Refinishing Cabinets is More Than a Paint Job

Many of us think that giving our cabinets a facelift is as easy as putting on a new coat of paint. If our cabinets are in great shape and the desire for change is purely cosmetic, we assume it should not be any more complicated than that. However, there are several reasons why we should take the time to go beyond a paint job and work with a professional.

Kelly King, the owner of Kitchens Redefined, recently worked with clients who wanted to freshen up their kitchen and did not get the results that they wanted. They reached out to Kelly and his team of design professionals for help. They agreed to participate in a “do and don’t” tutorial on cabinet refacing that will help you to get your cabinet refacing right the first time.

Kelly advised that “In Jose’s (the client’s) case he had perfectly good cabinets. They are custom built cabinetry. They are made out of solid oak and really perfect for refinishing instead of having to replace the cabinetry, so what we want to do is show you the things that should not happen.”

Jose advised that “the idea was to freshen up the kitchen.  It was dark and old looking and I wanted to bring it up to date with a light color. The expectation was to get the job completed and it be durable and look professionally made and completed. But what we found out, unfortunately, as we were going through the process every day it was not as good as we were expecting to the point that we started questioning the painter.”

The main problem for the client was that he had hired a painter without experience that Kelly King has. The painter did not have the background necessary to properly prep, bond, and treat the cabinets so that they could stand up to all of the things that happen in a kitchen. Ultimately, they knew they had to call in a professional like the Kitchens Redefined team.

Kelly stated that “Jose paid somebody to do this kitchen originally and less than three months or four months from now it has to be redone and the paint just peels right off. We are very detailed about the process that we do. I used to develop coatings for many different companies, and one of the coatings we developed is called a chemical bond coating, a polymer, and that polymer is designed to really bite into cabinetry.”

Kelly and the Kitchens Redefined team have a very specific and detailed process for refinishing cabinets. First, the cabinets need to be cleaned. This goes far beyond a bucket of water and some soap. Not only does the cleaning process tackle years of grease and grime, but Kelly states that his cleaner “will actually weaken that lacquer that is on there. Our cleaner will actually weaken the lacquer coating or nitrocellulose coating.”

Second, the cabinets need to be properly stripped and sanded so that they are ready to receive a new coat of paint that will actually bond to the cabinet. If this is not handled properly, the result will be paint that peels and chips because it is actually bonded to the old finish and not the cabinet itself. Kelly understands the importance of this step to ensure “a long-term finish.”

Last but not least, as mentioned, is a finish that is long-lasting and easy to clean. Kelly explains that “the coating we do can handle extreme heat and freezing cold temperatures.  Cleaning should not cause peeling.”

Kelly and his team know that “it’s important if you are spending all this money to get a job well done you want it to last.”

It’s important to note that no finish, including Kitchens Redefined, is bullet proof. Cabinets can chip paint and finish from blunt force, similar to a car. But, the chipping that was happening with Jose’s cabinets from just scratching a fingernail on the paint should never happen.

Let the team at Kitchens Redefined refinish your cabinets right the first time! Contact them today for a free consultation!