Cabinet Refinishing That Restores What You Already Have

Kitchen cabinet repainting is roughly 60 to 70% prep and 30 to 40% finish, and on a refinish the prep matters even more because you're bonding to a previously-finished surface that's already been sealed once. Here's the actual sequence we run so you know what you're paying for. Step one, label and remove: doors and drawer fronts come off, every one numbered to its hardware and opening so it returns exactly where it started, and fronts get finished flat, off the cabinet, which kills runs and gives a cleaner face than coating them hanging. Step two, degrease and degloss: existing cabinets carry years of cooking grease you can't always see, so we clean it off, then degloss or scuff-sand the old factory coat so the new finish has tooth to grip, because skip this and a repaint peels at the door edges inside a year. Step three, repair and prime: dings, worn edges, and old damage that shouldn't telegraph through get filled and sanded flat, then a dedicated high-adhesion primer goes on, chosen for the substrate, because a previously-finished cabinet or MDF face rejects standard primer. Step four, sand between coats: after primer cures, we sand it smooth, wipe clean, and repeat between finish coats, and that between-coat sanding is what makes a refinished surface feel like factory work instead of a repaint. Step five, two to three thin enamel coats: thin coats level hard and smooth while thick coats sag and stay soft in the middle, and high-touch kitchens usually get a third coat on the doors and drawer fronts to build chip resistance. Step six, cure before rehang: enamel needs cure time, not just dry time, so we let it harden fully before doors go back on, so they don't block shut the first time you close them. Want a straight read on what your kitchen needs? Get a free estimate and we'll spec it out.

Here's how we actually approach it on a real kitchen. Doors and drawer fronts get sprayed off the cabinet, flat, for the cleanest possible face with no gravity fighting the coat. Cabinet boxes and face frames that stay in place get brushed and rolled with fine tools, worked out to minimize texture, so the whole set reads as one uniform surface. The goal is a hard, lap-line-free finish, not a specific tool for its own sake. For the deeper breakdown of the finish itself, that's our enameling service, which is the same hard, washable coat we build on every cabinet refinish. Talk to us: (612)-987-1566.

We'd rather lose the job than sell you the wrong one, so here's when refinishing isn't the answer. Don't refinish cabinets that are structurally failing. If the boxes are delaminating, the doors are warped, or particleboard has swelled from a leak under the sink, a new finish is lipstick on a problem, and you're closer to a replacement conversation. A finish is not a repair. And the honest one: if your cabinets were professionally finished a couple of years ago and just need a wipe-down, you don't need us yet. A good enamel coat holds up, so don't repaint a kitchen that isn't actually worn. If you want a straight color change on cabinets that are already in good shape rather than a full restoration, that's the cabinet painting side of the work, not a refinish. We'll tell you which one fits on a free walkthrough. Call (612)-987-1566 and Mike will take a look.