Should painted kitchen cabinets have a protective coating applied?

Yes,al painted or stained cabinets or furniture need a protective finish

Sorry I never saw this until now. With my bathroom its doing quite well without using the protective coat. But the coating will give it a shine and seal it. So far I love it. And if its in a high traffic area I would say yes. Only my husband and I share this tiny bath, and he is more neater than I am. lol

I am so sorry---- YES ALL KITCHEN CABINETS SHOULD BE PROTECTIVE! Also if you used BERH OR BEHR paint it usually does not have to have a coating, that paint is strong. be careful of protective coatings too. Because sometimes it will alter the color by leaving a yellow tone finish ones it dries. I miss understood your question I thought you were asking about my bathroom cabinets opps

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, Mary. Chances are the cabinets were not properly prepared and the new paint did not get a solid grip.

I hope you lightly sanded and primed the cabinets before painting. Sealing is always preferred. Some basic instructions.

Make sure they are clean and dry. Remove the doors and hardware. Mark the doors and cabinets with tape where they go. Lightly sand the doors and cabinets to remove any gloss and roughen the surface for paint with 120- to 220-grit sandpaper. Use a tack cloth or damp rag to remove dust after sanding. Prime with a stain blocking primer like Zinsser 123, KILZ,or BIN and have it tinted to the color of the top coat. This will prevent dark or stained surfaces from showing through the top coat. Acrylic, or water-base, paints are low-fume and clean up easily with water. Alkyd, or oil-base, paints require good ventilation because the paint contains solvents that can irritate your lungs and make you feel sick. Alkyd options require mineral spirits for cleanup, but they provide a hard, durable paint finish. Whichever you use, buy the best-quality paint you can afford for a lasting kitchen cabinet finish. Seal with at least three coats with a water based polyurethane. Use a small foam roller and foam brush for a smooth finish.

My kitchen cupboards have been painted many years and have no protective coating on them. However I think I march to a different drummer than many home crafters do. The shelves in my kitchen are open. I collect china so have many pieces always in use.

I forgot to say my paint job is not chipped. At all. painted 30 years ago. Shelves to far left are 112 years old, to the right 30 years old. Just plain shelving from Home Depot.

non-yellowing polycrylic

my Cabinets are laminate in good shape. I used Krud Kutter to clean, chalk paint primer and then Behr Ultra Scuff Defense one coat. Not going to put clear coat.