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steph_elizabeth

Brand new Custom Kitchen cabinets chipping PLEASE HELP!

Steph Elizabeth
4 years ago

Our kitchen Reno has been a nightmare. Our cabinets were installed 12 weeks ago and the job still isn’t complete. We are waiting for missing drawer fronts that had to be refinished because of dents and flaws in them that couldn’t be touched up. Many pieces damaged in transport. Peeling veneer on fridge panel already repaired. My issue now is our island. The island looked almost flawless except for quite a few paint bubbles when installed two months ago. Originally, the cabinet maker accidentally had the island pieces painted white to match the rest of our cabinets. It was meant to be Navy. They repainted on top of this (sprayed in factory). Now two months in they are chipping and showing wear. You can see the white paint underneath. We have scarcely been home this summer and have not even really used the kitchen and already it’s chipping. Could this be from the extra paint? I don’t know if they primed under the navy but they certainly didn’t sand the doors down and start from scratch. The paint bubbles also show a spec of white underneath. Has me worried that wherever the bubbles are, it will wear off and be white after cleaning.

Comments (8)

  • salonva
    4 years ago

    Have you pointed this out yet to them? You say it's not complete so I guess they are still around- you definitely should point it out and see what they suggest. I really am not knowledgeable but if it is chipping with minimal use, this is not a good sign. At least for the doors maybe they can just replace them altogether with new properly treated doors. I have suggestion for the bubbles. Good luck - hoping some others chime in with good advice and info for you.

  • cpartist
    4 years ago

    First there should be NO bubbles. That should have been sanded down and resprayed. Second brand new cabinets should not be chipping. Talk to your cabinet guy and if necessary make him redo them. Hopefully you haven't paid him in full.

  • User
    4 years ago

    All cabinets chip with normal wear and tear. Sharp 90 degree edges will always show that first. Sharp 90 degree edges should be avoided if at all possible. Edges should be slightly rounded over. Painted cabinets show normal chipping far worse than stained. If the project is not finished, touch ups have not yet been done.


    Those are normal wear spots for chipping to occur. Whether or not that is normal chipping depends on the processes and materials that were used. Site built and finished with house paint? Normal. Conversion varnish? Less normal, but not unheard of with those sharp edges.


    Learning how to touch these up is in your future as they will need that every so often. This is a teaching that your cabinet maker or installer should provide at the end of the project, along with how to adjust your doors and drawers to account for seasonal movement.

  • Steph Elizabeth
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Here is a photo of one of the “bubbles”. I believe before they were painted white there was some grit that wasn’t removed and this is what we are seeing. Quite a few of these on all doors.

  • Steph Elizabeth
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    These were sprayed in factory not painted on site. My fear is after they painted them the wrong colour that they failed to prime them again.

  • User
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Factory cabinets do not get “resprayed”. They get reordered if a mistake was made. True local custom may potentially be coated again with the same chemistry with no issues. But if they took factory cabinets and sprayed who knows what them in someone’s garage? That’s an issue.

    You need to find out 100% exactly what products and processed were used.

    If these are factory cabinets, what brand are they? If these are local custom, what were the SPECIFICS about the construction and coatings processes?

  • Kathy Handy Ginter
    4 years ago

    Following