How to handle painting with movement of cabinet door panel movement?

Question

I am building new kitchen cabinet boxes with face frames.  It is a no-brainer to pay for shaker style doors to be built and shipped to me, but I have some questions about how the paint will behave:

With the expansion and contraction of the floating panels, won't the unfinished panel inside the rails show unless they are primed/painted before assembly and shipping?
Would a clear coat make the paint more durable or is this more a function of the primer/paint combination?

James mcconnon · Answer

Ultimately durability is largely impacted by level of prep and primer. This is for one main reason.. adhesion.
A great top coat is nothing without a good key on the surface and also good primer.
All that said, paints vary on how they handle movement. In a coloured top coat, a high acryllic content paint will help with movement.
Another option is a polyurethane varnish ontop. The stuff is super durable.

How to handle painting with movement of cabinet door panel movement?

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