Category: Kitchen Cabinets

Do you have dark stained wood cabinets?  Do you hate how they look?  Have you ever asked yourself “Can I paint my dark cabinets white?” (And YES! is the answer!!)

The kitchen is the number one place for you and your family to hang out. Like most of our customers, the kitchen gets the most attention. This attention is from you, your family, and your friends when they come over. But like so many people, the thought of replacing and remodeling the kitchen is too overwhelming, too costly, and too time-consuming. Not anymore.

Here is one of our YouTube videos we have posted a small movie clip that shows a cherry cabinet painted white. Read this blog article about how we are transforming kitchens, (painting them white) changing how you feel about your home, loving the space you’re in all over again!

If you are buying or selling a home, the kitchen is the number one room that can make or break the sale.

Here is our process for painting Dark Wood Cabinets White:

Dark Stained Wood Cabinets

Painting over these types of cabinets is a relatively painful process and we guide you all the way through it. I’ve painted the wooden cabinets in my own home so I know stressful how it sounds. For the past 10+ years, we have refined our process, found the best materials, and have the needed experience to make this remodeling easy for you.

1. Prep Work

We start with the prep work covering floors and countertops.

2. Clean Everything! Before you use Primer.

You are going to need few materials before beginning this process:

• TSP or other cleaner

• 220 grit sandpaper

• Degreaser

• Denatured alcohol

• Scuff pads

• Clean rags

As you see by the photo below we removed all the doors, this is an after photo of all the doors painted and primed.

Once all the doors are off, we clean the cabinet boxes. The cleaner the better. You do not want to have issues with grease dirt or oil contaminating the surface or bleeding through the primer. There are times that some grease and oil may not come out of the wood. When this happens then it is time to use a oil-based spot primer.

One thing that people forget is to caulk the gaps and fill nail holes. When cabinets are dark wood, they usually have all of the gaps left open and all the nail holes left as well. So once we prime, all the black lines and holes show up. So we fill these areas to make a clean surface.

We prime all the surfaces with bonding primer. The cabinet boxes and doors get a sand paper treatment (yes that means we sand then with a sander) to make sure you get an ultra-smooth surface.

3. All the items are Primed. Now paint!

When we remove the cabinet doors, they are taken off-site to our shop and we repeat the same process of cleaning them, sanding them degreasing- denatured alcohol, spot primer where needed before we begin painting.

We will actually hang the doors when we paint, and yes we always spray our doors!

Once all the doors are painted we load them up and bring them back to your home.

The doors are all packed up and placed in foam sleeves to make sure they do not get banged up or damaged.

Every door and hinge that was removed has a specific number so they go back to where they came from.

Once they are installed, hardware is replaced, and final adjustments are made.

There you have it a brand new kitchen! Check out this video!

Call us at (847) 349-4112 with your questions and schedule an estimate on painting your kitchen cabinets! We are here to help you love the house you live in.

Are you ready for something different for your painted cabinets?

Try Glazing kitchen cabinets! We are painting kitchen cabinets at about a kitchen and a half per week. Most people are just painting with solid colors, some will add a second color for islands.  One thing we used to do a lot of was glazing wood, specifically glazing kitchen cabinets.

Ever seen glazed cabinets? Do you know what a glazed cabinet looks like? Can you see yourself wanting a glazed cabinet?

What is a glazed cabinet?

In the simplest of terms a glazed cabinet or piece of furniture is something that has been painted with a color. Once that color is dry, we add a tinted clear finish, then spray, brush or roll that color onto the surface, where we wipe it off until we achieve the color or style the customer wants.

Just like every other type of decorative painting there are different ways you can glaze

• Pinstripe – simple stripes along the edges of the doors
• Wipe on – almost like staining, the glaze is applied to the surface by wiping it on
• Wipe off – we apply the color to the surface and wipe off until we get the color the customer wants
• Spray on – this one we can do with smaller sprayers, not a lot of overspray, and add an aged look to the painted surface

You can actually watch a video we did about glazing cabinets here 

What colors can you glaze?

