Is Chalk Paint Durable Enough for Kitchen Cabinets

This week we look at chalk paint and is it durable enough for kitchen cabinets. We take a look at a kitchen door that has a solvent based conversion varnish on it to see how well the chalk paint will adhere to the surface sanded and non sanded. We also test the chemical resistance of the chalk paint using denatured alcohol and acetone representing and extreme version of 100 percent proof alcohol and the acetone as a nail polish remover. As a comparison I use the milesi water base industrial wood coating as an comparison between the two finishes

Technical Data
3 coats of Annie Sloane Chalk Paint
1 Coat of Wax
The finish was allowed to dry for 21 days before testing was done

[brandnewagainrefinishing]

So glad someone finally took the time to do this. This will shed a light of light to a lot of people. Well done! -Brandon

[MichaelCraine]

Thanks for taking the time to test the product Eric. I’ve seen a lot of failed kitchens done in this product

[truthlove]

Wish you did an example with polyurethane over chalk. And how long did you let the chalk paint cure? When I first used it on a bookshelf it searched off. BUT when I let it cure several days it was a different story. I th ink it’s important in your experiment to tell us how long it cured. I would love to see how a poly coat over cured chalk would hold up with sanding prep. :)

[sammyegail]

I painted my bathroom cabinets with chalk paint, sealed with wax 7 years ago and they are still pristine. I did sand first.. I know I've been lucky but there were not a lot of choices with thermafoil cabinets. I would never use chalk paint and wax on my kitchen cabinets because they get too much abuse. Also, I did not use ASCP, used a brand from Amazon, wax also that was much more economical. Once it cures its much stronger. I wish these test had been done on samples painted by experienced chalk painters and cured. Not saying the poster isn't experienced, but there are a lot of tricks to using chalk paint. I've done 3 pieces of furniture with no issues.

[margonat]

I totally agree with Cristina. I painted my daughter’s kitchen 3 years ago with Annie Sloan paint and clear wax. Having 2 little kids and a big dog the kitchen looks as it did the day I finished it.
Besides that, those 3 cans cost much less than $70.
Very misleading video.

[PINEAPPLEKELLY]

Thank God someone did it because it was driving me crazy people using it on kitchen cabinets. I did it on my bathroom mirror. It has been less than a year and I can see the corners wearing off. And I actually covered it with a flat poly to try to protect it

[athomewithjenny]

You just saved me so much $$ and countless hours of work. Thank you

[kimberleypatey]

I’m not sure what you did but I used Annie sloan’s chalk paint about 7 years ago on a wood counter top and today I sanded it off because I wanted to change the color. It took 3 hours to sand off and it’s wood counter top that is 2 feet by 4 feet. It was so damn hard to sand off with a sanding machine! 3 hours !!!! Just to give you an idea, it takes me 50 minutes to sand a oak cabinet door with 3 layers of poly and stain...with detailing. Yet this chalk paint would not come off!! Same thing for chairs. 🤔 it last a very long time because you water it down so it’s not expensive at all. You have to wax high traffic areas or use some other protectant.

[princyr]

I just don’t know anyone who would use acetone or scratch through their cabinets or furniture in this manner. I have chalk painted furniture and end tables and kitchen cabinets and I must say they hold up just fine. You take care of them just like you would anything else? Do men scratch and dig at the paint job on their cars/trucks? Definitely not! 😂 This comparison was for who exactly? So silly.

[staceyhagen]

$70 for 3 products: Looks like you have 1 liter of paint, and what looks like 2 types of wax? You would only need one wax so I'm not sure why you purchased the 2nd one. In your technical data, it doesn't list using both waxes, (which wouldn't be necessary). So that's a little misleading, which is not necessary really because ASCP is pricey, regardless. I personally have had good experience with it; anecdotal, I know. But, just testimony from someone who has been using furniture painted with ASCP for years with zero issues. I painted my nightstand in my bedroom 2 years ago. It is heavily used and shows zero signs of "distress). I also painted an oak hutch 4 years ago that is also heavily used. I cook a ton and use my hutch a lot. It also has no signs of distress. I also have another nightstand I purchased from someone 6 years ago who painted it with ASCP. You guessed it; no signs of distress. Bathroom vanity, a few other items....again zero issues. I'm watching this experiment of yours and thinking who takes a solvent and wipes it on a finished surface unless they don't want it finished anymore? I learned a very long time ago as a young girl that I should never ever take off my nail polish near anything wooden or painted. Bad idea. If someone wiped a solvent over my finished furniture, I don't think I'd have them over again.

[bradharper]

Nice to see a comparison test like this. Better to know ahead of time if the product is going to be a good choice(fits your and possibly your customers expectations), than to put it on a nice piece of furniture(or cabinets) and have it quickly fail. No one is happy then. For those who use chalk paint: please do a scratch test of your paint ahead of time before you decide to use it in the first place, and maybe think of some alternatives if it looks like it won't be durable enough.

[gabrielleeve]

What do you suggest to use on laminate face cabinets?

[katiemeyer]

Some other products - both chalk and acrylic mineral paints - are very clear that you should use a primer for cabinets and Fusion Mineral paint advises BIN Shellac in particular. They also advise poly or oil base sealer on cabinets, not wax. Wonder how something like that would hold up? Many people would like to support a small business like Fusion or Melange or Dixie Belle, and want something that is near zero VOC, no odor, etc. Would love if you tested something like those products, with BIN primer, and a proper poly or oil based sealer.

[lindrake]

Your videos are always awesome and very knowledgeable. Thank you very much!!!

[CustomDartCabinets]

You were one of those kids that scratched your nails on the chalkboard weren't you.. lol. Good video, thanks!

[ojk]

not sure what any of these test prove. would you run a nickle down the side of a brand new truck and then blame ford and say the paint they use is garbage? none of these test is what they use to in the industry to test a paint finish.
drop some mustard on it and put it in an oven then a freezer and see how it holds up.

[eddiesobe]

can you put a link to the Milesi paint you recomend

[karinpalaneck]

Thank you for taking your time! I am not gonna use it on my kitchen cabinets.

[z.veronica]

This is the most unrealistic paint test I've ever seen.

[mrsgarageflower]

What if you covered the chalk paint with a water-based poly?