The kitchen plan
Your kitchen keeps working all week
Most cabinet painters tell you to plan on no kitchen. We write a plan for the kitchen you have.
Doors do their drying in our shop, so your house isn't full of wet doors. The frames stay put, and we finish them in a way that leaves your sink, stove and refrigerator in use on every day except the one or two we tell you about.
One or two tight days, named in advance
A packing list and a counter plan
A return day for the doors, in writing
Day by day
An example week, with what you can use
Five working days for a medium kitchen. Large kitchens and humid weeks add days, and your plan says how many.
- Before day 1
Step 1: Empty the cabinets and set up a counter
We text a one-page packing list the week before. Dishes, glasses and food go in boxes on a table in the dining room or hall, with the kettle, toaster and microwave beside them.
You can use: everything, until we arrive
You do: pack the cabinets
- Day 1
Step 2: Doors come off and ride to our shop
Every door and drawer front gets a number, and the hinges and pulls go in a bag marked with the same number. Floors, counters and the stove are covered, then uncovered by evening.
You can use: sink, stove, refrigerator
You'll see: open frames and plastic at the edges
- Day 2
Step 3: Frames are degreased, filled and sanded
The dusty day. We draw dust off as we sand and clean before we leave, but plan a microwave dinner and keep kids and pets out of the room.
You can use: sink and refrigerator
Tight day: the stove stays covered
- Days 3 and 4
Step 4: Primer and finish coats
Frames get primer and two finish coats by brush and fine roller, with time to dry between them. In the shop, the doors get theirs in the booth and dry on racks.
You can use: sink, stove, refrigerator
Keep hands off: the cabinet edges are wet
- Day 5
Step 5: Doors come home
Doors are hung on their own hinges, adjusted and fitted with their pulls. You walk the kitchen with Adela, and we write down anything to touch up.
You can use: the whole kitchen, gently
You do: sign off the walk-through
- The weeks after
Step 6: Go gently while it cures
The finish keeps hardening after it feels dry. We tell you how long to go easy, from the product data sheet. Houston's humid weeks can stretch that time.
Wipe with a soft, damp cloth
Wait before hanging things on doors
Before day 1
Set up a kitchen that isn't in the kitchen
A table for the essentials
Kettle, toaster, microwave and a coffee maker go on a table in the next room, near an outlet.
Boxes in a spare room
Dishes and pantry food leave the cabinets in boxes marked by shelf, so putting back is quick.
Counters cleared
Anything on the counters moves out so we can cover them and keep the sink clear.
Two dusty-day dinners
Plan takeout or a grill night for day 2, when the frames are sanded.
Living in it
Can I really use my kitchen?
Yes. We spray the doors and drawer fronts in our shop and finish the frames in your kitchen by brush and fine roller, so the sink, stove and refrigerator stay in use. Two days are tight, when the frames are sanded and when they get their finish coats. We tell you which days ahead so you can plan a microwave or takeout.
What about kids and pets during the week?
Keep them out of the kitchen on sanding days and away from the frames while the finish dries. Doors are in our shop, so there are no wet doors lying around the house.
Does Houston humidity change the schedule?
It can. Humid days slow drying and curing, so doors dry indoors on racks and we may add a day between coats. The data sheet says how long the finish needs before hard use, and we tell you when to go gently.
I live in a condo or a managed building. What do you need?
Ask your building about work hours and elevator reservations. We give your manager the dates and the names of the crew who will be in the unit.
How long does a kitchen take?
Most kitchens take five to eight working days from the day the doors come off. A large kitchen, an island in a second color or heavy repairs add days. Your written price gives the days for your kitchen; it isn't a promised date.