That is an easy enough question to answer…any color. What looks good? That is a whole different story.  Usually applying a dark color over a lighter color looks the best (in my opinion), I have seen some dark cherry cabinets that were glazed with a light white over it in the groves of the doors. It didn’t look bad, just not my taste.

A trend in flooring and furniture is a type of glazing called a Ceruse finish. Here is a link to video that shows what this looks like .This unique as it typically uses heavy grain woods such as oak, which really show the grain, a dark color is applied to the oak, then it is glazed with a light color glaze and man does it pop!  Again, not a huge fan of it but it is interesting.  The finishes we are seeing are natural oak with white, that appear to mimic picking finishes done in the 80’s.

How durable is a glazed kitchen cabinet finish?

The best part about a glazed finish is that it can be as durable as a painted surface. Depending on the application and materials used, it can last a long time and stand up to normal wear and tear.

Just like traditional painted surfaces, the painted wood surfaces do not tolerate water!  So not using hot soapy water, not allowing water to stand on the painted surface, and no harsh cleaners will definitely allow for longevity.

Does a glazed finish make a big difference in how my kitchen will look?

A picture is worth a 1,000 words…

Cabinet door and drawer front that have been glazed

Before and after photos of glazed kitchen cabinets

Of course when you go all out and paint the cabinets before they are glazed it is even a bigger wow factor!

Cherry cabinets painted and glazed

Glazed cabinets is not for everyone. It has a certain place and it is something that takes practice to do. We’ve also had projects where we are painting over glazed cabinets as well. We hope we have the opportunity to help you with your cabinet painting needs.

We love to see how we can help you love the space you’re in!

Are you considering Painting Cherry Cabinets?

If the answer to that question is yes, then please read on! We have helped and empowered many customers to make this difficult decision easy. It is hard to think of painting cherry cabinets as an option, but I assure you it will be ok!

Although we have written several blog posts about this subject, today we will add some problems that may happen when painting cabinets.

Are people really Painting Cherry Cabinets?

Yes! Customers are also painting wood cabinets that are maple and oak. This is not the choice for everyone. My family cringes at the thought of painting wood, such as cherry. I helped my father strip paint from the wood in the home we grew up in for several years! There are a few great reasons why this is more popular:

• Cost of new cabinets
• Cost of remodeling
• Price of lumber
• Time needed to replace a kitchen with new cabinets

These factors make painting a great alternative to making that kitchen a space of your own- a place you want to be in and proud to show off.

Can I paint my cherry cabinets?

Absolutely! If you have seen our other posts or watched our YouTube videos, you will see the cabinets we are painting. Here is one video of our work on cherry cabinets.

So, what is the process to paint cabinets?

Painting kitchen cabinets always starts with prep and cleaning. Customers will tell us, “We have a cleaning service, so they should be clean.” But…

• There is always residue from previous cleaning products!
• You’ll need to remove any grease, oil, dirt, etc., from the cabinets.
• If you have a cabinet door that leads to your garbage can, look at the inside of that cabinet door. (usually nasty)
• Believe it or not, your hands have oil on them! That oil will need to be cleaned off as well.

Cover the floors and counters with a self-stick plastic wrap. The walls get masked with tape; we remove all handles and hinges and ensure we cover appliances. You can see in the video that we have completely covered the counters with tape and plastic.

With everything covered and cleaned, we start priming all surfaces that will be painted. After the primer is applied, we fill the nail holes you never paid attention to from the initial installation. Using caulk, we fill the small cracks and seams to keep everything smooth, level, and with a solid white surface.

The primer is applied, and we now sand the surfaces and start to paint. We spray as much as possible, but sometimes, we must get out the brushes and foam rollers to get into spaces where we just can’t spray.

All the removed doors are taken to the spray booth to spray. It leaves a factory finish that you will love!

When we finish painting, we start putting everything back together, make our adjustments, remove the tape and plastic, and reveal a new kitchen!

Will the paint last?

At the end of the day, we are talking about paint. It is not bulletproof. All the kitchen cabinets in my home are painted with the same process and materials we use in yours. The paint will stand up to normal day-to-day wear and wash.

