If you’re repainting your kitchen cabinets, one of the most important decisions is about what paint to use. Not only are there a variety of choices in terms of brand, but also types, sheen, and more. It can be an overwhelming process, as a result.
However, the type of paint is key considering it will impact the final look and longevity of your newly painted cabinets. You don’t want to spend a lot of time, money, and energy on the job – only to wind up with results you don’t love.
To help you make the right move, here are some tips to keep in mind.
Tip #1: Look for Paints Designed for Kitchen Cabinets
There are many types of paints made for various environments. Some are ideal for outdoors, indoor walls, or heavier-use settings, like kitchen cabinets. These tend to stand up stronger to constant handling and frequent cleaning, and include:
- Enamel finishes. These dry with a strong coating and are therefore a good choice for high-use areas like kitchen cabinets. In fact, durability is the prime reason enamel is a popular finish. It also produces a smooth surface that doesn’t collect dirt, dust and grime easily and is even scratch-resistant, so it’s more resilient over time.
- Acrylic finishes. These adhere well to cabinets without peeling or flaking. They also offer durability and are heat- and water-resistant, which is a big advantage in a kitchen environment. This means cabinets painted with acrylic finishes tend to be easier to clean and remove spills and marks from.
- Urethane finishes. These are another good choice when you’re repainting your kitchen cabinets. In the past, urethane has been used in industrial applications, so they are designed to be tough. Now, there are blends available for consumer use inside the home, providing both strength and beauty.
Tip #2: Avoid These Paint Products for Kitchen Cabinets
On the other hand, some paints to avoid when you are repainting your kitchen cabinets include latex and oil-based paints. Latex is generally designed for surfaces like walls and contains vinyl resins that can peel away when regularly handled. In addition, many latex products require more prep work to achieve an even finish on cabinets, making it a more labor-intensive product to apply.
When it comes to oil-based paints, they emit high levels of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, into the air. These impact your home’s indoor air quality and can even cause harm to the environment, depleting the earth’s ozone layer when released into the atmosphere.
Not only that, but oil-based finishes take far longer to dry between coats – up to 16 hours – and can become yellow and discolored over time. This will affect the aesthetic of your cabinets, making them appear dingy.
Tip #3: Choose a Sheen for Your Kitchen Cabinet Repainting Project
When repainting your kitchen cabinets, another consideration is the sheen. This can affect both durability and appearance.
For instance, when cabinet doors are constantly touched, pulled, slammed and handled, you need a sheen that will look great despite regular use. The wrong sheen, on the other hand, will begin to have issues with chips, scratches and dents.
Generally speaking, semi-gloss offers the best of both worlds. It looks polished and beautiful, helps to reflect some light, makes your kitchen seem larger, and offers a durable finish. In fact, semi-gloss is described as “washable” paint, meaning it can withstand heavy use and also the necessary cleaning that comes with a kitchen environment.
Gloss paints are another option when you’re repainting your kitchen cabinets. Keep in mind, they are the shiniest choice creating a specific look. Gloss paints will reflect the most light. They will also enhance a bold or bright color in an ultra modern or sleek kitchen. In terms of durability, gloss paint offers a resilient coating by creating a hard shell on your cabinets with the resin and binders it’s made from.
One downside of glossy paint, though, is that it does show more dust, fingerprints and smudges when compared with semi-gloss. So if you have a busy family and a home full of kids, then gloss might not be the best choice. You will wind up cleaning a lot more than you anticipated.
Finally, the one sheen to avoid when repainting your kitchen cabinets is a flat finish. It’s limited in terms of washability, making it problematic in a kitchen environment. If you do apply paint with a flat sheen, then wiping your cabinets frequently can actually take the finish off.
Tip #4: Hire a Professional for Repainting Your Kitchen Cabinets
There are endless products available on store shelves to consider for your kitchen cabinet repainting project. If you’d like to skip all the research and guesswork, turn to the professionals at N-Hance® and let us handle the job.
Our team uses proprietary products and processes to deliver the best finish. This includes our paint products, which are unlike those used by traditional painters.
In fact, we’ve formulated a specialized product for repainting kitchen cabinets, made with a water-based polyurethane base and combined with an acrylic tinting formula. This offers the best of both worlds in terms of durability, longevity, ability to withstand cleaning, and beauty. Our products are even scratch-resistant, so will stand up to heavy-duty use in even the busiest kitchens.
In addition, the N-Hance Paint Palette comes with 12 colors to consider, or you can get a custom color if you simply bring us a sample. You can also choose the sheen you want and even add on accenting techniques, like antiquing to glazing, for a truly personalized look – one that would be difficult to achieve on your own.
Not only is our kitchen cabinet paint proprietary, but so too is the cleaning agent we use to prep your cabinets and the primer. Both are made for cabinets.
With our cleaning product, we will first remove the grime, dirt, oil and wax that has built up on your cabinets over time. This is critical for proper primer and paint adhesion without chipping or peeling.
Our specially formulated primer is also made to withstand routine use and frequent cleanings. It even adheres better to kitchen cabinets, so the final finish is smoother and longer-lasting without any bleed-through from stains or the old color.
Finally, when it comes to the way we repaint your kitchen cabinets, you can expect a beautiful and strong finish, all with less downtime. There won’t ever be visible brushstrokes or drip marks, which is common with a DIY approach.
Instead, you will get a smooth, factory-like finish, cured in a matter of seconds with our state-of-the-art Lightspeed® Nano UV technology. This means a faster turnaround and less downtime in your kitchen.
Repainting kitchen cabinets is so much easier with N-Hance. Call (855) 642-6230 to set up a FREE consultation.