Painting By Tanya’s Kitchen Cabinet Warranty & Disclaimer
What to Expect Before We Start
When you hire Painting By Tanya to paint your kitchen cabinets, you’re not just hiring a crew with brushes—you’re hiring an industry leader that follows PCA industry-backed best practices on every single project. We take craftsmanship seriously, we take education seriously, and we take your cabinets very seriously.
Because cabinet paints and coatings are constantly evolving (thanks to environmental regulations and the ever-advancing nerdiness of the coatings world), we stay connected with a large network of national industry leaders and maintain direct relationships with our manufacturers. We consult with them regularly to stay on top of our game. As a rule of thumb, we always choose the most durable product we can safely apply inside an occupied home.
All products we use meet KCMA standards, meaning the coatings are in the same category used by professional cabinet and furniture manufacturers across the country—not your everyday “wall paint.” These coatings are engineered to be tougher, more chemical-resistant, and more durable than anything you’d find in a typical paint aisle.
Our Warranty: What We Cover (and Why It Matters)
Painting By Tanya proudly honors the manufacturer’s warranties on all of the products we use. That said… manufacturer warranties often come with so many hoops, stipulations, and exclusions they might as well require an Olympic gymnast.
So we keep it simple.
✅ Our One-Year Touch-Up Service
We offer a FREE one-year touch-up service,
including up to 2 hours of on-site labor, no matter what the manufacturer says is or is not covered.
Whether it’s normal wear, a mystery ding, or “the dog jumped up on the drawer to chase a fly (common in my kitchen),” we’ll do what we can within that service window to keep your newly painted cabinets looking fresh.
Please note: 2-hour touch-ups are brush-and-roll only. We will not have time to mask and spray any larger surfaces in this amount of time. But fear not! In the unlikely event that you need a touch-up at all, it is typically tiny areas of damage on the corners near the drawer fronts that are not visible/minimally visible after touch-up. The common cause of this is drawers being closed with silverware sticking out (metal beats paint in this type of collision). Doors or drawers requiring re-spraying for any reason will need to be taken back to our shop, and a shop fee will be assessed for the repair. We don’t typically see this. Causes for door damage requiring shop work include staining that was not wiped off within 24 hours (wine, tumeric, coffee, mustard) and houses that do not have controlled temperature or humidity. Remember, wood moves with environmental changes, especially if the temperature is lowered during vacation periods (like snowbirding to Florida).
We are also not able to cover damage to the UNDERSIDE of your cabinets. This is because this type of damage is almost always caused by heat and humidity from appliances that we cannot control. Although we will absolutely touch these areas up with brush and roller for free at your 1-year touch-up.
Before We Start Painting: Things You Should Check
We’ve painted a lot of cabinets—thousands of doors and drawer fronts over many years. Most kitchens, even brand-new ones, have small quirks that only show up once paint hits the surface. These aren’t flaws in our paint job—they’re just characteristics of wood, age, usage, and manufacturing.
Here are the big ones to look out for:
1. Warped Doors (Extremely Common)
Stained wood hides gaps well because it’s darker.
Paint—especially light paint—doesn’t.
A quick test:
- Are your doors flush with the cabinet box at both the top and bottom?
If not, the door may be slightly warped or was mounted a bit off-center. We can often adjust hinges, but some warps are built into the wood itself and can’t be fully corrected without replacement.
2. Heat, Moisture & UV Damage
Heat from appliances, humidity from dishwashers, and sunlight through windows can distort or dry out wood over time.
Paint accentuates texture, so these previously subtle areas may become more noticeable. Minor variations can add charm—but severe damage may need fixing or replacement prior to painting.
3. Non-Standard Hinges & Hardware
If your home was built before 1985, this is especially important.
Check your hinge styles, sizes, and hole spacing. If they’re non-standard, we may need to fill old holes and drill new ones to accommodate updated hardware. We just need to know before painting begins so we can plan accordingly.
4. Furniture Polishes (Murphy’s Oil, Pledge, Etc.)
Products like Murphy’s Oil, Pledge, and similar furniture polishes leave waxy residues that can cause paint adhesion issues.