• Wash them with 50/50 vinegar and water.
• Avoid water from staying on the surface. No wet rags on the doors, don’t let water sit on the doors, and dry them off.
• Paint can (and will) chip…just like the paint in the rest of your house.

We offer a lifetime guarantee on our labor and work. We return in 12 months for an hour and touch up for free with the paint on site. It works, it looks good, and it will last.

What are problems with painting cabinets?

This is a newer question but deserves the time to answer. If done correctly, your painted cabinets will last just as long as brand-new cabinets, maybe longer, as newer cabinets don’t seem to be made as well as older ones!

Problem 1. Water damage! The paint will fail if you keep wet towels or rags on a painted wood surface.

Problem 2. Cleaning with chemicals. Like cleaning your wood floors, you should not use harsh chemicals to clean painted surfaces.

Problem 3. Defective cabinets. This has happened for the 2nd time in 3 months, so it bears speaking about. When we estimate cabinets, we base that estimate on the cabinets being in good order with no unforeseen damage. These damages can happen in several ways:

• After a hinge is removed or when a door is moved, a crack is found where it was mounted. This is fixable, but there would be an additional charge for the repairs.
• Damaged veneer. This one has me stumped a bit. After we had cleaned, sanded, and primed the door, the veneer failed. This means the wood surface comes from the cabinet and leaves a mess. This is another issue where the repairs would be extra.

Cabinet Painting Videos

Here is one video we had on this as well… 
And one more…

So, what are you waiting for?

Contact us now for a free estimate! Call or text us at 847-553-1726. You will find out the cost, receive an email on our process, and when the time comes for the on-site estimate, show you a door sample and answer all your questions.

How can we help you love the house you live in? Start with this link and we can provide you with a free estimate!

Here are some other blog articles on painting cherry cabinets we have for you:

• Should I Paint My Cherry Cabinets?
• Glazing kitchen cabinets
• How Much Does It Cost to Paint Cabinets

If you’re reading this, it is because you have painted cabinets in your home and you have an issue with peeling paint.

When we are painting kitchen cabinet doors, we take extra steps to make sure you have a new, clean, solid painted surface that will last for years to come.  We are so sure we give you a lifetime warranty on all our cabinet painting.

There are issues where the paint on a painted surface will peel away.  We know this because we are getting calls from people who have this issue and we have had this issue with work we have done.  In each case the reason is simple- the paint is not adhering to the surface.

Is your paint peeling, chipping or bubbling?

These are 3 different reasons that cause paint to come off of a surface.

• Improper preparation
• Impact damage
• Water damage

With these reasons there are some other reasons why paint will come off a painted surface like cabinet doors but for today we will keep it simple.  So lets hit the 3 reasons.

Improper preparation causing paint to peel

We see this issue in many different ways:

• Cabinets not cleaned of dirt and grease
• Cabinets not sanded to allow a surface for paint to stick
• Finger prints!  If you try to paint and clean without gloves on, finger prints show up on the paint
• Using the wrong primer. A good bonding primer is needed to stick to previously finished cabinets and give a surface for new paint to stick too
• Wrong paint. Not all paints are created equal!  A high quality cabinet tested grade paint is what you need to use.

We take a lot of time to clean cabinets. We use degreasers, wax removers and de-glossers to get rid of any contaminates in and on cabinet doors.  Sometimes, heavy grease or cooking oil just will not go away. In those cases we are stuck using oil primers.  If you are working with bathroom cabinets or areas where hair spray is being used, you will have a major issue with silicone that takes shellac to cover.

If you don’t take the time to clean, sand, prime and inspect for contamination issues you will have paint issues.

Impact damage

This damage is usually seen with chipping paint

• Areas around silverware drawers will chip because putting silverware away, at some point you will hit the paint with a utensil.
• Finger nails – This usually happens around knobs or at the ends of a drawer or door because there is no hardware to use.
• Trash access – Cabinets that have trash inside the cabinets ALWAYS get damaged. Cans, plates, you name it- cause paint to be damaged.
• Toys – Usually small kids but we have seen some older kids do some damage to cabinets.
• Cleaning tools – We usually see this with vacuum hoses. The metal hose dings the edges of the cabinets
• Dogs – We have fixed many cabinets where dogs have chewed the edges of cabinet doors

We cant do much to prevent this, it happens and you should expect it in every type of kitchen cabinets. Stained cabinets have just as much damage, you just cant see it as easily as a painted cabinet.

