Why Kitchen Cabinet Spraying Is the Smarter Choice
A full kitchen replacement is one of the most disruptive and expensive home improvements you can undertake. New units, new worktops, new fitting — the average UK kitchen refurbishment runs from £8,000 to £25,000 or more, and takes your kitchen out of action for weeks.
But if the structure of your kitchen is sound and you're simply tired of the look, there's a better option: professional kitchen cabinet spraying. Done properly — with the right paint system and the right spray equipment — it produces a finish that's indistinguishable from a factory-painted kitchen, at a fraction of the cost and with no demolition required.
At Surface Repair Group, we use a specific combination of products that we've refined through years of professional work: Anker Stuy Ankocryl waterborne interior coatings applied through the Wagner FineCoat 9900 Plus HVLP spray system. Here's exactly what we use, why we use it, and what it delivers for your kitchen.
The Paint: Anker Stuy Ankocryl Interior Coating System
Anker Stuy Coatings is a third-generation family-owned Dutch paint company with roots going back to 1899. Their Ankocryl interior coating range is a professional-grade waterborne system purpose-built for interior joinery — including kitchen cabinetry. It's not a consumer product; it's the same coating used by professional furniture and joinery manufacturers.
Ankocryl Interior Primer (17-0556)
We start every kitchen respray with the Ankocryl Interior Primer 17-0556 — a waterborne, fast-drying primer formulated specifically for interior wooden components. Based on high-quality acrylic dispersion, this primer delivers:
- Exceptional adhesion — bonds firmly to MDF, timber, and previously finished surfaces when properly prepared
- High hiding power — excellent opacity that covers previous colours efficiently
- Fast drying — dust dry in 30 minutes at 20°C, re-coatable in 4 hours, which keeps the job moving efficiently
- Superior flow — levels beautifully through an HVLP gun, leaving no brush or spray marks
- Excellent stackability — ideal for the multiple coats required in a professional finish
The primer sets the foundation. No matter how good your topcoat, if the primer hasn't been applied correctly with the right product, the finish will fail. Ankocryl's primer ensures adhesion and a perfectly smooth base for the topcoat system.
Ankocryl Interior Topcoat (17-087X)
The Ankocryl Interior Topcoat 17-087X is where the finish comes from. This is a single-component, waterborne topcoat based on a blend of self-crosslinking acrylic and polyurethane dispersions — a formulation designed to rival traditional two-component (2K) topcoats without their complexity and limitations.
The key properties that make it outstanding for kitchen cabinet spraying:
- Self-crosslinking technology — after water evaporation, a chemical crosslinking reaction takes place, dramatically improving hardness, durability, and resistance
- Superior scratch and abrasion resistance — kitchen cabinets take a daily beating from hands, utensils, and cleaning products; Ankocryl is formulated to handle it
- Resistance to household chemicals — tested against coffee, red wine, and alcohol. On kitchen surfaces, this matters enormously
- Non-yellowing — maintains a clean, fresh appearance over time, particularly important for white and off-white kitchens
- Exceptional flow and surface smoothness — de-aerates and levels to a flawless, glass-like surface when applied correctly
- Low odour — waterborne formulation means minimal fumes in your home during application
- Dust dry in 30 minutes, re-coatable in 3–4 hours — at 20°C and 65% relative humidity
- Fully cured after 2 weeks — for maximum scratch and stain resistance
The topcoat is available in four sheen levels: Nature Matt (<2–7%), Matt (12–17%), Semi-Matt (25–30%), and Gloss (>70%) — in white or fully tinted to any colour. Most kitchen resprays use a semi-matt or matt finish for a contemporary look, though gloss remains popular for a high-end, traditional aesthetic.
Ankocryl can be colour-matched to any shade — Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, RAL, NCS, or a custom colour of your choice. Your kitchen, your colour.
The Equipment: Wagner FineCoat 9900 Plus HVLP System
Great paint applied with the wrong equipment won't give a great result. Kitchen cabinet spraying demands a system that atomises paint finely, gives consistent control, and minimises overspray — especially when working in occupied homes.
We use the Wagner FineCoat 9900 Plus, a professional-grade HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) turbine spray system. Here's why it's the right tool for this work:
What is HVLP spraying?
HVLP technology atomises paint using a high volume of air delivered at low pressure — up to 0.7 bar, compared to the 2–4 bar typical of conventional airless sprayers. This produces a soft, fine spray pattern with significantly less overspray and bounce-back. For kitchen cabinet work, this is critical: less overspray means less masking, less mess, and a finer finish.
