Frequently Asked Questions
Refinishing or refacing your kitchen cabinets offers a chance for you to make your kitchen look like new without the exorbitant expense of a full kitchen replacement. Instead of spending $50,000 or more for design services and installation of a new kitchen, refinish your existing cabinet boxes and consider getting new hardwood doors and drawer fronts.
The owner has been working in our shop since 1998.
No. We have a limited number cabinet door samples at our shop. If you have a stop by to give you an estimate, request that we bring some samples to you.
We see customers by appointment only at our shop. We do not have full time staff at our shop during regular business hours. We are a small enough crew such that when we have a job in progress all of us are away working in someone’s house.
We have many glowing references available upon request.
We mostly service Eastern and Central Massachusetts as well as Southern New Hampshire. Occasionally, we do projects in Western Massachusetts.
No, we do not. However, the wood finishing products we use are formaldehyde free. We use the least toxic products on the market that meet our customers’ high standards for durability.
We do not typically use a polyurethane finish. We use waterborne, pre-catalyzed lacquer, and conversion varnish finishes depending on the application.
All of the cabinets must be emptied and counters cleared. Wall hangings within a two feet of cabinetry must be removed. Take down window treatments (blinds, curtains, etc.) above your kitchen sink.
If your refrigerator has cabinets above it, typically we ask that you move it. Other appliances can stay in place. Ask us for more details.
No, you can remain in the house. However, during the typically one or two days while we are spraying, the kitchen will be isolated from the rest of the house with plastic walls and will be inaccessible. You may not want to be on the same floor or right next to the work area for significant amounts of time
1) Dry cabinetry when it gets wet. Wipe up spills promptly.
2) Use a very mild, eco-friendly dish soap and a damp sponge to clean. Make sure the sponge is not dripping as no water should be permitted to remain
on the cabinets. They must be kept dry.
3) You may use any cream polish product in order to maintain an even sheen,
to clean and to protect your cabinets. Make sure it is silicone free and does
not leave a residue.
4) Avoid the following products that degrade wood finishes: Old English, 409,
Pledge, Murphy’s Oil.
Yes. In addition to cabinet fronts, we can install new base cabinet boxes or wall cabinets. We subcontract an outstanding carpenter with many years of experience for this option.
Yes! In addition to lazy Susan’s, please ask us about some other corner cabinet options.
We typically can leave you some supplies upon request. However, the finish we use is meant to be sprayed with professional equipment, not simply brushed on. Ask us about touch up options so we can discuss a solution tailored to the specific characteristics of your kitchen.
For spray painting a medium to large size kitchen, we expect there to be a week of shop work and a week of on-site work. We remove all doors and drawer fronts and bring and work on those at the shop. For the cabinet frameworks, we like to start on a Monday and finish by the following Friday.
Our lead time typically varies from 1 to 3 months. If you want to have work done between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, we recommend that you call us in July. If you want your project done between Thanksgiving and Christmas, call us before mid-August.
For refacing projects (new doors and drawer faces) expect a minimum of 6 weeks from the time of contract signing, deposit, and measurement of your kitchen until work begins in your home.
Call us! We’ll want to know how many cabinet doors you have as well as the number of drawer fronts and exposed cabinet sides. Prices vary widely depending on your kitchen’s size, condition, and what serve you are requesting. The most expense would be a reface job in which your changing the stain color of your cabinetry (i.e. new doors and drawer faces and either veneer or completely strip to bare wood your cabinet face frame and side panels and restain). Next is reface & paint, then paint your existing cabinet doors. Refinishing your existing cabinet doors in the same shade of stain is an economical but comprehensive solution. A touch-up (only worn areas refinished on-site) is a fraction of the cost of the other services. This last option is useful if your kitchen only needs a light touch.
We specialize in wood finishing. We spray professional grade wood sealers, primers, and finishes rather than brush painting consumer grade acrylic paint. We have spent many years formulating our materials and processes to deliver a superior finish for cabinetry. Consumer grade products are more prone to leave brush marks, drips, and may crack over time. Our products are durable, lay down smoothly on wood surfaces, maintain their color, and exhibit elasticity with changes in humidity.