Top 5 Issues with Painting Oak Cabinets
If you have a house that was built in the 1980-2005, odds are you have oak cabinets. Ok, maybe you have maple or cherry.. but most homes have wood cabinets. One of the best ways to update the look and feel of your home is to paint your home. The next best improvement is updating your kitchen cabinets. There are several ways to update your kitchen and cabinets, but the best value is to paint your kitchen cabinets. If you are going to paint kitchen cabients or bathroom vanities then you should know the Top 5 Issues With Painting Oak Cabients! Thanks for taking the time to read this article and check us out! I am David Cook, with Dranco Painting and Wallpaper, here in Huntley, IL. Today’s title is a question we are asked almost every time we provide an estimate for painting Oak kitchen cabinets. So lets take a peek at a video of a sample oak cabinet door, then look at some issues you may be facing- or asking about. Will painted cabinets peel? ok, so this is by far the most popular or common question we are asked hands down. Peel paint on oak cabinets, on walls, on trim is all caused by the exact same issue- Poor preparation. When a surface is dirty it is going to be very difficult to get paint to stick to the surface. If you have a painted surface that is very slick-shiney etc, then once more you will have a very difficult time to get paint to stick to that surface. When we prepare a surface for paint, we clean it, dust it, clean it where needed and then we prime it. Primer gives the surface a uniform appearance and readiness to accept paint. In the case for cabinets, the bonding primer sticks to the wood cabinet, which allows the cabinet paint a surface to bond too, preventing peeling. Are my painted cabinets going to chip? This question is a issue and a subject to much frustration. Think of this as when you buy a car- is Honda going to warranty a repair from a rock that chipped your car while driving on the freeway? The same is true for painted wood- blunt force trauma to wood causes paint to chip, there is nothing you can do about it. You cannot prevent paint from chipping either. You an read more about chips and peeling in an article we wrote some time ago.. Using the wrong paint for cabinets There are certain paints for certain applications. You don’t use automotive paint in a bathroom. Similar- you don’t use wall paint to paint cabinets. Cabinets that re going to be painted should use a paint that is made for cabinets. There are several brands and several types. We use hybrid lacquer or Urathanes. Do not use Acrylic or oil-based products. If you want to know why- ask us and we can do another blog post about that! I can see brush and roller marks on my cabinets This really isn’t as much of an issue as much as it is a preference. I really do not brush and roll cabinets. I do not like seeing the brush or roller marks. Brush and roller marks happen for several reasons: I could probably list a few more of these reasons, but the biggest reason is if you use a brush or roller you will leave brush or roller marks. Duh?-maybe but that is the reality. I hate the color of my cabinets this one always kills me. Before you paint- look at the color! If you say I don’t really care- then don’t complain about the color! If it didn’t happen I would not be writing about it. People see a tv show, hear about a color from friends, or someone sends a picture and think I want it! Every phone takes pics a bit differently which does affect the look and appearance of the photos being taken. The lighting in your home makes a difference in the color of the paint you use. Surrounding accent colors, flooring, drapes, etc also make a difference in the colors in your home. This is where we find the free interior designer makes a huge difference. They know and will help you make the right choice! How can we help? If you are thinking of painting cabinets, please let us know what we can do to help! We want you to enjoy the process and the results!! Although we are in Huntley, we serve all of our surrounding communities such as Pingree Grove, Algonquin, Carpentersville, and Elgin to name a few.