Water Damage shows itself in bubbling

Water damage comes in various forms. We have done a few videos and blog posts on this already.

• Water and wood do not mix!
• Leaving wet towels or rags on wood cabinets
• Using the wrong products to clean wood
• Allowing water to stand and dry on wood cabinets
• Humidity

You can read and watch some of the most common water issues we deal with in these links below:

• Water damage mdf
• Fixing water damaged cabinets
• Top 3 ways for overcoming damaged cabinets
• Youtube water damage video
• Youtube water damage repairs video

The hidden enemy of cabinet water damage: Humidity. Humidity in a home not only will damage and cause problems with your cabinets, but with your floors and interior doors!

In the pictures in this post, this was due to water in the home, excessive humidity, which caused the doors to expand then caused the paint to “pop” or blister. We received the call to fix them!

So, that is our process. There may be better – I just don’t know what they are. We work with a few cabinet makers and have their process as part of ours. We use the same materials they use when making them, so it is a solid system.

Is prevention possible? Yes to some point

But when you are asking “why is the paint peeling from my cabinets?” it is not a simple answer. Kind of like: I was stung by a bee. Was it a bee or was it a wasp, honey bee, bumble bee, yellow jacket or sweat bee?

So top ways to reduce damage to your cabinets and prevent paint failure:

• Maintain level humidity in your home (humidifier and dehumidifier).
• Avoid standing water left on your cabinet doors
• DO NOT leave wet towels, rags, aprons etc. hanging on your wooden painted doors
• Use a vinegar and water 50/50 mix to clean the doors. It evaporates fast, no residue.
• Hire a reputable cabinet painter with the right systems to get the job done right

Have questions? Let us know. We look forward to helping you love the space you’re in!

You can also check out our podcast where we talk about home improvement issues as well, The Paint and Paper Podcast. (iTunes) (Windows player)

Are you considering painting your cabinets?

“Will the paint on cabinets last?”

“How Durable are painted cabinets?”

“I have painted cabinets and the paint is peeling, can you help?”

“How do I prevent water damage to my cabinets?

“Will the paint chip if I paint my cabinets”

These are the top questions and concerns about having cabinets painted. So we thought we could put together a quick article for you on the top 3 problems with painted cabinets. The top 3 are not what you may expect!

Enemy #1 of wood cabinets: water is not a friend

This is the number one problem with wood in your home – moisture!! It doesn’t matter if it is stained or painted cabinets, wood floors, or wood furniture, water will cause permanent damage to wood.

There several ways water can cause damage to wood cabinets, floors or furniture:

• Leaving wet rags hanging on cabinets
• Not using coasters on your furniture
• High humidity
• Washing wood (painted or stained) with water and leaving heavy water residue on the wood surfaces

After 15 years of painting and re-staining cabinets, water damage is always an issue.

The cabinets by your sink get the most abuse!

• Water from washing your hands, doing dishes, cooking, and cleaning usually take their toll in this area of your kitchen cabinetry.
• Next are the cabinets or cabinet panels next to your dishwasher. The ventilation from dishwashers was not given much thought as to where the steam goes. They have traditionally either gone out the top damaging countertops or out the sides damaging the cabinet right next to your dishwasher.
• Do not use harsh chemicals to clean cabinets – vinegar and water are all you need. Chemical cleaners will cause the finishes of your cabinets to break down faster and then allow water into the wood.
• Fix any problem as soon as it is seen, don’t wait for it to get worse!

How durable is the paint on the cabinets?

This is question is closely tied to some of the other questions we receive, will the paint peel, and will the paint chip?

