Cabinet Refinishing in Elizabeth, NJ
When kitchen cabinets start to look worn the whole kitchen feels outdated and old. It usually shows itself in finish chipping around the handles or the doors or discoloration at your most frequently used drawers. Maybe it’s honey oak from the 90s that just doesn’t fit the house anymore. Tired cabinets don’t mean you need new ones and refinishing your existing cabinets is always more cost effective. We offer cabinet refinishing in Elizabeth NJ and nearby Union County towns for kitchens and bathrooms alike. If you have solid wood whether painted or stained we can bring them back to a brand new look and functionality. We clean and sand the boxes you already have to prepare them for a prime coat. Then we spray on a hard durable finish to last for years to come. Your kitchen looks new without the cost or the weeks of demolition. It’s also a quick way for owners of two-families and rentals to update a unit between tenants.
Get a Free Cabinet Refinishing Quote
Tell us about your kitchen and we’ll set up a free estimate. We’ll look over your cabinet boxes and doors and check what they’re made of. We’ll also look at the current finish and how it’s holding up. Once we have all the information we’ll tell you honestly whether refinishing makes sense or whether they’re too far gone. Almost always its makes more financial sense to refinish your existing cabinets saving you time and the hassle of living with no kitchen for weeks. No pressure to upgrade and no surprise pricing. Just a straight answer and a price you can trust.
Most kitchens are done in less than a week. You pick the color and sheen and we handle the rest. New hardware is an easy add if you want to finish off the look and really give your kitchen an updated feel. Fill out the form or give us a call to get started.
How Our Cabinet Refinishing Process Works
Cabinet refinishing is mostly about the prep work and the type of finish paint you choose. The prep will decide how long your new paint job will last. Every door front and piece of hardware comes off. Each one gets labeled so it goes back exactly where it came from. Kitchen cabinets collect years of cooking grease that paint won’t stick to so every surface gets a full degreasing. From there we sand or scuff everything and fill the dings and old hardware holes. A bonding primer goes on next specifically made for slick surfaces like factory finishes and old varnish. If you have oak and want a smooth modern look without the grain showing we can fill the grain before priming, totally up to you. Doors and drawer fronts are sprayed in our shop so the finish comes out smooth and even. The cabinet boxes are masked off and finished in place. We use a hard cabinet-grade coating instead of wall paint because a kitchen takes more abuse than any other room in the house. Many homes in Elizabeth NJ still have their original kitchens from the 50s and 60s. If your cabinets were painted before 1978, we test for lead and handle it safely before any sanding starts.
Signs Your Cabinets Need Refinishing
Cabinets rarely wear out all at once. The first signs are usually a few small things that add up over time like the finish starting to wear through on the doors and drawers you use most. Some kitchens have paint chips around the handles and along the edges and others get a sticky feel that won’t wipe off no matter what you use. White cabinets can yellow and older oak can take on an orange tone. In other cases it’s just time to refresh and change the color of your cabinets to give it a more modern feel. Any of these is a good reason to call for an estimate. If you’re getting ready to sell refinished cabinets are one of the best returns you can get on a kitchen update. Planning a remodel? Ask us before you tear anything out. The boxes are often in better shape than they look and refinishing can save most of your budget.
Why Cabinet Paint Fails
Whether a cabinet finish lasts comes down to what the kitchen puts it through and how it was prepped. Kitchens are tough on paint largely due to grease from cooking getting on every surface. Steam from the stove and dishwasher softens coatings over time and the doors and drawers you use most get opened hundreds of times a week. When cabinets are painted without a good degreasing and a bonding primer the paint sits on top of a slick surface instead of gripping it. It starts peeling at the edges and can fail within a year. Brushing on regular wall paint makes it even worse. Wall paint stays soft and shows every brush mark. The best way to refinish cabinets is by spraying a hard cabinet-grade finish made to stand up to daily use. A lot of the cabinets we see around Elizabeth NJ were painted by a previous owner with wall paint and no primer. They can almost always be saved once the bad paint is stripped back and the job is done right.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does cabinet refinishing take?
Most kitchens take about a week. The doors and drawer fronts come off and get sprayed in our shop while the cabinet boxes are prepped and finished in your kitchen. You can use your kitchen for most of the job but there’s typically a day or two of very limited access to let the paint cure. We give you a schedule up front and let you know right away if anything changes.
How much does cabinet refinishing cost in Elizabeth, NJ?
It depends on the size of your kitchen, meaning how many cabinets you have. Other factors like reusing or replacing hardware and how much of the existing cabinets need to be fixed up. In most cases refinishing costs a fraction of new cabinets. We’ll count everything during your free estimate and give you an itemized price.
Can laminate or thermofoil cabinets be refinished?
Laminate usually can but it needs a thorough scuffing and a strong bonding primer. If this is done right a new coat looks great on it. Thermofoil however is different. If the vinyl coating is peeling or bubbling painting over it won’t hold. Replacing the doors is the better move there. We’ll tell you which situation you have and what makes sense.
How long does a refinished cabinet finish last?
Done right, it can last many years or even decades. Proper surface prep and finish product make all the difference. A cabinet-grade coating over a clean primed surface holds up to daily use for years. Wall paint brushed over greasy cabinets is what chips and peels. We do it the right way every time.
Ready for a Kitchen That Feels New?
Not sure if your cabinets can be salvaged and brought up to a beautiful modern finish? Give us a call for a free no hassle estimate and let us see if we can give you the kitchen of your dreams.
Call Elizabeth House Painters at the number below for a free estimate!