How Long Do Painted Kitchen Cabinets Last?

A Guide for Urbandale, Iowa Homeowners

If you're thinking about painting your kitchen cabinets, one of the biggest questions is probably: How long will the paint actually last?

It's a fair question. Kitchen cabinets take a lot of abuse. They're opened and closed constantly, touched with dirty or greasy hands, wiped down, bumped by dishes and exposed to moisture and heat.

When kitchen cabinets are properly prepared and professionally painted with a quality cabinet coating, you can generally expect the finish to look good for 7 to 10 years, and often longer. But there's a big difference between simply putting paint on cabinets and properly refinishing them.

What Makes Painted Cabinets Last?

The durability of painted cabinets starts long before the first coat of paint goes on.

Cabinets collect years of grease, cooking residue, cleaners and oils from our hands. If those contaminants aren't properly removed, even great paint can have trouble bonding to the surface.

Preparation may include cleaning and degreasing, sanding or deglossing, repairing imperfections and properly priming the surface when needed.

Skipping steps can save time initially, but it's also one of the biggest reasons painted cabinets begin peeling or chipping prematurely.

The Paint You Use Matters

Cabinets shouldn't be painted with ordinary wall paint.

At Harmony Painting, we use Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel for our cabinet painting projects. It's designed for surfaces that need a harder, more durable finish than typical interior wall paint.

Once properly cured, the finish is made to withstand the everyday handling and cleaning that kitchen cabinets receive.

The quality of the coating matters, but even the best cabinet paint won't make up for poor preparation underneath it.

Will Painted Kitchen Cabinets Chip?

They can.

Any painted surface can eventually chip, especially when it's hit with something hard or sharp. The areas around cabinet knobs and pulls typically receive the most wear because they're touched every day.

What you shouldn't see with a properly prepared and painted cabinet is paint routinely peeling off or easily scratching away during normal use.

There's a difference between normal wear after years of use and a coating failing because it never properly bonded to the cabinet.

Give Freshly Painted Cabinets Time to Cure

One thing homeowners don't always realize is that dry paint and cured paint aren't the same thing.

Cabinet paint may feel dry fairly quickly, but it takes longer for the coating to fully harden. Freshly painted cabinets should be treated gently during that curing period.

That means avoiding aggressive cleaning, being careful around doors and drawers and giving the finish time to reach its full durability.

Those first few weeks can make a difference in how the finish performs long term.

How to Care for Painted Kitchen Cabinets

How you clean and care for painted cabinets can have a big impact on how long the finish lasts.

For routine cleaning, simple is best. We recommend warm water with a small amount of mild dish soap and a soft cloth. You don't need harsh household cleaners to keep painted cabinets clean.

Avoid strong chemical cleaners, abrasive cleaning products, scouring pads and anything that requires aggressive scrubbing. Over time, these can dull or damage the painted finish.

Wipe grease and spills away before they have a chance to build up, and don't leave water sitting on cabinet doors or around seams.

Using cabinet knobs and pulls also helps. Constantly grabbing the painted edges of doors and drawers transfers oils from your hands to the finish and can contribute to wear over time.

Painted cabinets are durable, but they aren't indestructible. Treating them like a painted finish rather than a countertop can help keep them looking great for years.

Is Painting Cabinets Worth It?

If your existing cabinets are solid and you like the layout of your kitchen, painting them can completely change the room without the expense and disruption of replacing everything.

It's especially popular when homeowners have good-quality wood cabinets but don't like the stain, color or dated appearance.

We've seen kitchens throughout the Des Moines area where changing the cabinet color makes the entire space feel newer and brighter without changing the cabinets themselves.

Professional Cabinet Painting in Urbandale, Iowa

If you're considering cabinet painting in Urbandale, Iowa, the most important thing isn't simply choosing a color you love. It's making sure the work underneath the paint is done correctly.

Harmony Painting professionally paints kitchen cabinets throughout Urbandale, Des Moines, Ankeny, West Des Moines and surrounding communities.

We focus on proper preparation and use coatings designed to handle the daily wear kitchen cabinets receive.

If your cabinets are structurally sound but you're ready for a new look, we'd be happy to take a look at your kitchen and help you determine whether painting is a good option for your cabinets.

Harmony Painting
Locally owned and serving the Des Moines metro for nearly 20 years.

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