Oak Grain Still Shows
Paint follows the texture of oak, so the grain shows even in a solid colour. Clear grain filler smooths it a lot, never 100%, as we explain under painting oak cabinets.
Painting cabinets since 2010
About Our Kitchener Cabinet Painters
Kitchener Elite Cabinet Painting & Refinishing started in 2010 on a simple idea: cabinets deserve a specialist, not a painter squeezing them in between bedrooms and fences. Sixteen years and more than 1,700 residential jobs later, cabinets are still the whole business.
Most of what we paint is the 1980s oak and 2000s maple that fill Waterloo Region subdivisions, along with vanities, built-ins, condo kitchens and a steady run of offices and dental clinics. We work for homeowners, condo owners and home sellers within about 30 minutes of Kitchener.
We're licensed and insured, WSIB covered and back every job with a written 1-year labour warranty. Doors are sprayed in our own Kitchener booth, and the same lead painter runs your job from the first day to the walkthrough.
- Written fixed quote
- WSIB covered crew
- 1-year labour warranty
Our story
16 Years of Cabinet Painting in Waterloo Region
We've painted cabinets in Waterloo Region since 2010, and in that time cabinet coatings have changed more than the houses have. Waterborne 2K polyurethanes and waterborne alkyds now outlast the oil paints that used to be standard, without the fumes, and our whole process is built around them.
The 1,700-job mark matters for a practical reason. By now we've met almost every door style, wood species and DIY paint job in the region, and we've seen exactly what makes a finish fail.
- Founded in 2010 in Kitchener
- 1,700+ residential cabinet jobs finished
- 11 towns served within about a 30-minute drive
- Kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, fireplace built-ins, laundry rooms, closets and garages
- Office cabinetry and dental and medical clinics, painted after hours
Paperwork
Insurance, WSIB and Licensing
We're licensed and insured, WSIB covered, and glad to prove it in writing before you sign anything.
Liability Insurance
We carry commercial general liability insurance on every job. Condo corporations and property managers can ask for a certificate of insurance before work starts, which is routine on our condo cabinet painting jobs.
WSIB Coverage and Clearance Certificates
Our WSIB account is active, and we usually send a current clearance certificate the same day you ask. It shows a contractor is registered and in good standing, so a worker hurt in your home is covered by WSIB; the WSIB clearance certificate FAQ explains how they work.
Licensing for Painters in Ontario
Ontario doesn't require a provincial licence for residential painting. Painter and Decorator is a voluntary trade under Ontario Regulation 101/01, so the best proof of a professional is insurance, WSIB coverage and a warranty you can read.
Written Quotes and Your Rights
Every job gets a written, itemized fixed quote with the warranty terms printed on it. Ontario's home renovation rights add a 10-day cooling-off period for contracts signed in your home.
Our Kitchener shop
Our Shop on Gage Avenue
Our shop at 330 Gage Ave sits in Victoria Hills in west-central Kitchener, a few minutes from Highway 7/8 and the Victoria Street interchange. It's where your doors and drawer fronts spend most of the job.
- A spray booth held at 18 to 24°C and 40 to 55% relative humidity all year
- Air-assisted airless and HVLP guns set up for Renner 2K waterborne polyurethane
- Drying racks where doors cure for at least 24 to 48 hours before going home
- Numbered storage, so every door returns to the opening it came from
- A bench where colours are checked against your approved sample door
Because the booth is controlled, a humid July week or a bone-dry January doesn't change how your doors cure. Our crews are usually out on jobs, so please call ahead before dropping by.
Hours
Open Early, Late and on Sundays
We keep long hours because most people can only think about their kitchen after work. The office is open Monday to Saturday from 7:00 am to 9:30 pm and Sundays from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, and estimates can be booked on evenings and Sundays.
Photo quotes come back within 1 business day, and most bookings are 2 to 3 weeks out. Spring and the weeks before Christmas fill fastest.
Straight talk
What We Tell Every Customer Before They Hire Us
A good cabinet painter tells you what paint can't do before you pay a deposit. These are the honest answers we give at almost every quote.
Thermofoil Is Case by Case
We only paint thermofoil cabinets when the foil is fully bonded, with no peeling, bubbling or heat damage. If it's lifting, new MDF doors painted to match are the better money.
Full Cure Takes About 30 Days
The finish is dry in an hour and the doors are back in days, but full hardness takes about a month. Gentle cleaning for 7 days and no stick-on bumpers for 14 days protects it.
Winter Can Open Hairline Cracks
Five-piece wood doors move with the seasons, and furnace air below 25% humidity can open fine lines at the joints. A humidifier set for 35 to 50% helps, and those lines are wood movement, not paint failure.
Paint Won't Fix Water Damage
Swollen particleboard, mould and rot, usually under the sink, have to be repaired or replaced first. We point them out at the quote and price the cabinet repair separately.
Heat and Steam Wear Any Finish
Kettles, toasters, air fryers and self-cleaning ovens venting at a cabinet will soften any coating over time. Moving the appliance a few inches does more than any product can, which is why heat damage sits outside our warranty.
Get started
Work With a Local Team
If you'd like to meet the people who would paint your cabinets, book a free estimate on an evening or a Sunday. Or send photos and a door count, and you'll have a written quote within 1 business day.
- WSIB clearance and insurance certificates sent on request
- Our own trained painters, with one lead from start to finish
- Doors sprayed in our Kitchener shop and a written 1-year labour warranty
- Shop
- 330 Gage Ave, Kitchener, ON N2M 5C6
- Monday to Saturday
- 7:00 am to 9:30 pm
- Sunday
- 9:00 am to 9:00 pm