Cabinet Painting for Ayer, MA homeowners.

Painting cabinets is a decision about whether the boxes are worth keeping. If the cases are solid wood or good plywood, square and dry, a new finish and new hardware can change a kitchen for a fraction of the disruption of replacement. If the boxes are swollen particleboard under the sink, sagging, or laid out in a way that no longer works, paint will not fix that.

Owners occupy about 69.2% of the homes in town, and the census puts the median owner-occupied value at roughly $463,800. Measured against that figure, refinishing a sound kitchen and a full remodel are very different investments, and both are worth pricing before deciding. The cabinet painting vs. replacement article lays out the trade-offs.

Kitchens by era

The 1970s were the busiest decade of home building here, with about 478 units, and the town's median year built is 1977. Cabinets installed then or in the following decades may be oak or oak veneer with a clear finish, or a wood-grain laminate. Oak has open grain that shows through paint unless it is filled; some owners like that texture and some want it smooth, and the choice changes the prep time considerably. Laminate and thermofoil can be painted only after a dedicated bonding primer, and peeling thermofoil has to be removed rather than coated.

About 23.5% of units date from 2000 or later. Those kitchens may have painted MDF doors or maple, which take paint well, but factory finishes are hard and slick, so thorough scuff sanding and an adhesion primer are not optional.

Built-ins and pantries in older houses

In houses from the railroad and early-1900s periods, the kitchen itself may have been remodeled, but dining room china cabinets, butler's pantries and bathroom linen cupboards may be original. Those pieces are often painted already, sometimes many times, and in a home built before 1978 some of those layers may contain lead. About 53.9% of the town's units were built before 1980, so testing those surfaces before sanding is a basic step. If lead is present, the work follows the methods on the lead-safe painting page.

How the work is done

A detailed sequence is in the kitchen cabinet painting process article.

• Doors, drawer fronts and hardware are removed and labeled so every piece returns to its own opening
• All surfaces are degreased, since paint does not bond to cooking residue near the range
• Sanding, grain filling if wanted, and a bonding primer suited to the material
• Doors and drawers sprayed with a cabinet-grade enamel; frames and boxes finished in place with the kitchen masked off
• Cure time before heavy use, since enamels keep hardening for days after they feel dry

Kitchens in rental units

One unit in five sits in a two- to four-family building, and about 30.8% of occupied homes are rented. For a landlord, painting dated cabinets can be a way to refresh a unit between leases without the downtime of a renovation. A durable, scrubbable enamel in a neutral color and simple replacement pulls hold up to tenant turnover; keeping a labeled can of the exact color makes later touch-ups straightforward.