Wondering whether to paint or stain your kitchen cabinets in Beaverton? Everyone would like to have a beautiful looking and properly working kitchen. The appearance of your kitchen cabinets helps in setting the platform for the rest of the room’s mood and look. Whether you choose a painted finish or a stain, you can be sure your cabinets will remain protected for years.

Even though both choices are beautiful, you have to make the right decision depending on your particular project. Below are outlines of the differences between them so that you can make a more informed decision.

Staining Kitchen Cabinets

Pros

• Showcase wood grain: Stain gives the surface a good balance between color and texture by revealing more wooden features on the surface. In contrast with paint, the stain does not conceal the natural characteristic of wood. The fact that stain is thinner than paint, it quickly dissolves into the surface, ensuring that it maintains the natural beauty of your wood. The final results reveal admirable features such as wood grain which are visible.

• Easier to touch up: Due to the availability of colors that resembles your stain; it is easier to touch up stained surfaces. Touch-ups also produce a better color combination on stained cabinets, particularly those with more grains on their surfaces.

• Cost-effective: Cost eventually depends on several factors such as the size of the kitchen, the design of the cabinet and the manufacturer, among other factors. However, if you are remodeling your kitchen and you’re right on budget, staining might help you save on your project.

Cons•
If your cabinets are made of Medium-density fiberboard, staining might not be the best option for you. Medium-density fiberboard can offer huge savings on cabinets, but it simply doesn’t take stain as well as it takes paint. Whereas paint rarely looks different on MDF exteriors, stains do. You’ll have to seek other ways to lower your cabinet cost if you’re set on stained cabinetry

• Reveals wood blemishes: Stain reveals all wood blemishes such as uneven grain distribution, cracks, and color variation that might be present on the wood surface. Some call this character others call it blemishes; it just depends on who you ask.

• Whereas lighter cabinets can stain and chip more quickly, they tend to conceal dust. On the other hand, dark stained cabinets don’t hide dust and require more upkeep.

Painting Cabinets

Pros

• Clean aesthetic: As opposed to staining, painted cabinet produces a sparkling artistic kitchen design. Paint gives wooden surfaces a smooth and clean finish free from visible character marks.

• More color choices: Painted surfaces appear to be more colorful than stained surfaces. Paint bonds with the wooden surface, and it doesn’t disappear between the grains and knots the way a stain does. It gives you a chance to modify the general appearance of your kitchen by displaying the real color of your choice.

• Applies better to medium-density fiberboard: Paint blends well with medium density fiberboard cabinets. Regardless of your color choice, it is not easy to tell the difference between these materials and the actual wood on which they are painted.

Cons

• Hides the wood character: One of the main characteristics of paint is that it is thicker than stain; hence, it does not get absorbed by wood as a stain. Paint conceals the wood character features of your cabinet surface. If you would like your surfaces to show wooden grains and knots, it is recommended not to go for painted cabinets.

• Cost more than stain: Due to the process involved in applying the paint as well as the cost of tools and materials, many times, painting tend to be more costly than staining.

• Harder to touch up: Touch up your paint is more complicated compared to touching up stained surfaces. Chance are you may not know the exact color of your cabinets when buying paint. Additionally, most cabinetmakers apply paint by spraying, and this might be impossible to replicate using a touch-up kit.

After considering all the above pros and cons, you will realize that choosing between kitchen cabinet painting and staining isn’t difficult.

If you’re looking for professional cabinet refinishing services, Maller Painting can help. We have years of residential painting experience serving the areas of Beaverton, Sherwood, and Tigard, Oregon. To give us a try, book a FREE estimate below or call us on (503) 410-6366 if you have any questions.

Kevin Maller

Kevin began painting houses with his father’s company, C&K Painting, in 1996. His father taught him how to use a brush, roller, and caulk and clean a brush properly. He then worked for several other paint companies, where he learned how to spray oils, lacquers, and all water-based finishes. In 2012, after 15 years of experience, he decided to get licensed and start the Maller Painting Company. His team has focused on providing the best re-painting services to our residential clients in the Beaverton area.