Apply polyurethane over new kitchen cabinets?


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Old 11-16-21, 08:27 PM
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Apply polyurethane over new kitchen cabinets?

23 years ago we moved into our current house. House was 15 years old when we moved in and the kitchen cabinets (brown) were very badly faded, a real eyesore. I sanded them and applied polyurethane and they have looked great for 23 years. To this day they have a nice even shine.
I need to remodel kitchen due to deteriorating old countertop. Question, should I apply poly to the new cabinets before they go in? Previous cabinets looked hideous after 15 years, I would rather do the work now than have to do it in 15 years. Or was this an indication of poor quality original cabinets? I see little online info on longevity of cabinet finish.
 
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Old 11-16-21, 10:16 PM
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New cabinets typically come finished, commonly lacquer, and do not need anything additional like polyurethane.
 
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Old 11-16-21, 11:13 PM
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I looked up lacquer vs. polyurethane: lacquer is thin and susceptible to discoloration and scratching over time. This is exactly what appeared to have happened to the cabinets before I coated them. On the other hand, polyurethane is thick and leaves a strong coating. Because it is thin, lacquer is easy to apply with spray gun, maybe this is why cabinets use it. Polyurethaine's thickness requires brush to apply it.
 
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Old 11-17-21, 03:59 AM
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Poly can be sprayed but it's doubtful a coat of poly at this time would be wise. First thing you should do if still considering a coat of poly is to find out what type of finish the new cabinets have. The cabinet shop should be able to provide that information. Both the type of wear and the quality of the cabinets play a part in how the finish wears. There are plenty of 20 yr old cabinets around that still look good.
 
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Old 11-18-21, 02:33 AM
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Thanks,
Yes it seems odd that I would be considering applying finish on top of brand new cabinets, but I am agonizing about investing major major coin, then in 15 years have them look worse than if I had not replaced them. I really want to avoid this. What finish should I be looking for? I don't see cabinets offering polyurethane. I see things like conversion varnish, polyurethane catalyzed varnish, waterborne UV finish, glazed.
 
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Old 11-18-21, 06:05 AM
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I have been in the trades for 30 years and have never seen or seen the need to have what you are asking done. I don't know what finish your old cabinets had, or know how or why they got beat up looking- whether it was abuse or long fingernails or not using pull handles, getting grease around the places you touch or banging a wheelchair into them, or carelessly getting water or food on them- perhaps followed by overagressive cleaning or harsh cleaners. But properly cared for brand new cabinets typically don't need what you're asking and look good for years.

If you WERE going to do this, (even though I think it's unnecessary, I doubt I will convince you otherwise as it seems you are determined to do this regardless) you would likely spray the finish, and you can certainly spray poly. But you would need to hope that the different product that you apply bonds to the (unknown) factory finish. To me, that alone is risky.
 
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Old 11-18-21, 08:55 AM
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But you would need to hope that the different product that you apply bonds to the (unknown) factory finish. To me, that alone is risky.
Worth repeating! When a finish is new it's important to know what it is and it's compatibility with the new finish. After yrs of wear the compatibility isn't as critical. If you go ahead with your plan you'll need to scuff sand the existing finish first. Adding another finish will likely void any finish warranty on the cabinets.
 
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Old 11-18-21, 02:34 PM
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@XSleeperThanks.Trust me, I don't want to do this, I have better things to do than sand and coat cabinets, especially with unknown prior finish. I have pondered getting unfinished cabinets so I was starting from something known, but they seem to be generally low quality from what I have seen.
I would much prefer to just buy something, have it installed, and forget it but I am very concerned about the longevity of the finish. These were the original cabinets from when the house was new, and when we moved in and met neighbors I noticed that many had replaced them, and the ones that still had original cabinets looked just like ours. I have neighbors that did replace their cabinets years ago and they do not look as good today as my originals with 3 coats of polyurethane.
What do I look for in finish to ensure I don't get the crappy after 15 years ones?
 
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Old 11-18-21, 03:12 PM
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I highly doubt you are going to find ANY cabinets with a finish warranty like you expect, so I don't think you will find an answer. My guess is that your old cabinets were just very cheap builders grade cabinets. You get what you pay for.

Read any cabinet companies warranty (example) and I think you will find that the warranty on the finish is pretty limited. Once its out of the box, it's out of their control.
 
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Old 11-18-21, 04:00 PM
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I'm not looking for warranty, I'm looking for guidance on cabinet finish longevity. Surely this is something people care about. I know that, generally, you get what you pay for, but I don't want to just blindly buy the most expensive cabinet. How do I tell if Lowes low end Shenandoah cabinets better than "cheap builders grade"?
Can I tell by the advertised finish (conversion varnish, polyurethane catalyzed varnish, waterborne UV finish, glazed, etc).
 
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Old 11-18-21, 04:22 PM
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No, it's doubtful you can tell. Will you be able to know how thick the finish is? Is 2 coats of conversion varnish as durable as 3 coats of waterborne UV? And does any cabinet maker specify how many mils thick their finish is? Or how many coats they apply? Doubtful.

These are questions for your cabinet salesman to (try to) answer. Or just spray them with poly, i sense you probably won't be satisfied unless you do.
 
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Old 11-19-21, 03:46 AM
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There is no reason to do this other than in your head. If that's enough reason for you, as it seems to be, go ahead.
 
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Old 11-28-21, 10:19 AM
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@stickshift
Not sure I follow your contribution here. Are you saying that purchasing unfinished cabinets and finishing with polyurethane is not worth the effort because a factory applied finish, such as lacquer, is just as durable?
Or are you saying that polyurethane is an inappropriate finish for some other reason?
 
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Old 11-29-21, 02:11 AM
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I think what he is saying is most factory finishes will hold up well. As a painter I've occasionally refinished cabinets but I don't think I've ever done any that were less than 20 yrs old, many older and still sporting the original factory finish.

Nothing wrong with getting unfinished cabinets and doing them yourself providing you have the time and don't have to worry about others messing up the finish as it dries.
 
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Old 11-29-21, 10:16 AM
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What I'm saying is you seem to have it in your head that no pre-finished cabinet is going to be durable. I think you're wrong but it's your house so do what you want.
 
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Old 11-29-21, 01:57 PM
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Stickshift, thanks, but what I have indicated is that the finish on the original cabinets that were installed in my and my neighbor's homes looked horrible after 15 years, and that my refinishing with poly has lasted 20+ years. One suggestion is that these were cheap "builders grade" cabinets. If I consider finished cabinets, how do I know if they have similarly poor quality finish? I am hoping there is some way other than just blindly throwing money at the problem and purchasing high priced cabinets. I'm assuming for now that if I buy unfinished cabinets I can finish them to last, but I would like to avoid the hassle.

Marksr, thanks. You say most factory finishes hold up well, I definitely believe this, but how do I avoid the ones that won't hold up? Is it really just price?
 
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Old 11-30-21, 02:39 AM
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I'm sure price plays a big part. IMO you should talk to the different cabinet suppliers about their finishes. Generally the better built cabinets will have better finishes. The cheap cabinets generally aren't constructed out of quality materials and probably have a cheap finish also.
 
 

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