admin @ Sun, 2006-09-10 11:00
For a cabinet paint job to look right and last for years, it is important to do it right. Take the doors off their cases. If possible, remove the hardware - handles, drawer pulls, and hinges. Otherwise, carefully mask the pieces with painter's tape.
Clean the surfaces with hot soapy water. The doors may need extra attention. Use a nonabrasive (plastic or nylon) scouring pad to work at stubborn grease or dirt.
Next, lightly sand the surfaces and apply a coat of Wil-Bond, a product that helps bond paint to wood. When dry, apply a coat of oil-based primer, an essential step if you are covering dark cabinets with light-colored paint. One coat of primer should do for even the darkest cabinets.
Apply an oil-based paint. An eggshell finish, which has a slight shine, is usually the best kitchen choice. Apply several coats, letting each coat dry completely before applying the next. Touch up around hardware with a small brush.
Countertops can be budget busters. However, an array of options ranges from the affordable to the extravagant. The concrete chosen for this kitchen was poured off-site after a template was created. It cost less than natural stones such as granite, marble, or soapstone, but at $60 per square foot, it was still among the costlier countertop choices.
Prices listed are for materials only. Installation costs can vary widely. Granite and other stone starts at $65 per square foot and goes up, depending on the quality of the stone and the type of edging it has. For example, ogee edges, which feature compound curves, are done on-site, and work is charged by the linear foot.
A solid-surface countertop (Corian, etc.) is $45 to $60 per square foot. Engineered stone costs $60 to $70 per square foot and consists of 93 percent quartz crystals and 7 percent polymers. It wears much like real stone but has none of the natural features like flecks of quartz and embedded fossils that make real stone so beautiful.
Laminates are the bargains of the countertop options. What they lack in sex appeal they make up for in price: $10 to $20 per square foot. Laminates can be edged with metal or wood for interesting retro or rustic looks.
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