Well, I went and got some XIM 400 (the SW store man said it was their best, better than the SW's bonding primer), and it was a bit thicker than the BIN, which made it (marginally) usable. It was like painting glue on, and you'd better take seriously the advice not to go back over it after you've applied it, because it could stick to itself really fast! The door frame is now painting history :) So it was great on the door frame, but then I tried it on some melamine (the side of an Ikea closet) and it made lines that I just can't get out--I thought I'd gotten them flat by scraping carefully with the side of a razor blade (I'm a razor blad master :) and they sure felt flat) but it didn't paint flat-there must have been just a bit of edge still there. I will try sanding the lined areas tonight. It may have happened because I painted over an area that was already drying--with the door frame, it was narrow enough that I could get a roller across the whole thing in one shot. The wider closet side required multiple columns, and that's where the lines are, vertical. Just a guess. But it's a bit frustrating. But the XIM definitely won out over the BIN. hope it helps someone. It also smells *intensely*, and lasted for days despite *two* exhaust fans and an open window, but not *quite* as intensely as the BIN.

When one mistake is made, it’s best to not compound it by continuing to make more mistakes. In this case, unfortunately, you did the “cheap” option- DIY painting, without doing adequate prep since you skipped the deglossing/sanding and priming (cabinets need deglossed, sanded, and a high bonding primer applied 72 hours before painting. Then you need to be gentle with cabinets for a month while they fully cure). Painting over paint that is already peeling from the surface, is not an option- that will only create more weight on already non-bonded paint and cause it to peel even faster. You need to hire a professional, IMO, you are spending valuable money on materials, and also your time time (and time is money) only to do the job wrong. Even if you knew what to do, you wouldn’t have the physical practice to do it professionally. However if that isn’t an option, then if you’re going to DIY, at least use a chemical stripper to strip the cabinets down (wear hand and eye protection), then clean, let them dry, then sand cabinets, wipe off dust, apply a high bonding primer, wait 72 hours, then paint 2 full coats. Continuing to do the cheap route, will only continue to make your problem worse and cost you even more money later. It’s like saying “I didn’t replace a hose on my engine so now my car is shaking. But I don’t want to replace the hoses right. Can I just change my oil?” The answer, of course, is no, you need to do things the right way or it’ll cause more expensive problems later. I am big on investing myself, renting and flipping homes, etc, but taking shortcuts on prep is not a way to save money- it’s a way to quickly lose a lot more money. There’s no getting around doing them right. If cash isn’t available, perhaps find a contractor who can take payment after house is sold- or use credit card to hire contractor- etc.

"Stripping the paint off and starting from scratch is not an option" was in OP's first posting before hearing others' suggestions. Based on the questions OP asked, s/he is very inexperienced in painting cabinets. Not necessary being stubborn, perhaps more âÂÂdoes not know better". Stripping paint is indeed a horrible step; anyone would want to avoid it if possible. Now OP may think differently. How many of us learn from lesson after first mistake? If it is the case, this world would be a paradise. LOL! See, now even the experts on this forum are debating about right method to paint, so how could we blame a rookie? OP, you may want to take the door to a couple of local cabinet making, cabinet painting shops for advice specific to your needs.

Thank you, I could tell this was terrible work when I saw it. I just didn't know specifically what wasn't down correctly. I was using Sherwin Williams Emerald paint as well, which it supposed to be good paint so I'm really surprised they could manage to screw it up like this. Thanks for responding, it does kind of confirm my worst fears. To clarify, he wasn't actually supposed to paint the trim at all. He also got quite a bit of paint on the celings which weren't supposed to be painted and they weren't able to match the existing paint so I'll have to have those repainted as well. It really sucks, this was my first painting project with my home and it's been just a mess. The owner is also seemingly insane, he's hiring some big name law firm to try to defend this, claiming he did everything perfectly but also simultaneously suing the painter he sent out to do the painting for. I just wanted my house painted but it's become way more than I ever imagined it would be.