Ready to refinish your cabinets? Don't go it alone!

Let our experts at Cityscape Painting can help you select the best paint for your kitchen cabinets. Since we spray rather that use a brush, your cabinets will have a more polished appearance in the end.

What are your paint choices?

 
‍Oil-Based

If you paint your kitchen cabinets with an oil-based paint, you can easily scrub away the stains left by sticky hands or greasy fingers without fear of damaging the paint surface. However, oil-based paints do have some flaws to keep in mind.

Although it goes on smoothly, oil-based paint takes longer to dry. Each coat should dry overnight —or longer, depending on the quality of air circulation in your kitchen. Oil-based paints contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that may cause flu-like symptoms, shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, and other long-term effects. Families should not stay in the home when an oil-based paint is being applied.

Latex

Latex paint is a popular choice for DIY kitchen painters, since it dries quickly and doesn't bring the risk of VOCs. But latex paints are water-based and have their own drawbacks.

Latex paints wear down quickly. You'll need a high-quality latex paint in order to withstand the frequent cleanings that come with a food prep environment. Also, any variance in the grain or texture of a wood cabinet will usually show through a latex paint. If your cabinets are natural wood, be prepared to do some serious prep work.

‍Waterborne Alkyd Paint

Alkyd paint has an enamel finish and looks similar to an oil-based paint, but it is plant-based. Like an oil-based paint, an alkyd dries to a durable semi-gloss finish that doesn't need a top coat. You can't typically see brush strokes made using alkyd paint.

Alkyd paint has all the benefits of an oil-based paint, but dries faster and is more friendly to the environment. There are still VOCs in alkyd paint and we recommend families NOT stay in the home when this paint is applied, but the time frame is much shorter.

Generally, you can't go wrong with hybrid alkyd enamel paint or waterborne alkyd. It is a newer hybrid category of alkyd paint and can be used on all kitchen cabinet surfaces. However, this paint is one of the most expensive on the market. To avoid costly mistakes and issues with the VOCs, it's best to leave alkyd painting to the experts.

Despite our warnings about paint costs, this is still far more affordable than replacing your cabinets entirely. If you’re not sure whether to refinish, reface, or replace your cabinets, call us at CityscapePainting. We’ll provide an honest assessment of your cabinets to help you determine which option is best for you.

We’d be honored to put our years of experience to work for you. Call us today at 952-469-5901.