Kitchen cabinet painting in Dobbs Ferry, NY

When painting makes sense

Cabinet painting works best when the boxes and doors are solid and the layout still suits you. Wood and many wood-veneer cabinets paint well. Thermofoil and some laminates are harder, because paint struggles to bond to slick plastic surfaces. A painter can look at your cabinets and tell you whether painting is a good fit.

In older Dobbs Ferry homes, kitchens are often small and well built, with solid wood cabinets that have simply gone out of style. Those are good candidates.

How the work is done

Most painters remove the doors and drawer fronts, label them, and take them to a work area or shop to clean, sand, prime and spray or brush. The cabinet boxes are painted in place with the counters and floors covered. Hinges and handles are removed and either reused or replaced.

The single most important step is cleaning. Kitchen cabinets carry years of grease, and paint will not hold over it. After degreasing, the surfaces are sanded and primed with a bonding primer before the finish coats.

• Degrease every surface
• Sand to give the primer something to grip
• Prime with a bonding primer
• Apply durable cabinet-grade finish coats
• Rehang doors and adjust hinges

Finishes and durability

Cabinets take more wear than walls, so painters use harder enamel or cabinet-specific coatings. These need time to cure fully, often longer than they take to feel dry. Ask how long to wait before using the doors heavily, and how to clean them once they cure.

Planning around your kitchen

Expect to have limited use of the kitchen for several days, and longer if doors go to a shop. Ask the painter for a schedule, and plan simple meals for that week. If the house was built before 1978 and the cabinets have old paint, ask about lead-safe practices before sanding.

Comparing estimates

Count your doors and drawer fronts before you ask for estimates, and note whether you want the inside of the boxes painted. Ask each painter how they prepare the surface, whether they spray or brush, and what product they use. Those choices explain most of the price difference.

Questions homeowners ask