I had the same question. I am including a couple of good threads on the topics of quality and one I posted on painted finishes. I know what you mean about trying to make a selection. There seem to be many contructed cabinets out there but the quality of the finish on a painted door is very important. I also wanted a yellow which is tougher to find than white or cream. Do you know what color you want?

Maybe I am wrong but I think if you look at enough different manufacturers you will know it when you see it. I know the warranty also matters but it seems like many are the same.

Hope these help. I will see if I can dig up a few more.

Relative pricing

Ratings for Painted Finishes?

If your concerned about the finish you can ask to view some sample doors. They may not be the exact style you will choose for your project, but it should give you an idea as to the quality. Always get finish samples made before they start the finishing process on the cabinets. You may have to pay a little extra to get actual door samples, but it will probably help when picking out tops, hardware, etc.

If your concern is durability rather than appearance, ask some questions about the product they use. Good questions to ask are

1. What is your pigmented finish? Pre-cat lacquer and conversion varnish are the most common. Conversion varnish (CV) is more durable and the standard for high end cabinets in my market. Pre-cat is Ok, but with any finish it needs to be applied properly to have the best results.

- Answer that would not be acceptable (in my opinion) are
Cab Acrylic, Nitrocelluse lacquer, polyurethane,(except 2K poly), oil or latex paint.

2. What do you topcoat (clear) with? Again CV and Pre-cat lacquer are ok, and most anything else won't hold up in a kitchen.

If they use a waterbourne product find out which brand. If you are in CA, your choices will be limited due to air quality laws and limitations on products allowed in the state.

brent
Nashville, TN

odiegirl13, thanks for the links, I am also considering yellow or a warm beige. Not down to a specific color yet, just want to make sure the paint finish is durable. I've seen a lot of them by now and know when it looks nice but have no clue about the quality.

rwwood, thank you, this is exactly what I was looking for. Is there a way to tell pre-cat lacquer and conversion varnish apart from all the others you listed there if I am not a pro? They will make sample doors for me but what do I do with them to test whether the right finish was used?

Rub a spot on the back of the door with acetone. (CV),Conversion varnish or catalyzed conversion varnish to use the full name will not be affected. All others will. Pre-cat,which is pre-catalyzed conversion varnish to a lesser extent. The only thing stronger than CV is 2k ploy which nobody will be using. As far as the no CV in California clams from people who are NOT in California. I've written long post about this. And I'm too tired (from spraying CV all day here in California) to answer this again. If you really what to know just ask.There are a lot of factors that go into a good finish. And what your opinion of a good finish is.

The best thing to do is ask what finish the shop uses and have them put it in the contract.

Regarding California finishes: CA has very strict VOC regulations that required special formulations of products like CV. Early CA compliant versions of these products had some issues that have since been corrected. I apologize if I offended Jdesign or stated false information.

It's my understanding that there are additional regulations and enforcement regarding cabinet finishing in sothern CA that make it very expensive in comparison to other parts of the country. As a result, smaller shops may be forced to limit the finishes they offer.

brent

Brent, I'm not offended at all. It's just everybody keeps stating this and it's become urban legend. It's true we have stricter regulations. CV is formulated differently for California, actually not all of California, in some counties you can still use the 550 VOC version instead of 275 VOC. I've asked the chemist at Valspar(one of the the biggest coatings manufacturers in the world) here in LA many times what the difference is. The 275 VOC has a little less solids and some different solvents but it is still CV and has all the same properties. There are more that twenty suppliers within miles of where I am that sell CV so they are probably hundreds of shops using it, big and small. With the green movement on the rise I'm sure it won't be long before the rest of the country is held to the same standards. I'm going to be trying out Valspar's water based CV which has been in use for several years by some of the larger O.E.M's and is just becoming available to smaller shops here. It suppose to be just as good as solvent based. If you've ever sprayed CV you know how nasty it can be. I think people are more aware of toxic off-gassing issues today and the safety hazards this presents to their families and would be open to this. Especially if it provides the same protective finish.