Question: On residential kitchen repaints, do you finish the cabinet doors and drawers on-site or off-site?

We take the doors and drawer faces to our shop to be hung and sprayed in our booth. It is the better process for us  for the following reasons: 1. We find it to be more efficient than stacking and flipping doors constantly. 2. There is less risk of contaminants landing on vertical surfaces compared to horizontal surfaces. 3. There is less risk of the finish getting damaged if we are not resting finished doors on drying racks.

Here are the more important reasons... 4. We can complete the cabinet boxes in the home in two to three days, clean up, and get out of our client’s kitchen ASAP. Our products dry fast, so they can start using their kitchen the very next day.

The kitchen is the heart of the home, so the less time we are in the client’s kitchen the happier they are. 5. We do not have to take over the client’s garage or breakfast nook to make room for finishing doors, again making it more convenient for our clients. In summary, it is faster for us and more convenient for our clients.

Nichole Lovett, Harmony Haus Painting – Chicago, Illinois I make this decision on a case-by-case basis. Some factors I consider:

• How big is the kitchen?

• How many days can the client be without the use of their kitchen?

• Is there a space where I can set up to prep and spray parts and pieces on-site?

I prefer working in a shop environment when possible, but sometimes logistics make it more practical to do the finishing on-site, for example if I am working on an upper floor walkup in the city. It is important to be prepared to deliver customers the same level of quality and service whether finishing on- or off-site, and whether brushing or spraying.