Interior Creative Design :: Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing
Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing:
How to do Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing
Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing is a serious DIY project, folks. Consider the idea carefully before you start. There are some key questions to ask yourself about kitchen cabinet refinishing.
Questions Before you Start:
1: What's wrong with the way they are now?
If they are natural wood grained stained, do you want to keep that look, but maybe a different color to the stain? Is the old finish fading? Trust me, changing stain hues is a long process requiring some skill with woodworking tools.
2: Are you doing painted kitchen cabinet refinishing?
If so, can you tell how many coats of paint there may be? (Find a spot that won't show and do some scraping with a razor blade knife.) Do you want to take them back to original wood, or simply repaint?
3: What type of wood are you doing kitchen cabinet refinishing on?
To do an effective job of kitchen cabinet refinishing, you need to know the answer. All woods are different. Are they solid woods, like Oak, Maple, Birch, or Cherry? Plywood? Press board? Recently, cabinets have been made of recycled, synthetic products like plastic bags. Different materials require different approaches when doing kitchen cabinet refinishing.
4: What kind of condition are your cabinets in?
Do the doors still close tightly? Are there any signs of warped wood? Is there any visible cracking of the base woods? Kitchens are mavens of humidity, and grease. No matter how well certain woods are sealed, they will be affected by these things. Most warps cannot be fixed. Cracks may be patchable. Know what you have to work with before you start your kitchen cabinet refinishing project.
It’s time to begin your kitchen cabinet refinishing.
You will need the following:
1: Rubber gloves
2: At least two good paint scrapers - one narrow, and one wide.
3: Several good thick sponges.
4: A good, heavy drop cloth.
5: Several good quality paint brushes. Ask your dealer about ones that work with staining products.
6: For some projects - two electric sanders – a vibrating sander, and a palm sander. Do NOT use any large orbital circular sanders; your woods are thin, and those have too much power. Also have at hand, a good hand sanding block.
7: A chemical stripping product. These are acid based, so use your gloves and the drop cloths. They are available at most DIY stores like Lowe's and Home Depot. Both of those stores have superb personnel that you can talk with.
8: If all you want to do is repaint rather than more serious kitchen cabinet refinishing, all you need to do is clean the surfaces well, and rough them up a bit with your sander. Use 50 grain or higher sandpaper. You don't want any deep scratches. Always after any sanding, ensure you clean the surfaces well. I suggest using soft rags, with paint thinner or wood grain alcohol. Save the bourbon for yourself!
Ok Breathe Deep and Go Slow
Cover the lower areas of cabinets with the drop cloth. Apply the stripper liberally with either brushes, or sponges. Do it in small patches, because it can get too dry. Let it sit for maybe 20 minutes, depending on the coats of original finish. Use your paint scrapers to take it off. You may need to apply stripper more than once. Do it until you can see the wood grains clearly.
Wash the entire finished surface with the alcohol. Let it dry. Then use your sanders gently. When you have again washed it thoroughly, let it dry well, and begin to apply your new stain. Use a sponge or soft cloth in sooth, even strokes. Let it dry well, lightly sand it, and apply as many coats as you need, or want for depth of color. Lastly, cover the surface with a good acrylic wax/shellac product.
Get to know the good folks at your local DIY store before you attempt kitchen cabinet refinishing. Most want you to succeed. I hope you all enjoy your kitchen cabinet refinishing project.
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Interior-Creative-Design.com :: Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing