Cabinet Refacing Advice: Paint vs Thermofoil

last year

I’ve gotten two quotes so far for refacing my kitchen cabinets with white Shaker cabinets, and they are quite different, so I’m having trouble comparing. We have a good size U-shaped kitchen (~45 linear feet of cabinets plus an island), and don’t need new boxes or inserts as those are already upgraded and in good condition (except for replacing the single trash pullout with a double). Both quotes include new Blum soft-close hinges, crown molding, toe kicks, and a few options for free hardware.

Quote #1: $28k through a large chain operating in multiple states, started locally many years ago. This price is for white Thermofoil doors, with exposed edges covered in a white veneer: cabinet ends and island with large sheets that are custom-cut, and around the edges of the cabinet boxes with a laminate. They could do this all in 3-5 days. They also do solid wood, but said that would be ~25% more.

Quote #2: $15k from a local, family-owned, medium-size business that has been operating for 6 years. This is for painted maple doors with MDF central panels, with exposed surfaces to be covered in a maple veneer that is painted to match. They use Sherwin Williams water-based paint so I could pick the exact color I want, and the process would take about 2 weeks. They also do Thermofoil, but (surprisingly to me) said that would be more expensive—roughly $21k for the whole thing.

I had a good conversation with both of the companies so far. I came in not wanting to do Thermofoil (I don’t love the slightly plasticky look or the slightly raised surface), but the increased durability of Thermofoil is attractive, and now I’m worrying about the durability of painting. I’m in California, so I assume some of the oil-based paints I’ve seen recommended are not legal, but I want to be sure the paint lasts.

The process for the second company is:
(1) Install all veneer and doors to make sure everything fits.
(2) Remove doors.
(3) Doors are painted either on-site (they said they usually use the yard if it’s large enough) or back to their shop (if the owner prefers that). They spray with two coats of primer and two coats of water-based Sherwin Williams paint.
(4) At the same time that doors are painted out of the kitchen, the veneer is painted in the kitchen (same two coats of primer and two of paint).

So, does this paint process seem like it is designed to last? What should I be looking for to ensure that if I go with the company that paints, the paint lasts? Does the pricepoint in my VHCOL area seem reasonable?

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Comments (6)

millworkman
last year
" Does the pricepoint in my VHCOL area seem reasonable? "

The guy painting is not describing how he will prep or actually finish the doors. There is a lot of work involved and honestly as soon as the backyard words came out he would be off my radar (even though he mentioned shop as well). His choice of paint leaves much to be desired as well as neither the primer nor paint are listed as a true cabinet paint. And for a high cost of living area all of it sounds too cheap to me. A large regional company scares me as well as that is not always synonymous with quality work, quite often the opposite.
C P
Original Author
last year
millworkman, thank your for your advice. That is helpful! In terms of prep or finish the doors, what are you thinking about? I was thinking that since the doors will be new (not refinished) that there isn’t a ton of prep needed…but I’m not an expert, so I appreciate any feedback about what I should be asking in terms of their prep process?

Also in terms of “true cabinet paint,” what kind of paint is that? What should I be looking for? Is Sherwin Williams just not a good brand for this?
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Kendrah
last year
You want to get quotes that compare apples to apples. You now have a quote for an apple and an orange - thermofoil and paint. If you go with thermofoil, get at least two thermofoil quotes. If you paint get two or three paint quotes.

I know nothing about thermofoil, though would steer clear of doing business with a large multi-state company. If there are problems, I want to take it up with a business owner who is going to come on site and see the issues and deal with me directly.

I would not even consider the quote that includes painting in a back yard. (Do they up charge you for the removal of the pollen and dirt that blows into the paint before it dries, or is that included? :))

Get two more painting quotes from folks who use appropriate processes and materials. Cabinets see much more handling and wear than an average wall, so average water-born wall paint isn't going to last long. Others more knowledgeable on here will have to tell you what specifically to use.
C P
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Kendrah, thank you for your advice!

I did get a third company out this morning who also paint, and they recommended a different process than the second company. Both companies would do all new doors, but we have a lot of edges that aren’t covered by doors (fridge surround, island, etc.) and they recommended different processes. Company #2 would replace the existing skins with new maple skins and then paint those; company #3 said that since our existing skins are in good condition, they would just paint them (after cleaning and sanding—existing skins are white oak and have a slight texture, but they said after sanding, it won’t be a problem). They said this would be cheaper since our cabinets are in good condition (the previous owner remodeled, so these are about 15 years old), and also implied that taking off the current skins might cause damage.

So, I guess I have two questions:

(1) If the skins are in good condition, is it better to repaint than replace? Currently, the large exposed areas are skins, plus some edge banding, and I’ve uploaded a picture so you can get a good sense of what their current condition is.

(2) Obviously, I don’t want to use wall paint on kitchen cabinets, but beyond that, I’m not sure how to compare the paint the different companies will use. The door samples both companies brought me to see looked good and pretty close to me. The third company said they use proprietary satin paint with “a little lacquer for longevity” and then a topcoat; I’m following up to get more details from the second. Is the topcoat an important step?

Here's part of the kitchen--you can see they used both panels with skins and laminate edge banding.
PRO
Monique
last year
If you are painting, there is zero need for refacing anything. IF you have an actual cabinet finisher, and not a house painter.
PRO
KT Builders
last year
Just DIY paint what exists and save 26K. That is a ridiculous number. There are plenty of FB groups that will walk you through the whole process. Kitchen Cabinet Painting Experts has a whole Guides section walking you through all the prep. That is the most important part, even for a pro.