# Painting Kitchen Cabinets and Polyurethanes



## vomtickie (Jun 5, 2007)

*Painting Kitchen Cabinets*

My wife and I painted our kitchen cabinets about a year ago with latex paint. The cabinets were old and already had a few layers of paint. Now, they are chipping, scratched, etc.

We have stripped all the paint off and are getting ready to paint them again. My problem is I don't want them to get chipped and scratched so easily again. I have a few questions:

1. Is latex paint the best type of paint to use for kitchen cabinets?

2. After we paint them, can we put a coat of polyurethane on top? Would this help seal the paint and protect the cabinets? Make the easier to wipe down, etc?

Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks much!


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## Guest (Jun 5, 2007)

I still think oil is better on cabinets and other furniture for durability. You have yellowing concerns with oil though. If you want to go latex, I'd use a tough DTM type paint or a ceramic finish, both of which are harder than normal latex. I'm using Davis Perfection ceramic with microban on a set of cabinets now. Two days after painting and it's hard as a rock and stuck tight too. I've also used Pratt and Lambert Accolade on a few projects and found it to be a good hard finish, though not an easy paint to work with.


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

vomtickie said:


> 1. Is latex paint the best type of paint to use for kitchen cabinets?


Not exactly
Basic latex paint is probably the worst type of paint for cabinets
_Though you can sometimes get by with it_

A quality waterborne enamel is much better....much better
(Ben Moore Impervo, Sherwin Williams Pro Classic)
Technically, WEs are latex, and paints, so there can be some confusion
But there is a big difference between a waterborne enamel and a latex paint or even a latex enamel

It's true that oil-based enamels have an edge in durability over waterborne enamels
But these days the difference is slight



vomtickie said:


> 2. After we paint them, can we put a coat of polyurethane on top? Would this help seal the paint and protect the cabinets? Make the easier to wipe down, etc?


That won't be necessary with an enamel



vomtickie said:


> Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated


Depending on what you have stripped them down to, a quality oil or latex primer may be in order to keep the enamel adhering
If they are bare wood, a latex should be fine
Ask at the Paint Store you get your enamel from (ie: Ben Moore's Fresh Start if using Ben Moore Impervo)


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## joewho (Nov 1, 2006)

I agree with slick, use a new modified waterborn enamel.

In the old days people would go over thier paint with poly, but it yellows even worse than oil paint.

Waterborn poly goes on clear and stays clear, however, it takes extra skills to make it come out smooth. Stick with a good paint. Sand between coats.


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## Workaholic (Apr 1, 2007)

I also agree with Slick and Joe a waterborn will be best.

I love oil paint too but the problem is that it yellows much much faster in dark places, even if you shoot 2-4 black in it. So the inside of the cabinets would yellow quickly.


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## woodco (Jun 11, 2017)

Diegoberrondo said:


> Oil paint makes a case for itself with its reputation for easy application and a long-lasting finish that can be scrubbed and cleaned regularly, but latex paint is the best choice for most cabinets since it offers lower levels of volatile organic compounds and is quicker to dry.


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