Polyurethane vs. enamel -- kitchen cabinets

[Davej]

Refinishing kitchen cabinets... how would you compare regular interior latex paint covered by polyurethane versus simply using enamel paint? How would that compare? Thanks.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 2/9/2009 11:23 AM Davej spake thus:

I assume you mean clear polyurethane varnish, correct?

Enamel better by far. Avoids any potential problems of the varnish bonding to the paint, plus the difficulty of getting a smooth flat coat of varnish.

My choice would be true enamel (oil-based), though I'm guessing you're talking about latex (water-based) "enamel" (i.e., gloss finish).

[norminn]

I would never use latex in a kitchen. Alkyd semi-gloss is, by far, my preference. If, by "enamel", you mean high-gloss, be careful. It can be very difficult for a newby to apply - I haven't used it many times, but brushing it out was tough. It can also make defects or uneven surface stand out. When it comes time to paint again, latex is a bugger because it is too soft to sand. When it comes to clean-up, it isn't much different - just water vs. mineral spirits.

[dadiOH]

Use oil base paint.

[Joe]

Any quality oil based alkyd enamel will look great. For a really nice finish, you can buy a Harbpr Freight compressor and spray gun ($100

+-) if you don't already have one and do the drawer fronts and doors a few at a time when weather permits outdoors. Even cheaper at $20 is a Wagner type sprayer that will give acceptable results if you're careful. This avoids the common problem of brush marks in enamels using the typical paint and brushes available today.

Joe

[David Nebenzahl]

On 2/10/2009 6:44 PM Joe spake thus:

Ackshooly, one really nice thing about oil-based paint is that it flows much better than latex, so you don't need to spray to obtain a really smooth surface. Careful brushing will do.

[Malcolm Hoar]

I really like the foam brushes for this kind of application. The Woosters brushes sold at Lowes are great. Pass on the cheap and nasty Home Depot jobs.

I've poly finished a lot of cabinets with the Woosters and you'll have a hard time find a single run or even a brush stroke. They make it *really* easy to produce a very nice finish.