Answers (17)
- Bob Sisson, "Inspectionsbybob"
- Contributions:12
I agree with most of what has been written, but want to add that whatever finish you put on make sure it is washable/scrub-able. Been in far too many kitchens where when you go to wash the cabinets and the finish gets soft...then you really have a problem.
- Shawn Ryan Rosa, "sryan1980"
- Contributions:597
stained cabinets. you can paint them later if desired, but it is more difficult to remove paint that is already there - especially if the wood-work is intricate
- Connie Klemme
- Contributions:3363
here's my two cents. If you stain it you can always paint over them later (i personally love stained wood better). if you paint it...staining it later is a problem.
- Rick Troup, "Rick Troup"
- Contributions:119
Pain or satin is for the most part a personal preference. When deciding which is right for you, consider the other decor in the home and think about what would look best overall. Also, consider using a professional to refinish your cabinets. Your kitchen is probably the room in your home that gets more attention than any other room. If the cabinets suffer from a sub-standard refinishing job, it could effect your home value at resale.
- Antoinette Iemma, "AIEMMA"
- Contributions:89
Personally, I think painted vs staining wood is a matter of preference. As a professional Realtor, my experience is that most buyers look for stained wood in the kitchen.
- Pasadenan
- Contributions:26324
"Urea formaldehyde is always being slowly released from the surface of MDF. When painting it is good idea to coat the whole of the product in order to seal in the urea formaldehyde. Wax and oil finishes may be used as finishes but they are less effective at sealing in the urea formaldehyde"
designtechnology.org/mdf.htm
Given a choice, I don't know why anyone would want formaldehyde in the kitchen, or anywhere else in the house for that matter.
I do have some MDF in my kitchen that was there when I bought; it was not worth the trouble to take it out.
I had a can leak once though, and it substantially damaged the shelf board it was on; even though shelf liners were used.
It wouldn't have had that problem if it was plywood or hardwood. Even softwoods such as pine would have held up better to a can leaking.
On the other hand, if you have a good melemine finish on it; it is quite durable and easy to clean and shouldn't have the typical problems of fiberboard, pressed board and chip board. Still, you don't want food you will be serving having direct contact with it.
designtechnology.org/mdf.htm
Given a choice, I don't know why anyone would want formaldehyde in the kitchen, or anywhere else in the house for that matter.
I do have some MDF in my kitchen that was there when I bought; it was not worth the trouble to take it out.
I had a can leak once though, and it substantially damaged the shelf board it was on; even though shelf liners were used.
It wouldn't have had that problem if it was plywood or hardwood. Even softwoods such as pine would have held up better to a can leaking.
On the other hand, if you have a good melemine finish on it; it is quite durable and easy to clean and shouldn't have the typical problems of fiberboard, pressed board and chip board. Still, you don't want food you will be serving having direct contact with it.
- SoCal_Engr
- Contributions:6698
Since when is good quality wood dated?
Stain or paint is really a personal preference, but nothing looks as nice as a good quality, natural wood.
Stain or paint is really a personal preference, but nothing looks as nice as a good quality, natural wood.
- Jan in Atlanta
- Contributions:1
I do not agree, most cabinets you see are painted. Paint can be very durable, especially if the prepwork is done right . Priming with a good primer, like BIN is recommended, sanding and cleaning in between every coat, and using a high quality paint will also make a big difference. I think that you can get a very good finish with these simple but important steps. Also I extend the durability of latex painted cabinets with a couple of coats of latex floor polyurethane, once again, lightly sanding and cleaning between coats. Oil paint is very durable, but harder to work with and picks up dust in the air. Using a 4 inch foam roller is also a great time saver and delivers and smooth finish on large flat areas.
Try this on a sample and see for your self. Also cabinetmakers have spray booths that allow them to use both oil and clarcoating for a very smooth finished look. it is durable and economical, to update the look try a simple dark glaze in the cracks and joinery.
Jan [hotlinks deleted by Zillow moderator. Please refer to our Good Neighbor Policy for posting guidelines]
Try this on a sample and see for your self. Also cabinetmakers have spray booths that allow them to use both oil and clarcoating for a very smooth finished look. it is durable and economical, to update the look try a simple dark glaze in the cracks and joinery.
Jan [hotlinks deleted by Zillow moderator. Please refer to our Good Neighbor Policy for posting guidelines]
- Ryan Cunningham, "RyanCunningham1"
- Contributions:1
Just reading your post here and I have two links that I think can be very useful:
1) This is a link to an in depth article on painting kitchen cabinets along with a how to video.
2) This is an article with examples of lots of different white kitchen cabinets.
