Are your old, dated, worn-out cabinets driving you mad? It’s the holiday season and what better gift to give yourself than new kitchen cabinets! However, the hefty price tag (not to mention the supply shortage), can cut into your budget. Have you thought about cabinet painting instead?
By painting your cabinets, you can take them from awful to amazing without the heavy cash outlay. Whether you love the look of a trendy, crisp white kitchen or you want to liven up your space with a splash of color, cabinet painting can bring your vision to life with cabinet painting. Add some new doorknobs, drawer handles and decor, and your kitchen can be completely transformed.
Is Cabinet Painting Really That Easy?
While cabinet painting is the simplest and most affordable way to change the look of your cabinets, it’s not all that easy to tackle on your own. Just like many other home improvement projects, painting your cabinets requires a lot of prep work. Unfortunately, you can’t just slap a coat of paint on and expect the magazine-quality results you’re looking for. But if you take your time, follow the proper steps, and invest in superior products and equipment, you can completely change your cabinets on a small budget.
Some of the key steps include:
- Removing all the hardware, as well as the doors and drawer fronts.
- Labeling everything so you know where it goes once it’s time to re-install.
- Creating a workspace to paint your doors and drawer fronts in.
- Creating a makeshift kitchen to use while the project is underway.
- Protecting your floors and counters with drop cloths to avoid splatter when painting the boxes.
- Cleaning your cabinets to remove all the wax, grease and grime that’s built up over the years.
- Sanding them to create a rough surface that the primer and paint will better adhere to.
- Patching to get rid of cracks, dents, scratches, and other damage.
- Priming to avoid any bleed through of stains or the old color.
Once you follow all these steps, you can then paint your cabinets. However, if you take any shortcuts, you might turn the project around faster, but you’re not going to like what you see.
What are Some Common Cabinet Painting Mistakes?
If you miss or rush any of the steps above, you open up the opportunity for mistakes and a less than perfect finish. For instance, if you don’t sand your cabinets, it will be difficult for the primer and paint to stick. This can result in the paint peeling and/or chipping, instead of the durable results you want. Sanding is especially crucial to get the primer and paint to properly bond to the surface of your cabinets if they are shiny.
If you don’t clean your cabinets correctly before you sand, all that dirt and grime will get ground into the wood. These contaminants will prevent paint from properly sticking, which again, makes your cabinets more vulnerable to issues with peeling, chipping, and other damage.
In rare cases, you can get away without priming. However, if you’re not sure, it’s best to be safe, rather than sorry, and prime your cabinets anyway. This will stop the old finish or paint color from bleeding through and also cover up stains. On top of that, priming helps the paint stick, so it looks better and lasts longer.
Another common mistake? Not patching scratches, dents, and other damage. If you don’t, these flaws will be underscored and even more apparent with new paint. Likewise, if you do patch, but handle it incorrectly, there will be uneven bumps that catch your eye every time you walk into your kitchen.
Instead, proper patching requires sanding and repairing with a wood filler. It’s also critical that you let everything dry thoroughly and then wipe the cabinets down again before moving onto the next step. Any small particles left behind can get into the paint and ruin the finish.
Consider a Professional Cabinet Painter Instead
Tackling this project on your own is tempting and you may feel like it will be more affordable. However, you might not get the final look you want. This could turn into either living with cabinets you don’t love or dealing with expensive repairs.
A cabinet painting professional, on the other hand, can provide the flawless results you want. They know what products and tools to use, from paints and primers to rollers, sprayers, cleaning agents and more. They also have access to commercial-grade supplies you won’t find on local store shelves. These produce impeccable results that are tough to achieve on your own.
Also, a cabinet painting professional will be able to recommend options for you. You might have your heart set on black cabinets, for instance. But if your floors are dark and your space is small, it can make your kitchen seem even more crowded. A cabinet painter understands how the light reflects and which colors will look best in your space, opening it up and achieving the look you’re aiming for.
In addition, cabinet painters use equipment and techniques that enable them to achieve a factory-like finish. Your cabinets will look smooth and beautiful and also last longer. So while the upfront investment is more than taking a DIY approach, you’ll get better, more durable results which will save money over the long haul.
Call N-Hance for a Free Quote
At N-Hance®, we use proprietary cabinet painting products and processes to restore beauty and sophistication to cabinets. We can finish the job in just a few days and will deliver a completely transformed space without a big disruption to your busy life.
Part of this is due to our state-of-the-art Lightspeed® Nano system. It allows us to cure your cabinets instantly.. It also leads to a rock-hard finish that’s strong and long-lasting.
When it comes to colors, we offer 12 popular ones to choose from or can match any sample you provide. If you’re not sure what color to choose, we can work with you to help you make selections you love.
Best of all, once you’re done deciding, all you have to do is clean out your cabinets and lead us to your kitchen. We’ll handle every detail of the cabinet painting project, start to finish, while you go about your day. Once we’re done, we’ll also inspect it carefully, together with you, to ensure you are thrilled with the final results.
If you’re ready for a transformed space with our cabinet painting service, call your local N-Hance at (855) 642-6230 today to set up a FREE design consultation.