# Re-facing a kitchen with new doors and drawer fronts.



## Packard (May 2, 2018)

I am a custom cabinet maker. For the last several years I used a HVLP sprayer with PPG’s Breakthrough! As my only finish. But the PPG dealer could not survive the pandemic and they closed.

I am now using Benjamin Moore’s Advance. Thus far I have only used satin and it seems to spray out nicer than Breakthrough! Only the drying time is a downside for me.

I am quoting on re-facing a kitchen. This is something that I don’t normally do, though I have sold doors and drawer fronts to contractors in the past.

The customer wants slab doors with a gloss finish (white). There will be handles mounted. It will be going over face frame cabinets.

I was able to talk the customer into new soft close hinges. So I can order these with a larger overlay. The current doors cover ½” of the face frame, a style that was popular in the 1990s. I plan on using hinges that will cover 1¼” of the face frame, so very little of the face frame will show.

That is good because the kitchen is all in red oak with open pores. The grain telegraphing through will be less obvious.

A few questions:

1. I don’t want to use oil-based paint. I know Hollandlac is going to be glossier. I plan on submitting samples of Advance in gloss for approval. Do I paint the backside and edges in gloss too? Or am I better served using satin for that?

2. Do I use gloss on the face frames? Or satin? Remembering that very little of the face frame will be exposed when the doors and drawers are closed.

3. The only site-finished areas are the face frames themselves. I will reface the exposed sides of the cabinets with ¼” thick panels that I paint in the shop. I was planning on painting the face frames with a brush. Is this a good plan?


Any tips or suggestions before quoting this job?

Thanks for your help.

Packard


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

Are you asking if you should use different sheens for different parts?


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## Packard (May 2, 2018)

Yes, that is the question. I will try to make my post clearer.


I am bidding on refacing a kitchen.
I am building all-new slab doors which will be painted glossy white (B-M Advance)
The new doors will be over maple (closed grain) plywood.
The new doors will be enlarged to cover almost all of the face frame
The face frame is red oak with an open grain.

Questions:

Do I paint all surfaces with glossy white?

Do I paint the face frame with satin white?

Do I paint the interior of the doors with satin white?


Addendum: I am pretty much a one-trick pony in regards to painting. 


I only paint cabinets. 
Until now I have only painted cabinets that I built. 
I only use B-M Advance. 
Until now I have only used satin. 
I only use 1-2-3 primer.
I am a custom cabinet maker, not a painter. But I do paint the cabinets that I produce.


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## Masterwork (Sep 13, 2020)

All gloss.... 

Are you not painting both sides of the doors at once?


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## Packard (May 2, 2018)

I have not been working that way. I see others do. I avoid runs by painting when it is flat. I should try that. It would save a lot of time.


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## Masterwork (Sep 13, 2020)

Cabinet Door Painting System - Door Rack Painter


The best regular & cabinet door painting system that will give an excellent horizontally sprayed loaded up smooth finish.




doorrackpainter.com





Not a gimmick. It actually does work.


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## Packard (May 2, 2018)

I can see how the contact points will be minimal. What I can't see is how he is able to lift the spray-painted door without leaving finger marks. I think Advance would need an hour or more before I could lift it without leaving finger marks.


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## Masterwork (Sep 13, 2020)

Packard said:


> I can see how the contact points will be minimal. What I can't see is how he is able to lift the spray-painted door without leaving finger marks. I think Advance would need an hour or more before I could lift it without leaving finger marks.


It comes with special plastic paddles. They also only make contact with the edge.


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