Stripping Paint from Oak Doors
Restoring older furniture can be tricky and very messy! But is worth every minute. Hey!! I am David Cook, from Dfranco Painting and Wallpaper, in Huntley, IL. Today we are presenting a blog article on a project in Elgin, IL . Stripping paint from oak doors and restoring them. I hope you are a fan of these vintage wooden doors. The older the wood, the more character there is. The wood grain in these older doors have more patterns, variation, coloration, and are actually harder than the woods grown today. There are alot of reason for that such as age, fertilizers, hybrid wood being used, locations, and climate to name a few. Where to begin stripping paint from oak doors? Here is a door that has a few layers of paint on it, that we will remove. Few things to think about: Let’s begin! The paint is off the doors! After the paint is stripped from the doors, there are some small areas that have residue from the layers of paint in the small areas as well as wood grain of the door. This is part of the course, usually adding some lacquer thinner and wire brush will pull it out, as well as steel wool. It may take longer to get the paint from the nooks and crannies than to take the heavy layers from the doors had on them! We could not quite get all of the paint off or all of the varnish. So after all was off that we could get, then the sanders came out. As you begin sanding, start with 180 at the heaviest. Using a bigger grit such as 50 will tear the wood apart and leave gouges in the wood. Work your way to smooth, getting up to 400 grit sandpaper. As all of the paint is off the door, you can wipe any sawdust, use a vacuum to remove dust, then a tack cloth to remove any further evidence of dust. In this picture we re-hung the door as it was needed for services being held at the church. Stain and seal your door! In these pics the doors are now stained, it will be tricky to match the color of stain from ? years ago along with some type of oil varnish that also adds a color to the surface. Since the door is so large and stupid heavy (170 lbs.) we left it on site and have a few solid stain colors and just played chemist to get a color we wanted. Use a scrap piece of oak to get the color to what you want – don’t sample stain colors on the door you just stripped! The use of the inside of the doors works well also. Our Color ended up with two types of stain- American Walnut and Mahogany. We used a clear coat, Duraseal, manly used for floors. It gives great protection, sheen and durability to doors. Here is a side-by-side of the oak doors of 100 years old, very painted and the the door we stripped of paint, sanded, stained and clear coated- can you tell which is which? What can kind of furniture can we restore for you? As part of the cabinet painting and refinishing, the restoration is something that works well with the tools and process we already use in your home for painted oak, maple and cherry cabinets. So, let us know how we can help with your painting, and furniture restoration so we can help you love the space you’re in!
Advance Urethane vs Waterborne Laquer
If you are thinking of painting your cabiets- then one of the buzz words is Advance Urathane paint. Advance is a Urethane based product that is a great product. The other cabient paint- not often seen or heard but used for cabients is called waterborne lacquer. These two paints are two different types of paint with distinct characteristics and applications. Hi, I’m David Cook, owner of Dfranco Painitng and Wallpaper in Huntley, IL. We are asked about trim paint, So lets dive into Advance urethane VS Waterborne Laquer. A quick difference Advance Urethane VS Waterborne Laquer Here’s a breakdown of each: Choosing between the two paints When choosing between urethane trim paint and waterborne lacquer paint, consider the specific requirements of your project. If you need a highly durable and protective finish for surfaces exposed to harsh conditions, urethane trim paint might be the better choice. To my knowledge Urathanes do not have the approvals from the Kitchen and design standards to resist stains, or kitchen food borne virus that come from raw food. On the other hand, if you’re working on interior surfaces and are looking for a more environmentally friendly option with a smooth and clear finish, waterborne lacquer paint could be the way to go. Somplace you can look for kitchen paint standards is here…KCMA . great location of materials that have been tested for kitchen use, if you are just painting doors, trim etc, then Advance urethane or Emerald Urethane products will be great option! Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the best results with either type of paint. So which paint is better? there really isnt a better, it is they are different.What are you using the paint for and where yo are located really matters when deciding what to use. For example, Nick May, walls by design in Denver, CO, uses Advance Urethane paints for cabinets- why? Location. Due to the climate there he needs something that will be able to be sprayed and lay flat, where a laquer there dries too fast. For us, we want to be efficient with our time. So i can paint sand and repaint 2 coats in a day! That gets us more productive and your kitchen back to normal much faster.