Wagner FineCoat 9900 Plus specifications
- Power: 1.5 kW output — enough turbine power to handle professional-grade waterborne coatings at the right viscosity
- Turbine: 5-stage — the more stages, the higher the air pressure and volume, giving superior atomisation of thicker materials
- Spray gun: Cup gun with No. 4 nozzle (1.8 mm) — sized appropriately for primers and topcoats
- Air hose: 9.1 m plus 1.5 m whip hose — allows full freedom of movement around a kitchen without repositioning the turbine unit
- Noise level: 75 dB(A) — professional but not disruptive
- Material savings: HVLP technology delivers up to 40% material savings compared to high-pressure spraying — more coating on the surface, less in the air
- One-hand adjustment: Air volume and material flow adjusted directly on the gun — allows immediate fine-tuning during application without stopping
The combination of the 5-stage turbine and 1.8 mm nozzle gives the right balance for waterborne coatings like Ankocryl — fine enough atomisation for a smooth finish, with enough flow rate to maintain working speed on a full kitchen.
The Process: How We Spray a Kitchen
1. Assessment and quotation
We visit, assess the condition of your cabinets, discuss colour and sheen preferences, and provide a fixed price. No hidden costs.
2. Degreasing and preparation
This is the step that determines the quality of the finish more than any other. Cabinet doors and frames are degreased thoroughly — grease, cooking residue, and wax are all bond-breakers. Any chips, dents, or repairs are filled and sanded before any coating goes on.
3. Sanding
All surfaces are abraded to provide a mechanical key for the primer. For existing painted or lacquered surfaces, the right grit at the right stage ensures adhesion without cutting through into the substrate. We use Mirka sanding products, also available through Anker Stuy, which are specified for use with Ankocryl systems.
4. Masking
Where doors remain in situ (some jobs are door-off, some in place), everything that isn't being sprayed is masked carefully — worktops, appliances, handles, hinges, walls, and floors.
5. Primer coat — Ankocryl 17-0556
The Ankocryl Interior Primer is applied through the Wagner 9900 Plus. HVLP technology produces a fine, even atomisation that settles onto the surface with minimal texture. We apply a full, even coat and allow it to dry thoroughly before proceeding.
6. Inter-coat sanding
Between primer and topcoat, all surfaces are lightly sanded with a fine abrasive to knock back any raised grain or surface imperfections and ensure a perfect base for the topcoat.
7. Topcoat application — Ankocryl 17-087X
Two topcoats of Ankocryl Interior Topcoat are applied, with the second coat applied after the first has reached its re-coat window. The Wagner 9900 Plus is adjusted for the topcoat viscosity — the one-hand flow control is adjusted as needed between sections to maintain the ideal spray pattern and wet film thickness.
8. Finishing and reinstatement
Doors are rehung, handles refitted, and masking removed. The kitchen is left clean and ready to use — with a 3–4 hour drying time before light use, and the Ankocryl reaching full chemical cure and maximum hardness at 2 weeks.
What Makes This Combination Different
There are kitchen respray companies using budget emulsion, consumer-grade water-based wood paint, or solvent-based lacquers that yellow and crack over time. The difference with the Anker Stuy Ankocryl system applied through the Wagner 9900 Plus HVLP is:
- A coating designed specifically for interior joinery — not adapted from wall paint or general woodwork paint
- Self-crosslinking chemistry — produces genuine hardness and durability comparable to 2K systems without the pot-life limitations and isocyanate exposure of solvent-based two-component products
- The right application technology — HVLP delivers the fine atomisation and even wet film that waterborne coatings require for a smooth, mark-free result
- Low VOC, low odour — waterborne throughout the system, so your home isn't filled with solvent fumes
Kitchen Cabinet Spraying by Surface Repair Group
Surface Repair Group carries out kitchen cabinet and cupboard spraying across London, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, and Berkshire. We work in occupied homes, with full protection of your kitchen and surrounding rooms, and a clean, professional result every time.
All our kitchen spraying work uses the Anker Stuy Ankocryl system — a professional-grade waterborne coating that delivers a durable, beautiful finish — applied through the Wagner FineCoat 9900 Plus HVLP for precision and control.
If you're considering a kitchen transformation without the cost and disruption of a full replacement, contact us today for a free, no-obligation quote.