My father was always speachless when he would hear we are painting over cherry kitchen cabinets. I usually smiled, and just said, we help people get the look they want in thier home- not what I want. Chery cabinets can look great in their natural state, but due to the manufacturer process of cheap and fast, naturally stained cherry cabinets often look cheap and ugly. So what is there to do besides replacing your cabinets? Today we talk about Painting Cherry Cabinets.
Hello Everyone, I am David Cook with Dfranco Painting and Wallpaper. We are here in Huntley, IL serving the greater fox valley areas usch as Geneva, South Elgin, St. Charles, Elgin, West Dundee and Algonquin. If you are looking for information about cabinet painting, then welcome! If you have questions about painting your cherry cabinets- your in the right spot!
Can I really Paint My 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.
Should 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!