Painting Over Cherry Cabinets
Do you have cherry cabinets? Do you hate the look or feel of them? Have you ever thought about painting over those cherry cabinets? If you are like many of our customers, 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 the kitchen cabinets is too overwhelming and too expensive. So- have you considered painting over your cherry cabinets? If you have seen other posts and YouTube videos we have posted, you will see how we are transforming kitchens, changing how you feel about your home, so you can love the space you’re in! If you are selling a home, the kitchen is the number one place people consider when buying a home, so it may help you get more money from the sale with a updated kitchen. Our Step by Step Process for Painting Over Cherry Cabinets: Painting Cherry Cabinets If you don’t like the color or the feel of the kitchen -good!! Because we will help you make the change you want. Painting over cherry cabinets is a relatively painless 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 cabinet painting process, found the best materials and have the needed experience to make this remodeling easy for you. 1. Prep Work We start with the cabinet painting prep work by covering floors and countertops. Covering the floors and counters makes sure that no dust, debris, cleaners, dirty residue from the cleaning and or painting process gets on your floors or counters. For the counter tops we use a self-stick film as it is waterproof The floors get covered with a builders grade paper that is laid down, then taped to the floor surface so no paint or dust gets on the floor. The walls and ceilings will get masked with a combination of plastic and paper to make sure we are not painting your walls. Then the insides of the cabinets will get masked to prevent any dirt, overspray etc. from getting in the cabinets and on your dishes. 2. Clean Everything in the Kitchen! Prime. Paint. We use Dawn, TSP, sandpaper, degreaser and denatured alcohol for the cabinet cleaning process. Once everything is removed, we start cleaning. Heavy grease or oil actually comes off with diluted dawn dish soap. We also may need TSP to clean as well, it just depends on the level of dirt or contamination. Wet sanding is our preferred method as there is no dust. Once cleaning is done, wipe with a clean rag and denatured alcohol to remove any residue left. Then, we wait for it to dry. After allowing it to dry we prime with a coat of Stix primer, wait for it to dry, then scuff sand each piece before we prime it a second time. For the primer, we usually allow it to dry overnight, then give it the final paint, Sherwood or ChemAqua. 3. Spraying Cabinet Doors. All the kitchen cabinet doors and drawers are taken off-site to our shop where we have a spray booth. We repeat the same process of cleaning them, sanding them degreasing- denatured alcohol as we did with the cabinet boxes. We actually hang the doors when we spray on end so we can be sure to get all sides at once, helping speed the application process. Here is a video of some spraying while hanging.. Once all the doors are painted, they are allowed to dry overnight then we load them up and bring them back to your home. There you have it…a brand new kitchen! Check out this painting cherry cabinets 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.
Repaint your furniture!
If you are, like most Americans, moving into a home, trying to buy new furniture, or trying to replace furniture, you are waiting several months to get furniture for your home. So, if you have a great furniture set and are tired of it, don’t throw it away or sell it. Repaint your furniture! There are several benefits to repainting your furniture: How to paint your furniture For us, painting furniture is like painting cabinets. The same process and materials are used for either application. So, in a nutshell… Now that we have done the initial prep work, filling holes, etc., we re-sand everything and give it another coat of primer. What color can you use to repaint your furniture? Just like painting your cabinets, you can select whatever color you want. These cabinets went from a natural distressed pine to a semi-gloss color that we matched to the kitchen cabinets. The paint we use to paint cabinets is the same for furniture. GREAT PAINT! But there are some things to consider: VIDEO: Repainting Your Furniture Are you ready for your furniture to be painted? Then give us a call or book an estimate on our website. Let us know how we can help!
Glazing kitchen cabinets
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!
Refinish a Wood Table or Buy New?
Are you thinking of buying new furniture? Then we may be able to help you think of a few things you may want to consider. Buying new furniture can be fun for sure. But if you are asking “should I or can I Refinish a wood table or buy new?”, then we help you answer that question in today’s blog. Things to consider to refinish your existing furniture How does it look? Do you have unsightly water rings on the top of your table? Are there issues with stain that has been worn off the edges? How about scratches on the surface? Maybe you hate the look of it (I can’t help you with that one) What kind of shape is it in? Is anything broken? Would you consider it cheap? Is it held together by small cheap nuts and bolts that keep coming apart? What kind of wood is it? How about finding out if it is even wood! If it is particle board or MDF don’t read any further…the answer is NO, buy a new one. Maple is a great wood but it is also very hard to refinish with a new stain. Great for painting. We can refinish/clear coat it though! Oak is fairly easy to re-stain, refinish and paint. Cherry is another one that is great to touch up with stain, refinish or paint. If it’s pine you should consider buying new – very soft wood that makes it hard to keep a good finish on. What is your budget for new furniture? First question is what is the table worth to you? If you want to really debate refinish wood table or buy