Painting current cabinets will usually always be the more affordable choice than purchasing new custom-built cabinets or even stock units. Painting and refinishing kitchen cabinets will be an excellent investment for your home's value, with many residents in Boston, Massachusetts reporting an ROI as high as 70%. Upcycling your existing furniture in this manner offers you the chance to beautify your kitchen and stay up-to-date with current design trends, not to mention uphold your commitment to sustainable values.
The price of replacing cabinets fluctuates around Boston, Massachusetts, but could be up to 300% more expensive than painting. This is also taking into account that cabinet paints are usually more expensive than wall paints because they contain more resins that defend surfaces from fading, scratching, and stains.
Employing a contractor for your project instead of doing the task yourself will add labor costs, but this, too, will likely be much cheaper than replacements. An experienced contractor will know what your cabinets are constructed with and how to apply different techniques to ensure they look the way you've envisioned when complete. If your cabinets have minor wear like chips and scratches, contractors will use wood filler and specialized finishing techniques to cover them up. Painting cabinets is a more challenging task than it sounds, but a qualified painting contractor will be an invaluable resource in helping you stretch your investment to the max.
An often asked question is about the type of paint used on cabinets and if there is a difference between it and the paint used for walls. There are differences because cabinets and walls are very distinct surfaces, and the type of paint usually used for interior walls will encounter some challenges when trying to apply them to kitchen cabinets.
Most kitchen cabinets have slick surfaces due to the materials used in their design to give them that elegant appearance. Common wall paints might not stick properly to cabinets and can begin chipping or flaking off prematurely. The type of paint contractors utilize for cabinets contains adhesives that allows it to stick to these slippery surfaces better, and is also usually thicker to ensure longer durability. The chemicals and composition of cabinet paint also requires extended time to dry and cure than those typically applied to walls.
Vetting cabinet painting contractors to uncover the perfect one for your specifications and vision requires a substantial amount of effort. A good place to begin is by knowing precisely what aesthetic you're trying to achieve with your kitchen cabinets. You should ask candidates to see a sample of their previous work matching your vision beforehand to get a sense of their experience and skill. Professional contractors will be more than happy to grant this request, and many retain a portfolio for potential customers to browse through on their in-person or online.
You need to have a defined budget worked out while shopping around for professional cabinet painting contractors, as costs sometimes fluctuate widely. Make sure that any painter you consider gives written statements of all equipment and labor costs as well as clear verbal communication during the project about it's timeline. What you don't want is for unexpected surprises to pop up once the project begins that will raise costs higher than you budgeted for.
Pay close attention to the contractor's reliability by checking their online client reviews. Most professional painters will have feedback and reviews from past customers for view online, and these are also a great way to judge their ability to deliver the services you expect on time and on budget.
It's always enticing to quickly begin dipping brushes into paint and get your kitchen remodeling project moving forward, but there is some prep that needs to be done beforehand to ensure your cabinets look as envisioned and are protected from the heavy-use they will likely see in the future. Cabinet painting will quickly turn into an overwhelming project when doing it on your own, but an expert will quickly and effectively bring your vision to reality starting with the most common prepping phase of cleaning, sanding, and priming:
- Cleaning: It's very important that all dirt and grime are thoroughly cleaned from cabinet surfaces before painting or staining or it could hinder their adherence. The cleaning step is also an appropriate time to take apart the cabinets and their hardware, such as doors, knobs, hinges, etc., to make the next steps easier and more efficient.
- Sanding: The good news is that innovations in home improvement have made notable advancements, and there are products that contractors use to make one of these prepping steps a breeze. Deglossers, also called liquid sandpaper, is a chemical abrasive that easily strips gloss from cabinet surfaces so that the dusty process of sanding in the old way is virtually obsolete. Deglossers will also reach those nooks and crannies that are exceedingly challenging to get to with regular sandpaper.
- Priming: Priming will be mandatory in many cases, as it serves a vital purpose for the painting that follows, such as enabling better adhesion, preventing stains and imperfections from showing through, and providing an added layer of protection over the cabinet surface. If the existing paint is oil-based and you apply a latex paint without priming, it will only peel off and require repainting sooner than expected.