Cabinet finish ? Re: paint vs tinted varnish

10 years ago

My DD is looking for some cabinetry for her bathroom but this could be a question for kitchen cabinetry as well. She has not decided which cabinet company she will use but she does know that she wants a light grey color so that eliminates some of the manufactures like Bertch which does not have a light grey. She has been told by one designer that tinted varnish is a much better choice than paint.
Just wondering if the cabinet experts on this forum have any thoughts regarding tinted varnish vs paint.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

deedles
10 years ago
Hi Badger!
I wonder if they consider it more durable? I wonder if the grain would still show through somewhat... that could be a neat look.
Bunny
10 years ago
I just googled "tinted varnish" and got way more than I expected to see. I had imagined a stained look, with more depth (dyes vs. stains), but there's a lot that look painted, very opaque. Guess I don't understand the process. :)
Related Discussions
re finish cabinets
Q
Comments (5)
When I tired of my wood cabinets, which had some kind of "antiquing" applied to them, I stripped them. It was a big job and took about 4 days, but it was worth it. Before deciding to paint over the oak, you might try stripping a single door to see what the wood looks like in its natural state. It might be a light enough tone that you'll like it. I used a gel stripping agent called Citristrip. You paint it on with a brush and let it stay for an hour or so while it lifts off the finish. Then you scrape it off with a paint scraper. I applied a lot of gel and gave it plenty of time and the finish just whisked right off with the scraper. Now of course that's not the beginning or the end of the job -- you have to clean them really well first. And after you scrape the stripper off, you have to wash them down again. Then you sand them lightly and wipe them down again. And finally you apply a sealer or clear coat, like varnish or shellac (I used varnish in a satin finish). Like I said, it's a job. But my cabinets went from dark wood to light wood and I was glad I did it.
...See More
varnish: pre cat vs. cat. conversion?
Q
Comments (6)
Hi-Kandt, glad to be of help if I can. The touch up thing has me a little confused as to what you're expecting to be able to do in that regards. Basically you are going to have a pigmented paint covered by a clear finish and to complicate things a glaze layer (which should be separated from the paint by a clear sealer which could be CV or vinyl sealer which is also compatible). What I'm saying is you have this multi-layered finish and if you chip it down to bare wood you can't just expect to touch up one small spot without it being noticeable. Maybe on the edge of a door with a small artist brush you could get away with it somewhat. So when the painter says one is easier to repair than the other I'm not sure what he's talking about. A sprayed finish of any kind is always going to show a repair because the texture is different. CCV also referred to sometimes as post-cat. is a harder finish than pre. and to me the touch up would be the same. The BM paint I'm assuming is water-based which is fine but not as hard as a pigmented CV as your color coat. I'm doing several different finishes on sample doors right now and one of them is a water-based Farrow & Ball paint with a clear CV top coat. I can't tell you how durable this is because I'm actually trying to get it to chip so there is something under it to cause that. It's a Chalon finish and really difficult to pull off and have it look naturally aged. For the glazed door I'm doing what I described above which is color CV, rub-through, clear CV, glaze and clear CV top coat. Glazing is a whole other subject and can look great if done well or not. Hard maple will be best for a smooth finish and is less susceptible to dings and dents. Are they being painted on site or in a shop? Are you in LA also? John
...See More
Catalytic lacquer finish vs. Catalytic varnish finish for white
Q
Comments (0)
Hi! What are the pros/cons of catalytic lacquer finish vs. catalytic varnish finish for white cabinets? The local guy uses the lacquer finish and said he wouldn't use varnish, but I don't recall the reasoning. The WM/BH and I think Rutt, uses catalytic varnish finish and they said that the lacquer could get gummy in 3-5 years and that causes it to look like dirt around the knobs. He did say, they could have improved the technique. What are the pros and cons of both? We have toddlers and want something durable. Are both of these used with paint colors we pick out and do they have low VOC options? Is there such thing as a white stain? What are the pros and cons of it if it exists? The WM guy said they use paint but it was sort of like a stain. We have toddlers and our walls have taken a beating. Most people we talk to seem to think we should stay away from hand painted. One local mfgr does only hand painted and said she has multiple protective coats on it. I've also read that the factory finish can chip and then we have to replace a whole door whereas hand painted is easier to touch up. Please explain? It would help us get closer to choosing someone. Thanks
...See More
S/O: re-staining vs. re-painting cabs
Q
Comments (4)
If you are doing this work in place, then there is no question that refinishing wood is more time consuming than painting. To refinish properly, doors are all removed and sent out to be stripped. Frames are stripped in place, drawers are removed as well. Then sand, stain sand stain and finish coat which coule be an oil or a polyurethane. For brush painting, you can get away with sanding the painted finish and then painting, either once or twice. Painted cabinets aren't always made of cheaper woods: our newly finished kitchen, (today our first day of cooking!) is a green shop paint finish over maple. Good luck
...See More
User
10 years ago
Opaque catalyzed varnish is what all of the major cabinet companies use. It sprays very well and is very very durable. Paint is what low end finishers use, because they don't have the equipment to deal with a catalyzed varnish and it's tons cheaper.

Some high end cabinet companies that offer a "hand finished" look complete with brush strokes also use paint, but it's not the stuff you can buy at any local store. Paint is less durable, but it's part of the appeal of an "authentic" look to some people.
sixkeys
10 years ago
I don't know if this is much help, but I am considering a grey stained cabinet for my kids bathroom because I've been told it would be more durable then a "painted" cabinet (factory finish).
badgergal
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for your responses. The cabinets that my DD is considering are Showplace, DuraSurpreme, and Fieldstone.

The Fieldstone Is the one that states their finish is tinted varnish. They have 15 colors in their palette and will do custom odors too. Their tinted varnish on maple look just like paint. On oak you can see some of the grain showing through

Showplace states that, "The versatile palette of Showplace painted finishes give the visual impression of a painted surface, These finishes are created by a multistep process that includes final topcoating with an oven-baked varnish for superior durability, in satin or matte sheen. Fourteen standard paint colors are offered."

Dura Supreme's website states that they use "full coverage enamel paints that are smooth and durable, with rich, saturated color. They do mention using catalyzed varnish in regards to their stained cabinets.

Greendesigns is Dura Supreme considered a low end cabinet?

Deedles, I hope you are not in the area of our state that got clobbered with snow. I meant to comment on one of your threads about the progress in your project. It's looking great.

Rebecca, glad to hear that you also were told that the colored stain, AKA tinted varnish is more durable.

Time to get some pricing and decide on which cabinets to use.
dt516
2 years ago
Old thread here but wondering if anyone knows the answer to the op’s question here. Thanks.

Cabinet finish ? Re: paint vs tinted varnish

Comments (6)

deedles

Bunny

Related Discussions

User

sixkeys

badgergal
Original Author

dt516

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Cabinet finish ? Re: paint vs tinted varnish

Comments (6)

deedles

Bunny

Related Discussions

User

sixkeys

badgergalOriginal Author

dt516

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

badgergal
Original Author