new, budget means everything. A quality solid wood table will be hard to replace compared to the cost of refinishing it. Some things they just don’t make like they used too. I mentioned the wood, older woods just have a look that can no longer be made. Older woods had longer to grow. They also were grown in soil and growing conditions that differ from what they are today The wood being used now has been modified to grow faster and differently. This results in different grains Custom made pieces from places like Amish furniture stores are great. They will last longer than you. But that comes with a cost. We ask this question to customers that are debating new kitchen cabinets– if there is nothing wrong with the cabinets and you just want something different then refinish it! What type of color or finish do you want? Just like we do for customers that redo their kitchen cabinets you have options. Some of those options are based on the type of wood you have as we talked about above. Are you thinking of painting a solid color? Maybe you want chairs to be natural wood but the table painted? Re-staining the table a new stain can be fun as you can really have fun with colors, glazing, and antiquing. Do you want a new clear finish? Now you can decide if you want flat, satin, semi gloss, or gloss! If you watch HGTV or look at Pinterest, then you will find options for the options. Why you should not refinish your existing table or furniture If you have never done this before don’t start with this! Large, flat surfaces will make you frustrated for sure! Just like our cabinet refinishing process, you must make sure you do all of the prep work so that you will have successful results. As I mentioned above, if it is falling apart don’t bother unless you need the practice. There are plenty of ways you can paint furniture so don’t take what we say as gospel. We just want to make sure that you have the results you want. Personally, when I have an image of what it will look like and it doesn’t work out I get mad. That is what we want to eliminate. If you are not sure what to do call us! We will give you the straight no BS answer. No obligation, no hidden agenda. Just honest information so you can make the best choice on what to do. Let us know how we can help you love the space you’re in!
Refinish a Wood Table or Buy New?
Are you thinking of buying new furniture? Then we may be able to help you think of a few things you may want to consider. Buying new furniture can be fun for sure. But if you are asking “should I or can I Refinish a wood table or buy new?”, then we help you answer that question in today’s blog. Things to consider to refinish your existing furniture How does it look? Do you have unsightly water rings on the top of your table? Are there issues with stain that has been worn off the edges? How about scratches on the surface? Maybe you hate the look of it (I can’t help you with that one) What kind of shape is it in? Is anything broken? Would you consider it cheap? Is it held together by small cheap nuts and bolts that keep coming apart? What kind of wood is it? How about finding out if it is even wood! If it is particle board or MDF don’t read any further…the answer is NO, buy a new one. Maple is a great wood but it is also very hard to refinish with a new stain. Great for painting. We can refinish/clear coat it though! Oak is fairly easy to re-stain, refinish and paint. Cherry is another one that is great to touch up with stain, refinish or paint. If it’s pine you should consider buying new – very soft wood that makes it hard to keep a good finish on. What is your budget for new furniture? First question is what is the table worth to you? If you want to really debate refinish wood table or buy new, budget means everything. A quality solid wood table will be hard to replace compared to the cost of refinishing it. Some things they just don’t make like they used too. I mentioned the wood, older woods just have a look that can no longer be made. Older woods had longer to grow. They also were grown in soil and growing conditions that differ from what they are today The wood being used now has been modified to grow faster and differently. This results in different grains Custom made pieces from places like Amish furniture stores are great. They will last longer than you. But that comes with a cost. We ask this question to customers that are debating new kitchen cabinets– if there is nothing wrong with the cabinets and you just want something different then refinish it! What type of color or finish do you want? Just like we do for customers that redo their kitchen cabinets you have options. Some of those options are based on the type of wood you have as we talked about above. Are you thinking of painting a solid color? Maybe you want chairs to be natural wood but the table painted? Re-staining the table a new stain can be fun as you can really have fun with colors, glazing, and antiquing. Do you want a new clear finish? Now you can decide if you want flat, satin, semi gloss, or gloss! If you watch HGTV or look at Pinterest, then you will find options for the options. Why you should not refinish your existing table or furniture If you have never done this before don’t start with this! Large, flat surfaces will make you frustrated for sure! Just like our cabinet refinishing process, you must make sure you do all of the prep work so that you will have successful results. As I mentioned above, if it is falling apart don’t bother unless you need the practice. There are plenty of ways you can paint furniture so don’t take what we say as gospel. We just want to make sure that you have the results you want. Personally, when I have an image of what it will look like and it doesn’t work out I get mad. That is what we want to eliminate. If you are not sure what to do call us! We will give you the straight no BS answer. No obligation, no hidden agenda. Just honest information so you can make the best choice on what to do. Let us know how we can help you love the space you’re in!
