more than happy to accommodate this request, and many retain a gallery of pictures for potential clients to browse through on their in-person or online.
You need to have a defined budget worked out when choosing professional cabinet painting contractors, as costs often fluctuate largely. Ensure that any professional you hire gives documentation of all material and labor costs as well as clear verbal communication during the process about it's expected completion. The last thing you want is for any surprises to occur after the project begins that will raise costs above what you budgeted for.
Give attention to the professional's reliability by checking any online customer reviews. Most experienced painters will have feedback and reviews from previous clients available online, and these can be an efficient way to find out if they have a history of delivering the services you expect on time and on budget.
It's always enticing to immediately begin painting and get your kitchen remodeling project going, but there is some prep that needs to happen first to ensure your cabinets look as envisioned and hold up to the heavy-use they will likely see in the future. Cabinet painting can quickly turn into an overwhelming project when attempting it alone, but an expert will quickly and efficiently bring your vision to reality beginning with the most important prepping phase of cleaning, sanding, and priming:
- Cleaning: It's very important that all dirt or grime are thoroughly removed from cabinet surfaces prior to painting or staining or it could affect their adherence. The cleaning phase is also the right time to disassemble the cabinets and its gear, like drawers, knobs, hinges, etc., to make the following stages easier and more effective.
- Sanding: The good news is that innovations in home improvement have made great leaps, and there are products that professionals use to make one of these prepping steps easier. Deglossers, also called liquid sandpaper, is a chemical product that quickly removes gloss from cabinet surfaces so that the dusty method of sanding in the old way is virtually obsolete. Liquid abrasives can also penetrate to any places that would be exceedingly challenging to get to with traditional sandpaper.
- Priming: Priming is necessary in most cases, as it serves many important purposes for the painting that follows, such as enabling better adhesion, blocking stains and imperfections from bleeding through, and providing a protective layer over the cabinet surface. If the previous paint is oil-based and you cover it with a latex paint before priming, it will only peel away and need to be repainted sooner than expected.
Deciding if your current cabinets can be painted or not ultimately comes down to their quality. Nearly all solid wood cabinets can be painted multiple times throughout their lifespan, though the techniques necessary may be a little more advanced for “open grain” woods like oak. Solid hardwoods adhere to stains or paints better than most other surfaces and can undergo repeated sandings to hide imperfections that develop over time from use. Manufactured woods like fibreboards, wood laminate, or even metal cabinets can also undergo painting comparatively easy.
The most challenging type of kitchen cabinets to paint are economical thermofoil cabinets, which is an engineering process of applying a thin sheet of plastic over manufactured wood. Some professional painters will advise against painting these as the surface resists the paint trying to adhere to it, and even when scuffing and priming techniques are employed, the paint will likely peel off much faster than a better quality material like hardwood.
A better question some homeowners may need to consider is should my cabinets undergo painting. If your cabinets are too aged and worn down, it could be more cost-effective to buy new models.
Painting your cabinets will typically always be the cheaper alternative over buying new custom-built cabinets or even stock models. Painting or refinishing your cabinets will be a good investment for your house's value, with many residents in Palm Coast, Florida reporting an return as high as 70%. Refreshing your existing cabinets in this way gives you the ability to beautify your space and stay up-to-date with present design trends, not to mention follow through on your commitment to sustainable values.
The price of replacing cabinets fluctuates around Palm Coast, Florida, but could be up to 300% more expensive than painting. This is even when taking into account that cabinet paints are often more expensive than wall paints because they contain more resins that defend surfaces from fading, scratching, and staining.
Finding a professional to paint your cabinets instead of doing the task yourself will add to the expense, but this, too, will likely be much cheaper than replacing them. A talented painter will understand the materials your cabinets are constructed with and how to apply different materials to ensure they look the way you've envisioned when complete. If your cabinets show minor cosmetic issues like chips and scratches, contractors can use wood filler and paint to cover them up. Painting cabinets may be a more challenging project than it seems, but a trained painting contractor will be an invaluable resource to help you stretch your investment further.