Are your kitchen cabinets looking tired, but you do not want to spend twenty thousand dollars for a total gut job? Painting kitchen cabinets is usually the smartest fix. Over the years running Coeur d'Alene House Painters, Coeur d'Alene House Painters has heard just about every question a homeowner can throw at Coeur d'Alene House Painters regarding cabinet refinishing in Coeur d'Alene, ID. Here are the most common questions answered directly.
How much does cabinet painting actually cost in Coeur d'Alene?
Most kitchen cabinet painting projects we look at around here run anywhere from three to six thousand dollars. I know that is a wide range, but it all comes down to the size of your kitchen, how many doors and drawers you have, and whether you are dealing with oak grain that needs heavy filling. Compared to replacing them entirely, you are saving a bundle. Coeur d'Alene House Painters usually saves homeowners about sixty to seventy percent off the cost of custom new boxes for homes in Coeur d'Alene.
Can you paint thermofoil cabinets that are peeling?
This is a big one. If you have those white thermofoil doors where the plastic vinyl coating is shrinking and peeling off near the stove or sink, the short answer is: sometimes, but it is risky. Coeur d'Alene House Painters has to strip that plastic completely off the MDF underneath, prep the raw surface, and prime it right. If the underlying material is swollen from moisture—common in older homes down near the lake where humidity fluctuates—painting will not fix the underlying rot. Coeur d'Alene House Painters will always look at this during an estimate and shoot you straight if they need replacing instead.
How long will painted cabinets hold up against daily wear and tear?
If they are prepped and sprayed right, they will last a solid decade or more. The secret is not the topcoat you pick; it is the primer and the curing process. Coeur d'Alene House Painters uses industrial conversion varnishes and two-component polyurethanes that cure hard as nails. Normal kitchen life involves kids banging spoons, dogs scratching lower panels, and grease splatters near the range. A cheap latex paint from the hardware store will chip off in six months. A professional cabinet coating handles real life without flaking.
Do I need to empty my entire kitchen before you start?
Yes, and Coeur d'Alene House Painters will not sugarcoat it—it is a bit of a chore. You will need to clear out all the food, dishes, and small appliances from the cabinets and pantry areas we are working on. Dust gets everywhere during the sanding phase, even with our dust-containment sanders hooked up to HEPA vacs. Coeur d'Alene House Painters takes off all the doors and drawers and takes them back to our shop to spray them for a factory-smooth finish, while we mask off and spray the cabinet boxes right there in your kitchen in Coeur d'Alene, ID.
How long does the whole project take?
Plan on being without full access to your kitchen for about five to seven working days. Day one is usually prep, masking, and taking doors off. Days two through four involve cleaning, sanding, priming, and spraying multiple coats in the shop and on-site. Day five or six is reassembly, putting hardware back on, and adjusting hinges so everything hangs straight. Coeur d'Alene House Painters works efficiently, but we never rush the drying times between coats.
Should I brush and roll them myself to save money?
You can, but you probably will not like the results if you look closely. Kitchen cabinets need a smooth, spray-applied finish that feels like a piece of furniture, not a painted wall. Brush marks and roller stipple stand out under kitchen lighting like a sore thumb. Plus, cabinet doors are handled constantly; DIY paint jobs tend to stick to the frames during the humid summer months we get here in North Idaho if the right hardener is not mixed into the paint. If you want it to look like it came from a factory, professional spraying is the way to go. For homes and businesses in Coeur d'Alene, Coeur d'Alene House Painters provides Cabinet Painting services.