0% APR Financing Available for 24 Months. Make your dream kitchen a reality today.
+
Loading...

Painted Kitchen Cabinets: Characteristics, Finishing Process, & Maintenance

Painted Kitchen Cabinets: Characteristics, Finishing Process, & Maintenance

Characteristics of Painted Cabinets

Painted cabinets offer a clean and timeless look for your kitchen. The smooth satin-like finish provides a blank canvas to paint your space with color or modernize with minimal tones. At CliqStudios, there are endless colors to choose from like black, white, green, blue, or gray. Using a two-toned color scheme in your kitchen is a unique way to add an unexpected touch of style to your home.

Two-toned kitchens are a popular way to create furniture-style designs with a focal point like a kitchen island or beverage center. Paint generally requires more maintenance to repair chips, marks, fingerprints, and residue from normal kitchen use. Paint may have a slight difference in tones between doors, drawer fronts, and face frames due to varying dye lots during the finishing process.

CliqStudios’ Paint & Finishing Processes

Every cabinet line has its’ own finishing process and type of paint based on the cabinets that are offered, range of finishes, and whether it’s custom or RTA (ready-to-assemble) cabinets. Additionally, every line also offers a factory painted finish meaning it’s been carefully prepped and baked on for long-lasting durability. Below, you can see a general overview of what the quality finishing process includes for CliqStudios cabinets.

Painted Factory Finish Steps

  • Wood Selection
  • Sanded to Perfection
  • Paint Application
  • Removal of Excess Paint
  • Catalyzed Sealer
  • Drying Process
  • Hand-sanded
  • Dust Removal
  • Catalyzed Top Coat
  • Final Top Coat Cure
  • Final Inspection

What is Catalyzed Enamel & UV Lacquer?

CliqStudios cabinet lines use either catalyzed enamel or UV lacquer finishes. These coatings are both great for their own reasons, and each have different features.

Catalyzed enamel is the main cabinet coating because of its durability and beautiful finish. Enamels are great at creating a strong shell and glass-like finish while maintaining stunning color quality.

On its own, dry time is one of the most common complaints which is why we use catalyzed enamel. Catalyzed enamels are two-part finishes combined before the spraying process for a fast-drying finish. This is widely known to be the top choice in furniture and cabinet finishes.

UV lacquer finishes are also popular finishes because of their ease of use. Lacquer on its own is a resin-based material that creates a protective layer on wood surfaces. With the added UV component, this option dries more quickly making it easier to finish the painting process in a shorter timeline.

Professionally Tested Finishes for Everyday Life

Buying cabinets for any kind of project requires an investment, and it’s important to know that purchase will be able to hold up to your family and stand the test of time. Cabinet companies who offer a high-quality product will always have proof that their cabinets are durable and long-lasting in the form of certifications.

CliqStudios cabinet lines, for example, are certified by American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Testing, and ICC Evaluation Service who performs tests on our cabinets to measure durability and quality.

Some of these rigorous tests include things like: Exterior exposed surfaces of doors, front frames, drawer fronts, and end panels are subjected to vinegar, lemon, orange and grape juices, ketchup, coffee, olive oil, and 100-proof alcohol for 24 hours, and to mustard for one hour. After this test, the finish must show no appreciable discoloration, stain, or whitening that will not disperse with regular polishing and no indication of blistering, checks, or other film failure.

Cabinets are also exposed to extreme heat, cold, and humidity to ensure they don’t show any discoloration and blistering of the finish. Among these tests, many additional tests are also done to check the structural integrity of the cabinet and hardware against rough use.

Natural Features Described Below Are Normal and Are Not Considered Defects

  • Over time, paint finishes may develop hairline cracks, most notably around the hardware and joints. This aging results from the natural expansion and contraction of the wood. This commonly occurs during seasonal temperature and humidity changes.
  • Excessive exposure to smoke in poorly ventilated kitchens can drastically change the color and appearance of painted cabinetry.
  • Painted joint hair line cracks are normal for painted doors.

Learn more about our cabinetry certifications that ensure quality.

Caring for & Cleaning Your Painted Cabinets

Years of spilling red wine, pets, grease, Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas cookies, and kids trying to make their own smoothies can wreak havoc on your new kitchen cabinets. One surefire way to prevent any potential damage to your cabinet finish is by cleaning on a regular basis and making sure every spill is taken care of right away. A few simple habits will help you care for your cabinets and keep them beautiful for years to come. Here’s how to take care of the finish, products you should avoid putting on your cabinets and how to repair any potential chips and scratches.

Everyday Cleaning

Taking time to clean the small everyday messes will make the biggest difference over time. This means wiping up those grape juice spills, wiping down the olive oil that dripped down the cabinets, or cleaning up greasy messes from dinner.

If water can’t get those stuck-on stains, try using a cleaning solution that will also be gentle on the cabinet finish. Dilute ¼ cup of white vinegar into a gallon of water with a little dish soap. Start with a small amount on a soft white cloth. This will clean away bacteria and grease while maintaining that beautiful painted finish!

Weekly Cleaning

Use a slightly damp soft cloth or microfiber towel to wipe away dust and dirt every week to prevent any build-up on your cabinets.

What to Avoid

Although cabinet finishes are durable and long-lasting, some cleaners and products are too abrasive and may damage the finish. Avoid things like:

  • Harsh, chemically-based cleaners
  • Cleaners with silicone, oils, and citrus
  • Rough sponges or other abrasive products
  • Colored rags that could transfer color
  • Magic Erasers

Lastly, stay away from over-wetting the cabinets with soaking wet rags or hanging damp cloths to dry over cabinet doors to keep your new cabinets looking brand new.

Repairing Chips & Scratches

If you have a big family, pets, or entertain a lot, sometimes chips and scratches are inevitable. What’s important is how to repair these problem areas and make them blend in. Once a paint chip or scratch has happened, it’s unlikely the touch-up will look exactly how it came from the factory.

In the case that you do need to repair your painted finish, most cabinet retailers like CliqStudios, will provide touch-up kits with your order. This is a fast and effective way to fix the blemish with the exact color-matched paint rather than trying to find the right shade at a paint store.

To start the touch-up process, you may want to practice on a smaller concealed area before taking on this task. For large divets, first soften the end of the fill stick in your hand. Then, use the fill-stick in even, back and forth motions to repair the damaged area. For scratches or paint chips, use the paint pen to color in the exposed wood, but avoid using too much at once. It’s easy for paint to pool up, so apply the paint then wipe away any excess with a clean, soft cloth. Paint can be more difficult to repair than stained finishes, so take your time to get the best results.

Overall, painted finishes remain the most popular cabinet coatings for kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels, and other home improvement projects. Explore all your options to make the best choice for your home and family.

Talk to an expert: CliqStudios offers free design services and support to help you plan your remodel. Submit your information now and one of our expert designers will contact you within 24 hours.