Why Hiring a Non-Refinisher Could be a Costly Mistake

While interior painters may seem like a convenient option, there are several reasons why they may not be the best choice and may require additional vetting.

1.  The art of refinishing is something that takes many years of knowledge and specific tools to master the trade.  Product know-how, temperature & humidity control, catalyzation, reduction, tannin-blocking techniques, and troubleshooting are just some of the finer details that go into ensuring the finest finish. While some interior painters are also excellent refinishers, be cautious of residential painting companies who have added cabinet painting as a new service offer homeowners a "jack of all trades, master of none" business model resulting in possible subpar results.

2.  Residential painters may not have access or care to resource the higher-quality paint (like ICRO, Renner, Milesi, and other fine 1/2k water based products on the market) and materials and equipment needed to achieve a professional finish. Refinishing sprayers and equipment are a very expensive investment but critical to controlling environmental factors like dust and contamination, for example. Air scrubbers, dustless sanding (like Surf Prep, Mirka, Festool), and proper ventilation systems are not for the faint of heart painters.  It's a serious upfront expense for companies to properly be able to guarantee flawless results. Residential painters may paint your doors and drawers on your front lawn!  We've driven by homes in our area where we've seen cabinets laid out on ladders on the homeowner's front lawn...not exactly a controlled environment and definitely NOT professional.  This is a fine example of cabinet painting gone wrong. 

3.  Knowing your wood and/or substrate is essential in picking out what products to use.  Residential painters may not know the difference between maple, oak, cherry, birch, other types of wood, and/or medium-density fiberboard (MDF).  This could lead to costly mistakes when using the wrong products.  Knowledge of cabinet anatomy may also be lacking and may lead a residential painter to unknowingly caulk in between panels, stiles, and rails causing possible future cracking due to wood expansion/contraction.

4.  Cabinet refinishing is all about the little details. Interior painters often lack the attention to detail and precision required for the art of refinishing leading to uneven coatings. Proper spray technique and knowing how thick to spray is an essential skill refinishers excel in. Spraying and/or rolling walls is a whole lot different than spraying and/or rolling cabinets...substrates and products are worlds apart and require a specialized application. 

5.  Reinstallation of doors and drawers can require skill.  Knowing the differences between various hinges and how things should be properly rehung may not be the expertise of an interior painter.  Often cabinet refinishers can have your doors/drawers hung better than before they were painted.