Debate: is pre-finishing cabinets really worth the extra hassle?

I had a chat with an older guy at the lumber yard last Tuesday. He said he never pre-finishes anything until after install because you get dents and scratches anyway. But I've been doing it for years and swear it saves time on site. Made me wonder if I'm just wasting effort. Any of you guys seeing real problems or benefits either way?

3 comments

3 Comments

pat7811mo ago

Ha, I gotta say I think you guys are overthinking this a bit lol. @mianelson brings up the glue thing but how often are you really gluing cabinet backs to something anyway? Most of us are just screwing them in or using pocket holes. I've pre-finished my last three kitchens and never had to scrape anything because glue didn't stick - maybe I'm just lucky but it's never been an issue for me. Yeah you get some scuffs during install but a quick wipe with a tack cloth and a spritz of lacquer and it's done in ten minutes. Seems like a lot of fussing over minor stuff that doesn't really matter that much on site.

angelarivera1mo ago

That bit about glue not sticking to pre finished backs really stuck with me... @mianelson you're right that nobody talks about the hidden stuff. I actually read this blog from a custom shop guy who tested this and found that even light sanding on pre finished surfaces can leave dust that messes with glue bond later. He said he switched to pre finishing only the fronts and edges, leaving the backs and insides raw for install. Still seems like extra steps either way but that compromise made sense to me.

mianelson1mo ago

and here's the thing - you're basically making work for yourself by finishing before install. every cabinet guy i know who pre-finishes ends up spending just as much time touching up on site because you can't avoid dings during delivery and installation. that older guy at the lumber yard has a point. i've seen pre-finished cabinets where the backs had to be scraped clean because glue wouldn't stick to the finish, and then you're sanding those spots anyway. plus, you're breathing in all that spray booth dust for days when you could just shoot the finish once everything's in place and be done. the time you "save" upfront gets eaten by fixing stuff later.