Cabinet Painting in Red Deer
Kitchen cabinet refinishing that costs a fraction of replacement, with the prep that stops it chipping a year later.
Replacing kitchen cabinets is one of the more expensive things you can do to a house. Refinishing the ones you have costs a fraction of that, and in most Red Deer kitchens the boxes are structurally fine even when the doors look dated. If the frames are solid and you simply do not like the colour, painting is the sensible move.
Cabinet painting is also the job where the gap between a good result and a bad one is widest. Cabinets get touched constantly, wiped with degreaser, and knocked with pans. A finish that was not properly cleaned and sanded will chip along the door edges within a year.
How We Refinish Cabinets
We start by removing doors, drawer fronts, and hardware, labelling every piece so it goes back exactly where it came from.
Then comes degreasing, which matters more than anything else in a kitchen. Years of cooking leave a film on the doors nearest the stove that paint simply will not stick to. No primer overcomes it and no product compensates for skipping it.
After degreasing we sand to break the existing sheen, fill any damage, and apply a bonding primer suited to that surface. Melamine and thermofoil need a different primer than bare or previously painted wood. Then the topcoats go on, usually sprayed, so the finish lays flat without brush marks.
Boxes and frames are painted in place with the kitchen masked off. Doors are finished separately and rehung once they have properly cured, which is the step people rush and then regret.
What Refinishes Well, and What Does Not
Solid wood and wood veneer are the best candidates. They sand predictably, take primer reliably, and hold a sprayed finish for years.
Melamine and thermofoil are paintable with the right bonding primer and honest preparation.
Some kitchens are not worth it. If the boxes are water damaged, the frames have gone out of square, or the doors are delaminating across most of the run, paint is money spent on a problem it cannot fix. We would rather tell you that than take the job.
If you want to keep the wood grain visible instead of covering it, that is a staining job. Cabinets often go in alongside interior painting when a whole room is being updated.
Why Cabinet Jobs Fail
Grease left on the doors, the wrong primer on a slick factory finish, and doors rehung before the finish has cured. All three are preparation, and all three are avoidable.
We refinish cabinets throughout Red Deer, out to Sylvan Lake, and north to Blackfalds.
Send Us a Photo
A couple of pictures of your kitchen is usually enough for us to tell you whether refinishing makes sense, and we will come and look properly before quoting.
What's Included
- Doors and drawer fronts removed, labelled, and finished separately
- Full degreasing before any sanding or primer
- Bonding primer matched to the cabinet surface
- Sprayed topcoats for a flat finish with no brush marks
- Proper cure time before doors go back on
Other Services We Offer in Red Deer
Cabinet Painting Questions
How long does a kitchen take?
Most kitchens run three to five days end to end. A good part of that is drying and curing between coats rather than active work, so the room is usable for stretches of it.
Can I use my kitchen while you work?
Partly. The sink and appliances usually stay available. You will be without cabinet doors for several days, so plan to have everyday items out on the counter.
Will the finish chip?
Not if the prep was done properly. Chipping is almost always a bonding failure from inadequate degreasing or the wrong primer, rather than a problem with the paint itself.
Is painting cabinets actually cheaper than replacing them?
Substantially, in most kitchens. You are paying for labour and materials instead of new boxes, counters, and installation. The saving is largest where the layout already works and only the look is dated.
Can you paint melamine or thermofoil cabinets?
Yes, with the right bonding primer. Thermofoil that is already lifting away from the board underneath needs that loose material dealt with first, and we will tell you if a kitchen is too far gone to be worth it.
Get a Free Cabinet Painting Quote
Get a free written quote. We will come and look at the job and give you a straight answer on what it needs.