Painting current cabinets will typically always be a cheaper alternative over purchasing new custom-built cabinets or even stock models. Painting and refinishing kitchen cabinets will be a good investment in your property's value, with many residents in Albuquerque, NM reporting an ROI as high as 70%. Refreshing your existing cabinets in this manner gives you the chance to beautify your space and stay up-to-date with current design trends, not to mention uphold your commitment to sustainable living.
The cost of new cabinets fluctuates around Albuquerque, NM, but could be up to three times more expensive than painting. This is even when taking into account that cabinet paints are often more expensive than wall paints due to them containing more resins that defend against fading, scratching, and staining.
Employing a contractor to paint your cabinets instead of doing the job yourself will add labor costs, but this, too, will likely be much cheaper than replacing them. An experienced painter will understand the materials your cabinets are manufactured with and how to apply different materials to ensure they look the way you've envisioned when complete. If your cabinets show minor damage like chips and cracks, they can use wood filler and paint to cover them up. Painting cabinets is a more challenging task than it seems, but a vetted painting contractor will be an invaluable resource in helping you stretch your investment further.
An often asked question pertains to the kind of paint used for cabinets and if there is a difference between it and that used on walls. There are distinctions because cabinets and walls are very different surfaces, and the type of paint typically used for home walls will encounter some difficulties when trying to apply them to kitchen cabinets.
Many kitchen cabinets have slick surfaces due to the materials used in their construction to give them that elegant aesthetic. Common wall paints will not stick properly to cabinets or begin chipping or flaking off prematurely. The kind of paint professionals use for cabinets contains adhesives that helps it stick to these slippery surfaces better, and is also usually thicker to guarantee longer durability. The chemicals and structure of cabinet paint also needs extended drying and curing times than those usually used on walls.
Vetting cabinet painters to find the perfect one for your needs and vision requires a substantial amount of consideration. The first place to start is by understanding exactly what look you want to accomplish with your kitchen cabinets. You should ask candidates to view a sample of their past work similar to your vision beforehand to gain a sense of their experience and ability. Trustworthy contractors would be more than happy to grant this request, and many keep a gallery of pictures for potential clients to browse through on their website.
You should have a set budget in mind when choosing professional cabinet painting contractors, as prices sometimes fluctuate largely. Check that any professional you consider gives written statements of all material and labor costs and gives clear verbal communication throughout the process about it's timeline. The last thing you want is for any surprises to pop up after the project commences that will raise costs above what you planned for.
Give attention to the professional's reliability by evaluating any online customer reviews. Most professional painters will have comments and reviews from past clients for view 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 may be tempting to immediately begin painting and get your kitchen remodeling project going, but there is some prep that needs to happen beforehand to ensure your cabinets look as envisioned and are protected from the heavy-use they will likely see in the years to come. Cabinet painting can quickly become an overwhelming project when doing it alone, but an expert will quickly and effectively bring your vision to reality beginning with the most important prepping stage of cleaning, sanding, and priming:
- Cleaning: It's very important that all dirt and grime are completely cleaned from cabinet surfaces prior to painting or staining or it could hinder their adherence. The cleaning phase is also an appropriate time to disassemble the cabinets and its components, including drawers, knobs, hinges, etc., to make the following steps easier and more effective.
- Sanding: The good news is that innovations in home improvement have made great advancements, and there are products that professionals use to make one of these prepping steps a breeze. Deglossers, also known as liquid sandpaper, is a chemical product that easily removes gloss from cabinet surfaces so that the dusty method of sanding in the traditional way is virtually obsolete. Liquid abrasives can also penetrate to any places that are exceedingly difficult to get to with traditional sandpaper.
- Priming: Priming is necessary in some cases, and it serves a vital purpose for the painting that comes next, such as facilitating better adhesion, blocking stains and imperfections from bleeding through, and providing a protective layer over the cabinet surface. If the current paint is oil-based and you cover it with a latex paint without priming, it will only peel off and require repainting sooner than you'd like.