When only the most beautiful
finish will do: Painting kitchen and bath cabinets
Hardly
any other area of a home imparts more value than a kitchen or
bath. Many times the kitchen and bath will be a strategic
selling point, that’s why kitchen and bath cabinets need to be
painted with extreme care and preparation. This is one item you
shouldn’t scrimp on; you should get the best painter that you
can afford. Follow the steps outlined in the article on the left
side of the web page.
Some folks are very sensitive to the materials and processes
used in the painting industries, if you are one of them, here is
what you can do to survive your next paint job in good shape.
Take a look at our article on the right.
We are experts
at refinishing kitchen and bath cabinets, to include enamels,
clear finishes, stains, and fantasy or Faux Finishes. Give us a
call today and we will quote a free estimate on your kitchen and
bath. You may reach us via our contact form or call us at
(626)
488 6885
A guide for beautiful kitchen and bath cabinets.
(1). Don’t just get 1
bid, get as many as 5. Out of the five just toss out the 2
lowest bids and only consider the 3 highest. A bid that's way
under the average rate is a sure sign of lack of experience.
Remember: The lowball bid isn't always the best bid.
(2). Ask to see some of
their previous work, do they have photos? How about references?
Give extra points to the painter that shows you photos of his
finished cabinet work!
(3). Ask them how they are
going to prepare the cabinets, are they going to sand, patch,
and caulk all the corners and joints that need it? If the
cabinets have been stained, will they be careful not to damage
the stain? Also, can they color match to the existing stain?
(4). Ask them if they are
going to prime any exposed wood areas before they put finish
paint on? What type of primer are they going to use? If they say
they're going to spot prime with acrylic primer, get another
cabinet painter. Only oil based primers that will sand down
well, such as oil based KILZ, should be used. Acrylic primers
are very hard to feather out.
(5). Make sure they remove
all the knobs and hardware, ask them if they will protect the
items that can't be removed to keep them from getting paint
splatters. This is very important! Would you believe that some
painters will paint right over your expensive hardware, without
hesitation?
(6). Insure they will use a
duster and tack rag to pick up dust and debris between sanding.
(7). What about vacuuming? A
very good vacuuming between sanding is essential to a good
finish, ask them if they vacuum right before painting? Do they
vacuum the cabinet tops, floors, inside and outside the
cabinets, what about adjacent walls?
(8). If spraying, make sure
they protect every area not to be painted with paper, plastic,
masking tape, and drop cloths. Rosin paper is great to protect
floors. The adjacent doors leading to the rest of the home
should be sealed tight with plastic before spraying or sanding.
(9). On cabinet doors that
have trouble shutting, ask them if they will use a sander or
plane to remove paint from the edges and free up the door,
before priming or painting it?
(10). Ask your painter if he
will come back in a couple of weeks – if need be – to do any
touch ups you may find?
Copyright D. Aloy
Painting for allergic or sensitive persons
(2). If you must reside be in the house as it’s undergoing painting, take as many precautions as prudent. Wear a paper face mask whenever you come in direct contact with the areas being painted, stay away from paint fumes, don't come into contact with paints, etc, etc
(3). Ask your painter to partition and close off the areas that are being painted with heavy duty plastic sheeting. Make sure he installs it on all the doors to seal them from the living areas of the house you occupy.
(4). If at all possible, use latex or acrylic paints throughout your house, they dry quicker, produce less fumes, and are less toxic than their oil based counterparts.
(5). If you must use oil based products, have your painting contractor use low odor thinner, it’s available at most paint stores and doesn't cost that much more.
(6). Ask your painter to clean up every day with a vacuum cleaner. Picking up all the dust and nasty debris from prepping and sanding will do away with many airborne contaminants.
(7). On the day(s) that you know your painter is going to be spraying, stay gone until he’s done and the paint has pretty well dried. Make sure to stay gone as late as you possibly can.
(8). Do not not to use lacquers, epoxies, or shellacs, since they are very harsh high volatility formulations, bound to affect sensitive persons. If you must use those materials, by all means stay well away from them! If you can stay gone for a couple of days, do it!
(9). Once the painters are done and gone, make sure to open all the doors and windows that you can. You need good air circulation to help all the painted surfaces “cure.” Curing is the process when paint really dries and hardens, it takes about a week.
(10). Of course, this all more than applies to children and pets. Make sure all your little ones and your animals stay far away from the painting work area. A long day at the park is an excellent idea!
Copyright D. Aloy