Should I apply poly over my freshly painted cabinets?

Submitted by Yoonbacca t3_xy0pcm in DIY

Hey there, my wife and I just finished painting our kitchen cabinets using Benjamin Moore Regal Select. We did 1 coat BN primer and 2 coats paint.

We're wondering if we should apply poly to protect the paint and wood. Some people who used this on furniture seem to skip this step.

If we do apply, do we use water or oil poly? Would a wipe on poly be alright to use? Do we need to let the paint fully cure for 30 days or just let it dry? There's a lot of conflicting information out there on this subject. Thanks in advance!

Edit: clarifying that these are kitchen cabinets

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Comments

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NoBSforGma t1_iretrnd wrote

I don't think you need to put on poly. With the good work you've already done and a high-quality paint, the cabinets will be easy to clean and last a long time. Furniture takes more of a beating and understandable why people might put a coat of poly over paint.

One thing you might do that will help.... after letting the paint cure for about a week. use a good furniture polish on the cabinets. This will help repel any grime or wetness.

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Staggsbefixin t1_ireurh3 wrote

Not really a need for poly, cabinets aren’t really used and abused like furniture.

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Inquisitive_Cretin t1_irewd20 wrote

I agree with the others who have said that you don't need a poly. -unless there is wood that is unpainted.

I came here to say that if you choose to poly it I would use water-based poly because it will go on water clear and shouldn't yellow.

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Fnordianslips t1_ireyevo wrote

We did a couple poly coats on our cabinets after painting. Just make sure to let the paint fully cure before doing so. Look at the manufacturer spec sheet for that as I recall it was longer than I would have guessed. The added durability seemed worth it to us.

Oh, and we used General Finishes water based poly. They had good videos on the application process.

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limitless__ t1_irf162z wrote

So the main reason it's not done normally is that the poly over paint process can take more than a week if not up to a month. Especially if you use acrylic or enamel cabinet paint. That takes weeks to fully dry and stop off-gassing. Typically poly is used over bare wood, not painted wood.

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Yoonbacca OP t1_irf2zj5 wrote

That makes sense! The original paint we wanted was the BM Advance since most kitchen cabinet how-tos recommended it, but Ace was all out. Regal Select was the next option the guy at the store recommended to my wife. I'm not sure how acrylic compares to enamel or alkyd based paint which is why we were considering poly.

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Yoonbacca OP t1_irex4bh wrote

Thanks for the replies everyone! Sounds like poly isn't totally necessary, which is easier for us. Wanted to clarify that these are kitchen cabinets, so they'll probably get a bit more abuse since I cook every day

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lilidzines t1_irjc4r0 wrote

I’m not sure what finish your paint is but you could protect your painted cabinets with a paste wax . Look up French furniture waxing it can be tedious but you could do it later if you find it’s wearing faster than you hoped. The poly coat can ruin your pain fob and leave it sticky. If you don’t know what your doing . It can also yellow the finish when exposed to sunlight and over time . I’d leave it for now and paste wax the finish later for a more durable finish. Just make sure you remove any dust particles prior to applying this method.

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