Painting sound cabinets costs far less than replacing them, and many Detroit area kitchens have solid oak or maple boxes worth keeping. The result depends on prep: degreasing, sanding, a bonding primer and an enamel made for cabinets. We look at every door before recommending paint.
Cabinet painting gives a kitchen a new look without tearing it out. Many kitchens in Detroit and the suburbs have solid wood cabinets, often oak or maple, that were built to last and are still square and sturdy. If the boxes are sound and the layout suits you, paint is the least costly way to change them. If boxes are swollen from water or doors are peeling thermofoil, we will tell you paint is not the answer.
Cabinets fail when prep is skipped. Years of cooking grease and hand oils sit on the doors, and paint will not bond to them. The surfaces are degreased, sanded and coated with a bonding primer. Oak may need its open grain filled if you want a smooth look, and a stain-blocking primer stops tannin from yellowing a white finish. The top coats are a hard enamel made for cabinets and trim, not wall paint.
Doors and drawer fronts are normally taken off, numbered and finished flat so that edges are coated and there are no runs. The boxes are painted in place. You can use the kitchen for most of the job, with open shelves for a few days. New enamel is dry in hours but takes several weeks to harden fully, so treat it gently at first. Ask us for the schedule for your kitchen.
Cabinet painting in Detroit: common questions
Can oak cabinets be painted white?
Yes. Oak takes paint well. The grain will show as fine lines unless it is filled first, and a stain-blocking primer is needed under white so tannin does not bleed through.
Can I use my kitchen while the cabinets are painted?
Yes, for most of the job. The doors and drawers are away being finished and the boxes are painted in place. Expect open shelves and some masking for a few days.
Will painted cabinets peel?
Not if the prep is right. Peeling comes from grease left on the surface, no sanding or no bonding primer. Edges can chip from knocks, and chips can be touched up.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the job and measure.
- Written quote: Prep, paint and price in writing.
- Prep & protect: We cover floors and furniture, repair and prime surfaces.
- Paint & walk-through: Two coats, clean lines, full clean-up and a final walk-through.