How Long Does it Take to Paint Kitchen Cabinets?
That’s a question we get asked a lot.
Often we’re asked to paint kitchen cabinets that have previously been stained, and those will take us about five days to do. The size of the kitchen doesn’t matter so much because it’s the process that takes the time. (Though obviously, if you have a huge kitchen, it will take a little longer!)
Day 1:
The first day we work on protecting your kitchen. You don’t have to worry about granite countertops, or your backsplash, or anything else you have installed. We’ll protect them! We put a couple of layers of builder’s paper down on the countertops to protect them from any spills and scratches. We’ll protect your appliances with blue tape, builder’s paper, and plastic. We’ll cover the floor, the counters, the appliances—everything that has to be protected before we get to start painting.
Days 2 and 3:
The next step is to prep your cabinets. We sand, clean and de-grease everything. We remove all the hardware. Then we prime the cabinets, and when we do that we often have to use a little bit of caulking and wood filler. We’ll usually finish with this on the 3rd day.
Days 4 and 5:
On our 4th day, we’ll lay down a coat of paint and let it dry fully for the rest of the day. The 5th day we put a second coat of paint on and let that dry. Then we’ll begin the process to remove all of the paper and plastic we’ve put down in your kitchen, and get your kitchen back in order!
So if we start your cabinets on Monday, we’ll usually finish up on Friday. Sometimes this will stretch to Saturday if you have a very big kitchen, or if you have two colors being added, or an island in a different color, or a stain. Using different colors and finishes in the same kitchen space can delay us for a day, just because we have to lay down protection on everything for the second color.
Our process is the same no matter what kind of wood your cabinets are made of, maple or oak or any other kind. And when we’re finished, your cabinets will look like a model home!