1) This is a link to an in depth article on painting kitchen cabinets along with a how to video.
2) This is an article with examples of lots of different white kitchen cabinets.
- Shayne Holland, "Shayne Holland"
- Contributions:457
Painted taupe cabinets look great. Cabinets stained that color look very late 80's/early 90's. Make sure you don't date your house with new cabinets.
- Gloria Jean Hecking & Jim Squire, "The Squire team"
- Contributions:20
If you paint or antique the kitchen or bathroom cabinetry, please don't paint the hardware -many people do and it looks horrible. Changing out the
hardware makes good sense.
hardware makes good sense.
- Sharon Lewis, "Sharon Lewis"
- Contributions:4259
Christy, lets see pictures, if you inlaws don't object. Its always helpful to see before and afters, eh?
- Joshua Heard, "JoshuaHeard"
- Contributions:148
Stained cabinetry is dated. You should paint the cabinets. Hire a painter, and pay extra to have the job done right. They should sand the old varnish and use high quality oil-based paint. You can get away with painting only the doors and outside trim if the inside paint is in good condition.
- Dennis Knight, "The NJ Realtor"
- Contributions:68
I have to agree with Christy Klingler, as to the look of some ot the painted cabinets I've seen being quite impressive as a make-over. As to the paint though, I recommend Valspar brand of paints. No limit as to colors and the finish is extremely tough. Excellent for those faux finishes Amanda Thomas mentioned.
- Amanda Thomas, "amandathomas"
- Contributions:242
An updated kitchen is one of the best investments a homeowner can make in a property. Recent decorating trends have been leaning toward updating stained cabinets (80's style) to elegantly glazed faux-finishes. This website gives a good visual of what a finished project might look like: http://www.kbwalls.com/kevins%20cabinets%20022%20(600%20x%20450)_01.jpg
Faux-finishes are durable, and can be a achieved on mdf.
Here is another link to a wood grain finish applied on mdf cabinetry: http://www.imaginativeinteriors.co.uk/dragging.shtml
Warm wishes for your project!
Faux-finishes are durable, and can be a achieved on mdf.
Here is another link to a wood grain finish applied on mdf cabinetry: http://www.imaginativeinteriors.co.uk/dragging.shtml
Warm wishes for your project!
- Thomas Richard, "TRS Designs"
- Contributions:76
MDF is acceptable to paint and often cannot be distinguished from a solid wood cabinet. In fact, in some scenarios, MDF is better than solid wood!
The benefits with painted MDF are:
- Lower Cost
- Stability (almost no expansion/contraction as with hardwoods)
- Smoothness (MDF has no woodgrain)
Painted Real Wood can expand contract with humidity in the home resulting in visible seams from board to board, especially around the door frames. This is normal and can even add some character, but not if your not expecting it.
Most major cabinet brands don't offer paint, but instead they have tinted varnishes, or opaque stains, which are almost indistinguishable from a true paint. Some cabinet brands on offer paint on MDF because it is very stable, but I have brands that offer both.
Talk to your cabinet maker and ask why they are suggesting MDF... Is that the only option with the brand they carry, or is there a functional/mechanical reason they are suggesting it? If they can't explain the differences and/or reason to your comfort level, find another cabinet dealer that does.
Good luck and happy remodeling!
Thomas
The benefits with painted MDF are:
- Lower Cost
- Stability (almost no expansion/contraction as with hardwoods)
- Smoothness (MDF has no woodgrain)
Painted Real Wood can expand contract with humidity in the home resulting in visible seams from board to board, especially around the door frames. This is normal and can even add some character, but not if your not expecting it.
Most major cabinet brands don't offer paint, but instead they have tinted varnishes, or opaque stains, which are almost indistinguishable from a true paint. Some cabinet brands on offer paint on MDF because it is very stable, but I have brands that offer both.
Talk to your cabinet maker and ask why they are suggesting MDF... Is that the only option with the brand they carry, or is there a functional/mechanical reason they are suggesting it? If they can't explain the differences and/or reason to your comfort level, find another cabinet dealer that does.
Good luck and happy remodeling!
Thomas
- christyklingler
- Contributions:60
I have asked this exact same question. My in-laws had their cabinets painted and I thought they had them replaced; they looked really nice. I asked a paint specialist...okay the only guy working at Sherwin Williams and he suggested a particular paint that they had that is supposed to adhere to anything, but it comes in a very limited amount of colors. There weren't any choices for a nice cabinet color, just black, gray, things like that. I would search for a company that does it.
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Is painted kitchen cabinets a good option,or is it best to have stained wood?
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