Knowledge centre
Joinery and spray finishing answers
Answers, without the sales talk
What we get asked every week about finishes, materials, timing and care — written the way we would explain it across the counter.
Questions
Timing
- How long does spray finishing take?
- Most respray work is 5 to 10 working days from collection. Bespoke joinery with finishing is usually 3 to 5 weeks, depending on the size of the schedule and material lead times.
- How quickly can you turn round cut and edged panels?
- Board cutting and edge banding is usually ready in 2 to 3 working days. Add machining on the CNC and it is normally 3 to 5, depending on how the week is loaded.
- Do you collect and deliver?
- We run our own vans across London and the South East. Doors and fronts are collected, wrapped and returned on the same vehicle, so nothing is handled by a courier.
Questions
Colour
- Can you match a colour I already have?
- Yes. We mix in-house to RAL, NCS, Pantone or a physical sample, then spray a sample board for you to sign off before your job is coated.
- Can you spray Farrow & Ball or Little Greene colours?
- Yes. We match the colour and spray it in a hard-wearing lacquer, so you get the shade you picked in a finish that stands up to a kitchen or a bathroom.
- What sheen levels can I have?
- Dead matt, matt, eggshell, satin and gloss. Matt and eggshell are the usual choice for kitchens; gloss shows more of the surface underneath, so it needs more preparation.
- Can I see the colour before you spray the whole job?
- Yes, and we would rather you did. A sprayed sample board in your chosen colour and sheen costs a fraction of the job and is signed off before anything else is coated.
Questions
Materials & finishes
- What finish holds up best in a kitchen?
- A two-pack paint system. It cures harder than water-based paint, wipes clean and stands up to knocks around handles, sinks and hobs.
- Do you spray MDF and veneer differently?
- Yes. MDF edges are sealed and flatted so they do not raise, and veneer is grain-filled where a high-gloss finish is wanted.
- Which boards do you keep for spraying?
- Moisture-resistant MDF for painted work, birch ply where the edge is on show, and melamine or veneered board for carcassing. Anything else we buy in for the job.
- Can you spray an existing kitchen that is not MDF?
- Usually. Sprayed timber, veneer and melamine doors are all keyed and primed to suit the surface. Thermofoil doors that are lifting are the one case we normally advise against.
Questions
Looking after it
- How do I look after a sprayed finish?
- Warm water and a soft cloth. Avoid cream cleaners and anything abrasive, and wipe spills off promptly rather than letting them sit.
- How long before a resprayed kitchen can be used normally?
- Doors are handled the day they are refitted. The lacquer keeps hardening for around two weeks, so go easy on cleaning products and sticky labels in that time.
- Can a chip be repaired later?
- Yes. We keep your colour and finish on file, so a single door or a damaged edge can be touched in or resprayed without matching the whole kitchen again.
Questions
Working with us
- Can you work from my cutting list?
- Yes. Send a list, a spreadsheet or a DXF and we will price it as it is, and tell you if a change would save you money.
- Do you have a minimum order for spray work?
- There is a minimum charge on spray jobs to cover setting up the booth and mixing the colour. The price list shows it, along with our per-item and per-square-metre rates.
- Do you open a trade account?
- Yes. There is a straightforward trade account for counter and workshop prices, and a credit account with agreed terms for regular customers. Both are applied for on the site.
- Are your prices with or without VAT?
- Trade prices are shown without VAT and consumer prices include it. Every quotation and invoice sets out the net figure, the VAT and the total, with nothing added later.