Cabinet painting is one of the most popular and affordable ways to update the look of your kitchen. But painting kitchen cabinets can prove tougher than a lot of other painting projects.
While standard paints work great in other rooms, kitchens — and kitchen cabinets in particular — need specialized paints. Kitchen cabinet painting also requires a level of care and attention beyond other painting projects.
When you think about what goes on in most kitchen environments, this makes a lot of sense. Between the heat, moisture, food, and day-to-day usage, kitchen cabinets face much harsher conditions than other interior surfaces. These conditions make a big difference when choosing paint for your cabinets, and they can lead to challenges with cabinet painting projects.
5 Challenges for Kitchen Cabinet Painting
Heat. Heat isn’t an issue for most kitchen cabinets. But for cabinets located close to the stove — or directly above it — heat-resistance is a necessity. While some paints can take the heat, others would be better off out of the kitchen. Unless you can somehow avoid boiling, simmering, and frying in your kitchen, these paints will degrade prematurely in your kitchen.
Moisture. Water may be essential to life, but it can pose several problems when it comes to home maintenance. Kitchen cabinets, which are almost exclusively made out of wood, need moisture-resistant paints or finishes to avoid suffering water damage. Otherwise, you could end up with warped, moldy, rotting, or pest-infested cabinets.
Oil. Oils and grease pose a pair of problems for kitchen cabinets. First, they can compromise the surface of the paint or topcoat, compromising integrity and appearance. Second, they can prevent the primer from binding with the cabinet surface or prevent the paint from binding with the primer. As a result, cabinet painting requires thorough degreasing of cabinets and may require specialized primers.
Food. Spills are unavoidable in kitchen environments, which means cabinets need to cope with food and drink. When painting cabinets, it’s important that you choose a type of paint and/or topcoat that can withstand acidic and caustic foods, as well as stains from substances like coffee, red wine, and tomato juice.
Routine Use. Pots, pans, utensils, and other kitchen items don’t often make contact with cabinets. But when they do, they can result in dents, scratches, and scrapes. Cabinet doors and drawers also need to withstand daily use, especially if they contain frequently used items. Without a durable finish, wear and tear will quickly build up on cabinet surfaces.
How N-Hance Solves Cabinet Painting Challenges
At N-Hance of Central Jersey, we know how demanding kitchens can be and what that means for cabinet painting projects. That’s why we developed our exclusive line of custom color finishes.
Unlike many of the products used by interior painters, our custom colors are specially designed for kitchen cabinet painting. Our acrylic-based formula cures to a long-lasting, rock-hard finish that can withstand the wear, tear, heat, moisture, and stains that kitchen cabinets routinely face. We also clean cabinets thoroughly before applying the custom finish, and we use a special, oil-resistant primer to ensure strong adhesion.
On top of these advantages, N-Hance custom colors come with additional benefits for homeowners. Our specialty finish options allow you to achieve a unique look while maintaining the durability of your finish. And if you opt for our Lightspeed Plus™ anti-microbial finish, you can prevent dangerous bacteria from colonizing on cabinet surfaces.
Concerned that standard cabinet painting isn’t up to the job? Call N-Hance of Central Jersey at (848) 210-6675 today to learn more about our services and request a FREE estimate.