Are you a Huntley, IL resident with outdated oak cabinets? You’re not alone. From Del Webb to the Covington Lakes subdivision, many kitchens in Huntley still contain the original oak cabinets.
While oak cabinets are strong and sturdy, the natural wood color can make a kitchen look very dark and dated. In this post, we explore whether or not you can, or should, paint your oak cabinets.
Can You Paint Oak Cabinets?
The answer is a resounding yes! We have a lot of experience painting oak cabinets in Huntley, IL, and we know how to prep and paint them correctly so they look brand new.
Successfully painting oak requires meticulous surface preparation to reduce visible wood grain. This tedious process involves cleaning and filling the grain with one to two coats of wood filler, followed by sanding to create a smooth profile.
Do You Have to Fill the Grain?
Filling the grain for painting purposes is really important because oak is very grainy and full of small holes and cracks. These natural holes and cracks become very noticeable when you paint your oak cabinets white.
Whenever we do oak cabinet painting in Huntley, IL, or anywhere else, we always skim-coat the doors and frames with grain filler. The process is time-consuming but well worth it in the end.
This picture shows what an oak cabinet door looks like when the grain isn’t filled before painting. The natural grain texture is very noticeable.
Will My Painted Oak Cabinets Still Look Like Oak?
Our cabinet painter in Huntley, IL performs meticulous surface preparation to fill and sand the grain so the natural holes and cracks in the wood don’t show up in the paint.
The natural pattern of oak is difficult, if not impossible, to completely remove from cabinet doors and frames. However, with our prep and painting process, you won’t see open holes and cracks in the paint from the oak grain, and it will be hard to tell if your painted cabinets are oak.
Priming for Perfection
When we paint oak cabinets in Huntley, we apply a solvent-based primer after the grain filler has been sanded. Our specialized primer forms a barrier to keep tannin oil in the wood from bleeding into the paint.
The added benefit of priming is that it forms an important base layer that adheres to bare wood better than paint alone. By priming and sanding in between coats, we increase adhesion so the paint on your oak cabinets lasts for years without chipping.
Our cabinet painter in Huntley, IL spray painted these oak cabinets in Del Webb.
Spray Painting Oak Cabinets in Huntley, IL
The absolute best way to paint oak cabinets is with a high-quality sprayer. Spraying is key when painting oak because it results in a much smoother finish that helps hide the natural surface texture.
Our cabinet painting in Huntley, IL is done in our shop nearby to eliminate dust and ongoing paint fumes in your home. After cleaning and meticulously filling the grain, we spray paint your cabinets using advanced techniques to give your cabinet doors an amazing finish.
Why We Don’t Brush and Roll Cabinets
Some painters use paint brushes and rollers on kitchen cabinets but the finish quality will never look as smooth as a sprayed finish. The process also takes far too long.
Spraying also makes a huge difference in the finish quality, as we explained earlier. Brushing and rolling paint onto oak cabinets often results in imperfections that end up adding to the natural oak texture.
Freshly sprayed oak doors from one of our cabinet painting jobs in Huntley, IL.
How Many Coats of Primer and Paint?
All of our oak cabinet painting work in Huntley, IL is completed using a meticulous process we have perfected over the years. First, we apply two coats of our specialized primer over the sanded grain filler.
In between coats of primer, we go back and patch and sand visible imperfections, followed by two coats of our high-quality cabinet coating. Our cabinet painters in Huntley, IL spray all four coats to give your oak cabinetry a stunning finish.
Oak base cabinets from a cabinet painting project in Huntley, Illinois.
When You Shouldn't Paint Your Oak Cabinets
Painting the outdated oak cabinets in your Huntley home can be an amazing transformation, but there are some situations where you probably shouldn’t paint them.
Here’s a couple reasons you probably shouldn’t paint your oak cabinets:
- Warped Doors and Panels: Some of the oak cabinets in Huntley, IL homes are over 30 years old, and while most are perfect candidates for a paint job, older cabinets can have warped doors and panels. Painting warped cabinets that are in bad condition should be avoided. Inspect the condition of your cabinets before you paint them.
- You have zero experience painting cabinets: Painting oak cabinets isn’t a quick and easy process. There are multiple steps involved to achieve a flawless finish. Using our experienced cabinet painters in Huntley, IL ensures your project is completed quickly and with professional results.
One of our oak cabinet painting projects in Huntley, Illinois.
Call the Best Cabinet Painters in Huntley, IL
Transform your kitchen in Huntley with a fresh, modern look! Let our skilled cabinet painters change the look of your outdated kitchen.
Call now and schedule your free consultation for a cabinet painting estimate. You can also click the button below to send your request through our website. We will reach out to you shortly after receiving your request.