The short answer
Most wood, MDF and previously painted cabinets in Plantation can be repainted with excellent results, while peeling thermofoil and water-damaged particleboard usually need repair or replacement first. Our process covers removal, deep cleaning, sanding, bonding primer and sprayed enamel, with reinstall after the finish has cured.
Plantation has a wide mix of housing, from established ranch-style homes on leafy lots to townhomes and condos built more recently. That mix shows up inside the kitchen too. One house might have solid wood raised-panel doors that have been refinished once already; the next might have thermofoil fronts that are starting to peel at the edges. Whatever you have, the question is the same: can these cabinets be painted so they look good and stay that way? CraftEdge Painters drives about eight miles south from Coral Springs to help homeowners in 33317, 33322, 33324 and 33388 answer that honestly and then do the work carefully. Below is how we evaluate cabinets, what the finishing process involves and what to expect while your kitchen is in progress.
First question: what are your cabinets made of?
Material decides the approach, so we start every Plantation cabinet visit by checking doors, frames, end panels and the inside of the sink base.
- Solid wood (oak, maple, cherry, birch): an ideal candidate. Open-grain oak can be left textured or filled for a smooth look.
- MDF doors with wood frames: paints very well, though cut edges need sealing so they do not swell or fuzz.
- Previously painted cabinets: fine to repaint once we confirm the old coating is bonded and remove any failing layers.
- Laminate or melamine: possible with a specialty bonding primer, but surfaces must be intact and not lifting.
- Thermofoil (vinyl-wrapped): if the film is peeling, it generally needs to be removed or the doors replaced; painting over loose vinyl fails.
Older kitchens and what we look for
Homes that have been around for a few decades often carry layers of history inside the cabinets: an old stain under a later coat of paint, shelf liner glued to interior surfaces, hardware holes from two different pull styles, or a leak under the sink that softened the floor of the base. We note all of this during the walkthrough so there are no surprises midway through.
If you are in an older home and the cabinets have paint from many years ago, we treat it with appropriate care during sanding and keep dust contained. Small fixes like re-gluing a loose face frame joint or replacing a stripped hinge screw hole are normally handled as part of prep.
Inside our finishing process
Doors and drawer fronts are numbered and removed, along with hinges and pulls. The boxes and frames stay in place and are masked off from countertops, backsplashes, walls and appliances. Everything gets a thorough degreasing, because kitchen grease and hand oils are the leading cause of paint that peels from cabinets.
After cleaning, surfaces are sanded to give the primer something to grip. We fill dents and gaps, prime with a product matched to the material, then lightly sand again. Finish coats are sprayed for a smooth, factory-like look on doors, and the frames are sprayed or brushed with care depending on the space. Between coats, each surface is inspected under a work light for drips and dust.
Cabinet enamel feels dry quickly but takes longer to harden fully, especially in humid weather. We reinstall once the finish can be handled safely and let you know how gently to treat the doors over the following weeks.
Living with your kitchen during the project
With doors off, your cabinets are still usable, just open. Most owners keep cooking simple meals while we work in sections. We clear up daily, keep the sink and at least part of the counter available when possible, and make sure dust and spray stay out of food areas.
Plantation summers bring long, humid stretches and afternoon storms. We run fans and the home's air conditioning to help coatings cure, and we schedule spraying around the conditions instead of forcing a timeline that would compromise the finish.
Pairing paint with other small upgrades
Repainting is the right moment to switch to soft-close hinges, swap dated pulls for new hardware, add crown molding across the tops of uppers or install light rail trim underneath. Planning these together means holes are filled and drilled once and everything is painted in the same finish.
Bathroom vanities, wet bars and laundry cabinets can be added to the same project. We also paint cabinets for owners in Sunrise, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Tamarac and North Lauderdale.
More services in Plantation
- Interior Painting in Plantation
- Exterior Painting in Plantation
- Residential Painting in Plantation
- Commercial Painting in Plantation