Painting over glazed cabinets
Are you tired of your glazed cabinets? Then it is time to consider painting over glazed cabinets. We have just completed painting a kitchen in Downers Grove, IL where the kitchen cabinets were antique white with a black glaze. The homeowner and the designer decided to go solid white to give the kitchen a whole new look. Add to that, new counter tops and hardware and it really was a transformation. Will the paint stick to glazed cabinets? Some time ago we did a post about fixing problems with painted cabinets. These address the top issues we see when cabinets have been painted. Aside from these issues, glazed cabinets are just like a regular painted cabinet. The prep work for a glazed cabinet is the same as a stained or previously painted cabinet door. All the doors must be cleaned. The doors must be scuff sanded. Doors must be sanitized. Surfaces will need to be given a bonding primer and sealer. Finally, the paint is applied. Will it last? Yes…BUT—always a but—cabinets are wood. Paint is paint. Take into account the above referenced blog article when you want cabinets painted. Consider if you have kids. Toys running into the wood cabinets will cause the wood to dent and paint to chip. Animals that chew wood will also be able to chew corners of doors, drawers or cabinet corners. (We have fixed those.) Your cleaning crew cannot run the vacuum under the cabinets and hit the kick plates under the cabinets or hit the bottom edges of the cabinets with the metal hose and think there will be no damage. (Those don’t get fixed.) What colors can I pick? This answer is our customers’ favorite—any color can be selected. Any color! Now, just like painting your walls…dark colors will take some extra steps such as a deep base or grey primer. So there may be extra tint or material charges due to the colors, but if they make the paint…we can paint it. Is there a big difference in glazed vs painted cabinets? When we are painting cabinets that will be glazed, the difference is cost and layers. Glazed cabinets require: Primer Paint Application of glaze Removal of glaze Then a top coat over the glaze When we paint a cabinet: Primer Paint Each has the same life span, same durability, same materials. Expect to pay 30% more to glaze. As far as looks, a picture is worth a thousand words… So what are you waiting for? If you have glazed cabinets and are thinking of getting them painted, then give us a call, send us a text and we will get out to you for an estimate. Call us now!
How to Use Wallpaper to Decorate Furniture
Yes, you have read the title correctly-How to use Wallpaper to Decorate Furniture. We often get called with customers that have older pieces of furniture that at first glance are ready for the salvation army truck. Don’t do it! Wallpaper on furniture? Yes, it is possible! This is one way we can give you a new look. An updated look and feel to a piece of furniture that you thought was old. So this is would be one way to refinish vs replacing a piece of furniture. Refinishing makes what you have look brand new. The best part is you can pick the colors (s) you want vs picking from what is at the store. New does not mean better. Most older furniture was better designed and better made so keep it. Do you have any furniture that you think needs to be thrown away? Let’s find a way to save it. Don’t throw it away! Here is one way: Upholster a table top instead of refinishing. Before and After Steps [ezcol_1half]First, we clean and sand the top of the table. [/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]Second, we primed with a sealer (guardz) to get a solid uniform surface for wall covering. [/ezcol_1half_end] [ezcol_1half]Third, we added a bonding primer-although sealed, I want to bond the surface and create some tension for the adhesive to stick. Now we rolled out the wall covering to let it relax and air out. [/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]Fourth, we applied a coat of adhesive then added a bonding primer-although sealed, I wanted to give a primer that would really bond to the surface and create some tension for the adhesive to stick.[/ezcol_1half_end] Fifth, we applied adhesive to the top of the table top being careful to not get glue on us, walls or anywhere else the wall covering was placed on top of the table. For no wrinkles out and then used smoothing tool to get it flat. [ezcol_1half]Getting a razor blade out the big excess pieces were removed from the edges, then with a trimming blade, the razor was guided slowly along the table edge and top to get a straight edge. [/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]After the trimming the edges were peeled back an inch or so and a heavy duty adhesive was added to the edges to make sure they don’t peel up. [/ezcol_1half_end] Finally, we wiped everything clean with water and towel dried everything. This one was covered in an industrial wallpaper lined with leather on top. Holds up better, seamless, easier to remove if needed. So now that you have seen this idea, what else can we help you with? Send us a text of a piece you have to see what we can do. Maybe just paint it? We are here to help you love the house you live in! Check out some other ways: How to Paint A Vanity Cabinet Painting bedroom furniture Call us now for a free estimate! 847-553-1726