When the time is taken to do the right prep work on your wood cabinets – NO the paint will not peel.  When we are getting cabinets ready for paint we have a multi-step process to make sure the paint sticks to the wood:

• We clean the entire cabinet surface with TSP, degreaser cleaner. This can take several times to get cabinets clean
• We also scuff sand the surfaces to give the primer something to stick to. When the cabinets are previously painted, the surface is slick so paint or primer has nothing to stick to. Think of it as glass vs. your skin – they both look smooth but one is more porous than the other.
• Bonding primer is what should be used as your primer for cabinets. This stuff will bond to almost anything! Without the right primer, paint will have issues with sticking to any wood you are painting.

The devil is in the details!! All of the prep work is the key to a great, long lasting paint job.

As for the paint- USE THE BEST! ILVA, ML Campbell, Shur Wood Aqua Chem are the ones we use.  They are great paints!!!

Can you fix the peeling paint on my cabinets?

No.  If the paint is peeling from your cabinets then the only way to fix it is to strip all of the paint from the door(s).

These are the top 3 problems with painted cabinets but there are some other questions we are asked and if you have questions regarding painting your cabinets please let us know.

Are you replacing older cabinet doors?

Then today is your lucky day! We are seeing more and more customers where they are repairing their kitchen cabinets.  This means repairing doors that are damaged.  If this is you- then we are going to give you a quick how to paint your new wood cabinet doors! The hardest part about this is what color are you going to paint?

here is a raw oak wood cabinet door

So what kind of wood door do you have?

Knowing the type of wood you have is the first step in telling you how to paint your new raw wood cabinet doors. It does make a difference in the amount or type of prep you will have to do to get your new doors looking perfect! There are a few basic types of materials new wood doors are made from:

• Oak
• Cherry
• Maple
• MDF
• Birch
• Both hardwood and MDF

Each of these types of wood has unique properties as to why they are used.

Oak is really used for the look of staining the grain of the wood. I do not know anyone who selects a oak door for how well it paints! As I am sure you know, and can see from the image above, painting oak doors presents a trick… getting rid of the heavy grain.

Cherry looks amazing when stained – flat, smooth, great colorations. Beautiful!

Maple is very hard. It will wear better than most other woods, but the kicker is that it is very difficult to stain and cannot be re-stained.

MDF is a manufactured board made from glue and sawdust. It is cheaper, is very smooth, and is very susceptible to water damage, but it does not shrink or expand like traditional wood doors.

Birch is nice, light, smooth, more inexpensive, and is a very nice wood to paint on.

Applying primer to a raw oak door

Since we covered the different types, we will just focus on painting an oak door.  Oak is very porous and heavy grained. You see every line that the tree had.  So to make it look good, these are the steps for how to paint your new wood cabinet doors.

These doors need to be sanded.  Once sanded then you can apply a coat of wood primer. Oak doors have all of that grain so we use a small foam roller to roll the primer on the doors and it will get forced into all of those nooks and crannies.

a oak door with one coat of primer

When you have primed the door with primer, the wood will swell up and it will be very rough and splintery.  After the primer is dry, you will need to sand it smooth then use a vac to clean all of the dust.

our Festool sander and vac

With the 1st coat applied and sanded, apply another coat of primer (you can use a fine roller but we spray).  The 2nd cost of primer will sit down very nice and the grain you saw in the 1st coat of primer will almost disappear. Check to see that the primer is dry- usually a few hours- then again sand and vac clean.

Painting your primed oak door

Let’s review:

• You sanded the raw wood door
• Then you cleaned it to remove all dust
• A coat of primer was applied to the door
• After the primer was dry, you sanded it smooth
• You applied a 2nd coat of primer
• Checking to make sure it was dry, you sanded it again and cleaned it.

Make sure that you are not touching this door with your hands – wear gloves. This keeps your hands clean and keeps the oils from your fingers off of the surface to be painted.

a new cabinet door primed and painted

Your door is ready to be painted!!

With your paint in hand and ready to go- get painting!! Again, we like the Wooster foam rollers, but everyone has their favorites.  Anything that will leave a smooth surface is great! (We spray them) When you finish painting the door, then allow it to dry overnight.  PLAN on having to apply a 2nd coat of paint.

