Making the switch from spraying flat to spraying vertically can revolutionize how you finish cabinet doors and other components. Many shops already have experience spraying vertical surfaces — like assembled cabinet boxes or vent hoods — but continue to handle doors flat. Embracing a vertical workflow opens doors (literally and figuratively) to greater efficiency, better quality control, and significant time savings.

Below are seven key reasons why shifting your mindset and technique toward vertical finishing can eliminate the bottleneck in your spray booth and transform your shop.

1. Mindset matters
The most important step is recognizing that vertical spraying is not entirely new. You’ve likely sprayed items vertically before, so it’s less about reinventing the wheel and more about scaling up a method you already know. Adopting an open, “try-it-and-see” attitude helps overcome the inertia of longstanding habits.

2. Optimize spray techniques
When transitioning to vertical finishing, methodical gun passes become crucial. Instead of applying heavy coats and risking sags or runs, aim for consistent coverage across edges and door faces. Moving the gun horizontally for the face, while angling the spray gun to cover the profiles of the door, and adjusting angles for edges (so you’re hitting them straight on) keeps the coating uniform while reducing the likelihood of over-coating.

3. Proper equipment & settings
Success hinges on choosing the right spray tips, nozzle widths, and pressure settings. If using an airless or air-assisted airless gun, for example, a fine finish tip is vital for a smooth furniture-grade coat, while adjusting your pressure prevents you from “chasing” a swinging door. With an HVLP gun, a 4- to 6-inch fan width typically works best, striking a balance between coverage speed and coating control. You also want to make sure you have the pressure dialed in to ensure you're getting enough product on the door, while at the same time it’s not too high that the door is moving too much while spraying – you don’t want to be chasing a door around while you’re spraying it. 

For vertical spraying, in addition to overhead lighting, I recommend you invest in some sort of cross-lighting to easily see any of the coating that’s wet or areas where you might have missed spraying. At our shop, we have a four-bulb LED light on a stand that will roll in and project good cross-lighting on the part.

4.  Reduced material handling
One of the biggest drawbacks to flat finishing is the repeated picking up, setting down, and flipping of doors — and the constant need to put down and pick up your spray gun. Hanging doors vertically slashes handling steps, allowing you to finish both sides and edges at once. This approach cuts total touches from around ten or more per door to just two or three, making your workflow far more efficient.

5. Fewer contaminants, fewer reworks
Doors lying flat collect more dust, stray insects, and even the occasional drip of sweat. By hanging doors upright, there’s far less exposed surface area for debris to settle on. You also avoid the common problem of doors sticking to drying racks. With fewer contaminants and less surface contact, you save precious time that would otherwise go into reworking flawed finishes.

6. Ergonomic advantages
Spraying doors hung at eye level reduces strain on your back and neck since you’re not constantly bending over or maneuvering around a low table. Over the course of a long shift, standing upright can make a significant difference in overall comfort and stamina — so you can spray more doors without exhaustion.

7. More time & flexibility
Beyond these technical perks, a major benefit is the sheer amount of time you’ll save. When you no longer need to wait for one side to dry before flipping doors or deal with re-coating problems caused by contaminants, you speed up production. That means quicker turnarounds, fewer late nights, and more freedom to focus on other tasks.

Switching to vertical finishing may require a short adjustment period, but the long-term gains in efficiency, quality, and comfort are undeniable. By refining spray techniques, selecting suitable equipment, and embracing a vertical mindset, you’ll save time, reduce waste, and produce consistently better results — all while easing the physical demands of your workflow. It’s a choice that can transform your finishing process and help your shop thrive.

Source: Nathan Guffey is a cabinetmaker and president of Guffey Systems. For information call 865-316-9633 or visit GuffeySystems.com.