Making the Decision to Stain or Paint Your Cabinets

You’ve been through the process and have chosen the design for your new cabinets, selected your wood, and decided to go with just the right hardware.
Maybe your existing cabinets need a facelift. You’ve taken them down, sanded them and now the decision needs to be made…To stain or paint?
Here is a list of pro’s and con’s:



Paint

• You’ll need to prime the cabinets after sanding them down
• The cabinets may require several coats of paint
• You have the option of choosing the sheen in flat or gloss
• Depending on the finish chosen, it may chip or peel in the future, in turn, the whole process needs to be done again to change the color

Stain

• Stain, which is flat in finish, comes in thousands of colors
• Sanding the cabinets to the bare wood between color change is necessary
• Doesn’t require a primer
• The look is more natural and it won’t chip down the line
• Some woods require more stain than originally anticipated due to the wood soaking it in

For instance, Maple is smooth and has a fine, even grain pattern. The color varies naturally and is accentuated by staining. Some view the thin, dark, mineral streaks as a defect, but it is a natural characteristic of the wood and is displayed darker once stained.
Alder wood looks beautiful stained or painted but it is a softer and lighter in weight than other woods. This means it will mar and dent more easily and requires extra care. Alder can appear blotchy when stained. Prior to staining a wash-coat should first be applied and lightly sanded after prior to staining.
Stained Cherry wood brings out the natural deep red to reddish-brown color. Cherry darkens with age and that will change the color variations along with it.
There are a lot of factors to take into consideration when choosing new kitchen cabinets or overhauling your existing cabinets.
Feel free to contact us today to discuss your options and we’ll help you to make the right decision that works for you.