- If they’ve been used on your cabinets, please tell us.
- We can remove the residue, but it requires a stronger solvent (naphtha).
- For safety, you will need to be out of the home during this step.
5. Silicone at the Underside of Countertops
Where countertops meet wood, builders often use silicone. Sometimes neatly.
Sometimes… not.
If there’s a thick, smeared line of silicone underneath your counters, dissolving and smoothing it takes extra time—especially if you want this normally hidden area looking flawless. We’re happy to discuss options based on how “perfect” you’d like those areas to be.
6. Everyday Dings & Wear
Nearly every kitchen has them.
Tiny dents (less than 1/8”) usually disappear and/or become less noticeable once painted. Ironically, filling every small ding on textured woods like oak can make those spots stand out even more, because they become smooth patches in a textured surface.
Worse yet, temperature and humidity-induced wood movement can make even the hardest wood filler crack out. So our philosophy is that “less is more” when it comes to patching smooth surfaces on cabinets.
We’re happy to fix whatever matters most to you—just know that perfection in every micro-dent:
- Adds extra time and cost, and
- Often makes cabinets look worse, not better.
Yes, this is counterintuitive—but this is why you’re hiring an expert.
Additional Warranty Exclusions
(Straight From Every Manufacturer in America)
These are common across the entire industry and apply to factory cabinets as well. They are not covered under a standard warranty. We are happy to address these items at an hourly rate of $60/man (carpentry rate).
1. Damage from Early or Improper Cleaning
For at least 2 weeks, please avoid cleaning freshly painted cabinets.
After that:
- Start with warm water + a microfiber cloth.
- If needed, add a drop or two of mild dish soap.
- Never use furniture polish or abrasive cleaners.
- (Wax + oils + painted cabinets = heartbreak.)
2. The Natural Movement of Wood
Wood expands and contracts. Every season. Every year. Forever.
Even factory cabinets develop cracks in:
- Joints where rails meet stiles
- Corners of cabinet boxes
- Spots where cabinets meet walls
- Filled nail holes and manufacturer gaps
This is normal and does not mean something was done incorrectly.
To minimize this:
- Maintain consistent humidity and temperature.
- Avoid placing coffee makers/toaster ovens directly under cabinets.
- Run your range hood fan when cooking.
- Avoid high-heat light bulbs near cabinet surfaces.
- Limit direct sunlight on cabinet finishes where possible.
3. Delamination
“Delamination” is an industry term that means the substrate (wood, plywood, veneer, or the vinyl/foil “sticker” covering a veneer) has detached itself from the cabinet or door.
Failing substrates are defects in the existing cabinets, not in the paint. The cause is failing wood or failing glue—not the coating on top.
We strongly recommend replacing or repairing any areas with existing or potential delamination before painting. This may add some cost, but it is always less expensive than waiting for an issue to occur and then having to start over.
Final Thoughts
We get it—this is a giant list!
None of this is meant to scare you. These guidelines come straight from cabinet manufacturers and finishing shops nationwide. These issues are typically minor, easily fixable, and often never noticed by homeowners.
We simply believe in transparency.
We’d much rather explain things up front than have you surprised later. We stand by our work, we stand behind your satisfaction, and we’re always available to help.
Have Questions About Painting By Tanya’s Painted Kitchen Cabinet Warranty?
Reach out to Tanya anytime, and please allow up to 2 business days for a response—Tanya is usually in the field with her team, making things beautiful.
Painting By Tanya is the York, PA-based wife and husband company of Tanya and Walt Leftwich (with a little help from their friends). Tanya and Walt have been working together for almost 2 decades, and somehow still get along REALLY well. “Painting is our happy place, and work brings us together by giving us a task to focus on and take us out of our daily routine. We love what we do, and will quit the day we stop loving it.” But please don’t take our word for the quality of Paint By Tanya’s work, check out the portfolio https://paintingbytanya.com/project/our-portfolio/ and plethora of 5-STAR Google, Facebook, and Angieslist reviews.