Allow the painted door to dry!

There are several good cabinet paints on the market. It doesn’t matter which one you choose as long as you do your work to prepare the doors and allow enough time for them to dry.  Once the final coat of paint is applied, again, make sure you give it 24 hours before you decide to install hinges or hang the door.  By allowing this extra time, you are giving the paint more opportunity to harden which will make sure the door does not get damaged when you install it. Once dried and installed, it is time to sit back, relax and enjoy your new cabinets door(s).

Questions? This was a brief insight on how to paint your wood cabinet doors.  We hope it was a help to you. Let us know if you need help, we are here to help you love the space you’re in.

Are you ready for a change in your kitchen?

Join the club. With so many different ways to improve your home, the one room that gets the most attention and the most money is usually your kitchen.  As you look at your kitchen and debate what should you do, you are bound to ask “should I refinish my cabinet doors or replace them?

So let’s get into what this means and potential cost.

What is cabinet refinishing?

Personally, I  have the habit of saying refinishing cabinets when I should be saying is painting cabinets. Cabinet refinishing used to mean taking your stained wood cabinets, cleaning them then applying a new coat of stain and clear coat. We still get calls for this service. It is a great way to improve the look of your cabinets without breaking the bank on a whole new refinishing project before you sell your home or you just want and like natural wood finishes.

For those that call us to actually refinish their wood cabinets, the usual reason is water damage.  Water and wood cabinets do not play well together. Water along with cleaning chemicals found in kitchens take a toll on wood cabinets and the finishes that are designed to protect them. FYI-the best cleaner for wood cabinets is 50/50 water and vinegar.

Painting your kitchen cabinets

If you have seen or spent any time on our web page and blog posts, you will see quite a few blog posts regarding painting your kitchen cabinets.

• Painting your cherry cabinets 
• Save money by remodeling your kitchen cabinets
• Painting maple cabinets white
• Should I paint my cherry cabinets?

These are some of the articles we have as well as the videos you can watch on our YouTube channel (see below)

On average painting your cabinets cost about $110 per cabinet box. This can vary, so please call and or text for pricing.  If you have downloaded our guide, you will read the steps we take in order to paint cabinets and give you a warranty that will outlast your cabinets.

So how do you know if you should refinish, paint or replace your cabinets?

• Do you like how your kitchen is designed right now?
• Are there any broken cabinet doors?
• Do you have solid wood doors such as oak or maple or do you have something else?
• Are you planning on staying in your home for some time to come?
• What about your cabinets or kitchen do you not like?

If there is no damage to your existing cabinets and you like the layout then refinishing and painting is a great option! They will look new, updated, and last for years to come.  You can select just a re-stain vs painting as well.

If you have a lot of damage to cabinet doors (broken panels, water damage in several areas, gouges, etc.) then you may want to have us take a closer look to see if replacing the cabinet doors may be a better option. There are ways we can get replacement cabinet doors to save the expense replacing your  kitchen cabinets.

How do I get replacement cabinet doors?

1st thing to do is to determine what style of door you want. I tell people to go to Menards and look at door samples.

Then you have to decide solid wood or engineered door panels.  Solid wood doors are different than engineered products such as pressboard and MDF panels. They may or may not be repairable if needed. They paint just as well as a solid wood door, if there is damage, they may not be repairable. Wondering how much it costs to paint cabinets?

When we cost replacing your doors you will be asked or told:

• What kind of doors do you want?
• Are you keeping any existing hardware?
• Do you know what type of hinges you want? for example soft close hinges?
• Would you like the hinges to be hidden?

Replacing doors can cost about $140-$160 per door, about half that for average size drawer fronts.

The other thing to consider in replacing doors, is the cabinet boxes will still have to be painted or matched to your new doors.

If you want to keep living in your kitchen then these options are the best for you, considering replacing your kitchen will cost 3 times more and take months from start to finish.

If you need an update that can be solved with painting, the money spent on a new cabinets could be better used for new countertops, new sink and faucets, maybe a new dishwasher!

