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Painting Kitchen Cabinets Never A Good Plan

No matter what the spouse or other family members may advise, painting kitchen cabinets is rarely a good idea. For several reasons, paint can peel quickly in the often hot and humid environment of a kitchen and rarely will the end result maintain its appearance for very long. If a person does decide that painting kitchen cabinets is the best move, they are probably going to be doing it for many years.

It may be difficult to find kitchen cabinets in the color that many people prefer, but painting kitchen cabinets is not the answer. It may be better to paint the rest of the kitchen and leave the cabinets alone. Additionally, if the time comes when the homeowner wants to sell the house, painted cabinets may not be well received by potential buyers. As the cabinets are used, paint will wear from contact surfaces quickly and when the paint begins to chip and peel, it could end up as seasoning in the food.

Painting kitchen cabinets also requires significant preparation, which involves insuring that all oil and grease is removed from the surface of the cabinets before applying paint. Even if using the best paint money can buy, it will not stick to a surface coated with an invisible layer of kitchen oil. Paint is also harder to clean than wood as cleaners used to cut through oil and grease in the kitchen, will also cut through the paint.

Temporary Improvement May Be Permanent Headache

Choosing to paint the cabinets may make a positive difference initially, but over time the homeowner is usually not happy with the long-term results. Paint can blister if exposed to something as benign as the repeated heat from a coffeemaker. Before painting kitchen cabinets consider all the sources of heat and steam that are present that will damage the integrity of the paint job. Blistering paint on a door is never attractive, regardless of the color of the paint.

There is also the risk of the door and drawers becoming stuck due to the paint and when forced apart there will be damage, resulting in the need for more paint. Before painting kitchen cabinets, the contact areas of the doors may need to be sanded smaller to allow for the little bit of space the paint is going to require. It may not be evident with one or even two coats, but over the year as the paint thickens with added coats, the doors may not have room to close.