Painting your cabinets can make them look striking and modern. Refinishing them, on the other hand, strips them down and makes them look natural. If you have wood cabinets, refinishing them will show off the wood grain and make your kitchen look more traditional.
Cabinet painting is hands-down the cheaper way of giving new life to your old and stained cabinets. However, this method is only applicable if the hardware of the cabinets is in good shape. Here, a fresh coat of paint is added to the doors, drawers, and cabinet walls.
What is the difference between cabinet refacing and refinishing? The real difference between painting (or refinishing) and refacing your cabinets is relatively straight forward. Painting your cabinets gives your existing cabinetry a fresh look, whereas refacing them gives your cabinets almost an entirely new look.
The cost to paint kitchen cabinets is lower than you might think—certainly lower than replacing or even refacing them. On average, homeowners spend $809 to repaint the doors and cabinets in their kitchens, with a typical range of $395 to $1,234.
Cabinet refinishing is a completely different process that costs much less than a cabinet replacement or refacing. Cabinet refinishing involves restoring or replacing the existing finish on your cabinets. This can be done in several different ways, but they largely revolve around the same general premise.
Refacing a cabinet involves removing the cabinet doors entirely, purchasing new cabinet doors, and attaching them. Cabinet refinishing is a process where you sand down the existing cabinet doors and refresh them with new stain or paint and lacquer to get them looking like new again.
Macfarlane estimates that refinishing kitchen cabinets can take anywhere from four to eight weekends, or between 60 and 130 hours. This time frame depends on the size of your kitchen, and it may need to be adjusted depending on the extent of the work.
Cost to Paint Cabinets White
The average cost to paint kitchen cabinets white is $3 to $10 per square foot or $30 to $60 per linear foot of cabinetry depending on the condition of the cabinets, the painting method, and labor costs. White kitchen cabinets with satin finishes are the most popular choice among homebuyers.
Cabinet refacing costs about 30-percent to 50-percent less than the cost of replacing cabinets in a full kitchen.
You can expect painting contractors to charge $50 to $100 per door, $120-$170 per cabinet, and $20-$30 per drawer. Painting your kitchen cabinets yourself will be considerably less expensive. Your base cost would be anywhere from $200 to $600, depending on the brand of paint and the supplies you will have to buy.
Yes You Can Paint Laminate! What is laminate, you ask? It can basically be any type of furniture, cabinets, or wood-like product that is made by attaching a thin layer of printed plastic (sometimes called Melamine or Thermofoil) to a substrate of plywood or particle board.
Average cost of painting kitchen cabinets professionally. The average cost of painting kitchen cabinets is $100 per drawer face and $175 per cabinet door. This usually averages out to a cost of $5,000 for a medium-sized kitchen. However, the cost commonly ranges from $3000 to $10,000.
Doors typically require a good amount of time, because you need to paint both sides and let them fully dry in between coats. You can begin with the back side of your cabinet doors. Apply one coat, wait 24 hours and then move on to your second coat of paint.
Cabinet refacing is the process of replacing cabinet skin panels to give your kitchen a dramatic new look. Your cabinets may be scratched or cracked, or you may simply desire a change — much like replacing a perfectly good smartphone with the latest model.
You can almost always reface cabinets that have already been refaced. The process is relatively the same.
Detailed Patterns, Warped or Damaged Cabinets
If your cabinets have detailed patterns or they are warped, chipped, cracked or have other damage to them, then painting your kitchen cabinets is not the way to go – it most definitely won't solve your cabinet problem.
You should sand cabinets before beginning your how to paint kitchen cabinet project to give the new paint a good surface to grip. But you don't need to sand to bare wood. If your cabinets have a factory finish, sand lightly with 120-grit sandpaper or a sanding sponge.
While oil-based paints make a case for themselves with their reputation for easy application and a long-lasting finish that can be scrubbed and cleaned regularly, latex paint is widely regarded as the best choice for most kitchen cabinets, since it offers lower levels of VOCs and is quicker to dry.
For wood, brushing is fine, but you may want to hire a professional for a good finish. Using a roller to paint cabinets is a lot faster than brush painting, however, the fabric on the roller will create a 'bobbly' texture on the surface. The texture a roller puts on cabinets makes it unsuitable for gloss paint.
Brushing allows the painters to apply the color directly to the surface of the cabinets, only wasting the small amount left on their brushes at the end of the project. Spraying atomizes the paint, meaning some of the droplets inevitably float away, and any paint left in the tubing of the sprayer goes to waste.
While there are many types of paint to choose from, the best paint for kitchen cabinets is typically semi-gloss, gloss or satin. Matte is not practical in kitchens and baths where you will need durable paint you can easily clean.
Sanding to repaint or stain cabinets takes a lot of time and energy. Not all staining projects require sanding, especially if you purchase new, already sanded cabinets. However, you can also avoid sanding if you wish to re-stain old cabinets that have no major dents or scratches that need intricate repairs.
Applying polyurethane over the stained surface is the easiest part when it comes to refinishing kitchen cabinets without stripping them. Apply one coat, allow it time to dry, and apply another coat. Repeat this process until you are satisfied with the results. Two or three coats will give you a beautiful finish.