If you decide on refinishing, kitchen cabinets or bathroom cabinets, contact us via email or phone!

If you have holes in your cabinet doors from old hardware that you want filled- then today you will will learn How to fix holes in cabinet doors!

When we are painting cabinets in kitchen and vanities, 75% of the time we are either replacing or installing new hardware.  Installing hardware in your kitchen is one of the best things you can do to improve your kitchen. (read the other top 5 ways to remodel your kitchen)

Some times we have to fill in holes in the cabinet doors. Why?

• the new hardware doesn’t fit in the old hardware holes
• there was a hole drilled wrong
• damaged wood
• broken or damaged screws in the door

Where to start fixing your door

You should have the door or drawer removed from your cabinet box.  Remove the hardware that is there, if there is some there.

The hole that is there will need to be filled with a combination of methods

• a dowel rod to fill in the drilled section of the hole

• wood filler to fill in the larger gaps

• auto body filler to touch up the final coats

• sanding in between each step

Take your door to a local home improvement store and buy a dowel rod that fits-snug into the hole you are repairing. You will neeed the above suppliesa s well as primer, glue and light tac masking tape.

Begin fixing your cabinet doors!

Begin by taking the dowel rod and putting into the hole you want to fix. Use a knife or hand saw to cut the dowel rod off flush with the door. Remove the wood plug you made, then add glue to the hole- re insert the wood plug. I used instant glue- if you use wood glue you will have to let the glue dry before doing anything else.

Once the glue is dry, you can sand the area smooth and flush. Dust off any dust. Take the wood filler (if needed) to fill in the gaps if you have any. Again allow to dry.

Next take the auto body filler to fill in any other gaps- the goal to to create a perfect smooth surface to work with. allow to dry

Now you need to sand with a 320 or 400 grit sand paper- you need smooth non scratched surface to work with. If you use a 80 or 100 grit sandpaper, you will leave gouges and deep scratches that you will have to again fill with body filler to eliminate the marks from sanding.

Make sure all is smooth and dust free!

Once the repair is made you can then use a primer to prime the repaired area.

The primer must dry according to directions, before you can sand it smooth. Once sanded, examine the surface to make sure that there are no marks, divets, etc that need to be filled . If you need to do more work, take the time to do it now. You can’t paint until you do.

Your door is fixed! Now you can install new hardware!

At this point you have made the repairs, the primer is dry, you have repainted the door, and is it dry (overnight dry). We use a light tac masking tape, to mask the front of the door/drawer and then use a pencil to mark where the new holes need to be.

Drill your new holes and DONE!

If you have new or different holes in a drawer front, then you may have an issue with the drawer front having different holes than the drawer box. That is a hole different issue where you may need all new hardware to reinstall (too much for this article). But, you can always send an email to ask us about it.

Would you like to see how we repaired the holes?

Check out the video here.

Do you have questions on repairing cabinets before painting? Have more questions for how to fix holes in cabinet doors? Let us know how we can help!

Do you know how to clean cabinets before you paint them?

Odds are the answer is no. But if you are thinking of painting your kitchen cabinets, then one of the most important things you can spend your time on is How to clean your kitchen cabinets before you paint them!  Thanks for checking out our website- I am David Cook, owner of D’franco Painting & Wallpaper.

Painting kitchen cabinets is one of the things we do that everyone here enjoys doing. The transformation that takes place in our customers homes makes the work worth every minute we spend on your kitchen. The customers reactions of “OH MY GOSH, I LOVE IT!”

Does it matter what products I use to clean my cabinets?

If we are talking about everyday cleaning the answer is Yes! If we are talking about the cleaning before you paint then the answer is YES!

There are many types of household cleaners. Many of them say it can be used on ____. Can does not mean should. Wood cabinets should be treated like wood floors. There is one product called BONA that I have heard both flooring and cabinet makers say good things about. We have always said for every day cleaning of your cabinets, use a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water to avoid damage to the wood and paint/varnish used on your cabinets.

