Here is job we enameled for a cabinet maker.  The homeowner of these new cabinets was adamant she wanted a non-oil product because of concerns about the environment, vocs, etc etc.  After we showed them some samples, the homeowner really wanted the look of oil (which has a different luster than water-based products) however.  There are several products that spray nicely and “lay down” beautifully that are called Alkyd Hybrids.  They achieve the look of oil but have much lower voc’s than oil.  They also, seal wood surfaces better than a water-based product.

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To achieve the darkest stain color on Maple you need to do one of the following.  1.  Add dye to the stain (use two coats and wipe each coat) or wet rag off the 2nd coat (this should only be done by someone who has done it before and should not be attempted by a first timer or even a paint store employee who has “heard of that” or “seen that once or twice”) or 2.  Shade lacquer.   Shading lacquer to get a very deep color on maple is normally a 4 coat process (perhaps more) and requires a lot of work.  It makes sense to find the correct painting contractor or cabinet finisher to do this work as opposed to trying to talk your painter, handyman, carpenter or novice how to do it for you.  It won’t work.  On this job in particular I was asked to do finish some doors for a contractor.  The previous painter was using an oil based stain but did not have a dye compatible stain.  We were hired to finish the job and are using a dye stain and 3 clean coats (one of the clear coats will be shaded a tad)  Cabinet staining in Stillwater, MN

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Paint is largely and esthetic product that requires maintenance.  Of course certain products and application methods are superior to others, but certain areas or items don’t need the same level of prep/attention (although every item always needs the correct prep/attention).  An obvious example is an concrete floor vs a drywall ceiling.  For the concrete floor to receive a coating and perform it needs extensive prep and 4 coats of a 100 percent solids, 2 part epoxy.  For the drywall ceiling to perform it needs one coat of primer and one coat of flat paint.  The drywall ceiling should last for 50 years (depending on the conditions) after that process.  Even though the concrete floor receives far more prep, a more durable coating, more coats and is cleaned/washed more often, the drywall ceiling will likely last longer.  The answer to this is obvious… the floor gets far more wear.  To the point WEAR is an important thing to consider when considering your painting contractor.  If you are putting any amount of money into your woodwork, walls, cabinets or you have an active family, or you put a lot of use into your kitchen, or you have grandkids that visit.  It is worth it to talk to a professional, explain what you are trying to achieve and explain the amount of WEAR your particular project is going to receive.  A professional will take it from there.  Here is a Kitchen in White Bear Lake we did with the following process:  1 coat of oil based high build primer on the cabinets after sanding.  2 top coats of Benjamin Moore Satin Impervo Oil Finish.  We thin down one coat and use a flow additive in one of the coats to achieve a better finish.  We also painted the walls with Sherwin Williams Duration which is a durable, washable paint.  Finally we used a Sherwin Williams BAC wiping stain, 1 coat of sealer and 2 top coats of varnish on the alder cabinets.  The results were outstanding.  This homeowner uses her kitchen a lot (cooking a minimum of 2 meals a day) and has 3 kids (often times running through the kitchen, using the sink, opening the fridge.  She need a durable, professionally enameled kitchen.

Call Nick with Complete Custom Painting LLC for a free estimate: 651-336-0561