You don’t want to use anything that will:

• leave a residue
• is oily
• has too much water
• leaves a film
• will dry out wood
• will deteriorate the wood coatings

The best products to use to clean kitchen cabinets.

Over the past few years we have used several products. Products change form time to time. But for us, these have been great:

(Before starting- wear rubber gloves!)

These two products have been great when we are n homes or in the shop to clean cabinets. We have used them primarily as a wet/sand type application. This means we wet the cabinet surface, use a 3M scotch pad to basically wet sand the surface, this removes most of the dirt and grime.

Once we do this process we always have to wet the surface again and wipe clean.

The newest product we started to use has been Dirtex.  It was recommended to us form another paint company. The last 2 jobs we have had oak cabinets that are 20 years old.  Each was pretty dirty too. So we sprayed the Dirtex on, then allowed it to sit for a few min before cleaning. I will say I am impressed with how much better the Dirtex worked.  Here is the video of cleaning next to the stove under the cabinets where the grease really splatters.

YouTube cleaning cabinets

Now they are clean.. what is next?

After the cleaning, and wiping- allow them to dry.  We hope you have used rubber gloves.  There is oil on your finger prints and it will stay on the cabinets of you touch them. If there is any doubt wipe clean with denatured alcohol or wipe again with Dirtex.

Allow the cabinets to dry-if you stacked them- you will need more time to get these to really dry off, you may consider using a fan to make sure you get air flow and proper drying.

Once they are dry, and you have not touched them with your fingers, you can start painting!

So what are you waiting for?

If you have questions as you begin, or are in the middle of this project- please let us know. We want to make sure we answer the questions you have so your painting experience is successful.

There are many ways to remodel your kitchen. There are many expenses when remodeling your kitchen too! Save money remodeling your kitchen by painting cabinets.

So how do you save money when remodeling your kitchen? The 1st is to keep what you have if you can- that means painting your kitchen cabinets. Thanks for reading our blog, I am David Cook, owner of D’franco Painting & Wallpaper. When we get a call from home owners about painting their cabinets, one of the top questions is cost. Here is a blog post we wrote on that subject (cost to paint kitchen cabinets).

On average you can expect to pay about $105 per box (that can vary) FYI.

How do I know if painting my cabinets is a good option?

You need to ask a few questions when it comes to painting or replacing cabinets:

• Do you like the layout of your kitchen?
• Is there anything wrong with your kitchen cabinets?
• How long do you plan on staying in the home?
• Are there other remodeling projects down the road that will affect your kitchen?

If the cabinets work, if the layout is great, then painting them is a great alternative to replacement.

 Original cherry cabinets

Painted cherry cabinets.

These two pics are before and after of a small basement kitchenette that was in great shape- just a little worn and the customer just wanted a change.

Will the paint be durable if I paint them?

The paint that issued on the cabinets for repainting is in many ways the same type of paint used when buying new cabinets or the same product as used to clear coat stained cabinets you have now. You can read more about issues in a blog we wrote about top problems with painting cabinets.

The most important part is the preparation and cleaning used before the paint. Once cleaned and sanded, you are ready for paint to last for years to come.

Here is another image of the original cabinets before we painted.

Cherry cabinets now grey.

What about counters or hardware for my kitchen?

Most of the customers that paint their kitchen or plan to paint it, use the money they save by painting to spend on new counter-tops, new appliances, and new cabinet hardware or refinishing hardwood floors.

This helps us determine what gets done 1st, helps with color selection, and the timing of work getting done.

• Floors are a messy ordeal- get it done 1st!
• Appliances need to get done before new appliances- there is always something odd when replacing appliances- something doesn’t fit- something needs to be drilled, something get dinged.
• Traditional painting goes last.
• Hardware gets picked after your final choice of colors.

Side profile of painted cabinets.

The best part of painting cabinets?

You don’t lose your kitchen! Yes there may be a few days that you may not have access to the cabinets- but two days! When you remodel a kitchen- it can be weeks! Ripping out cabinets, ripping out plumbing, ripping out counters, fixing floors, moving electric- the list goes on and so does the cost.

So stop waiting- call us today and find out how you can love the best gathering place in your home!