8 Tips for Refinishing Your Kitchen Cabinets
Joan Yankowitz
If you’ve shopped for new kitchen cabinets recently, you know that it's
often much more economical to refinish your old cabinets than to buy
new ones. Here are 8 tips that will make your kitchen cabinet
refinishing a huge success.
1. If your cabinets are painted, remove the paint with a chemical
stripper. If your cabinets are stained or varnished, either clean the
surface well or remove most of the stain or varnish with a chemical
refinisher.
2. Take the doors off your cabinets and remove the handles and
hardware. It will be much easier if you lay the doors flat to work on
them.
3. Check to see how much damage there is to the cabinets. If there is
only minor damage, such as dark stains around the door handles, just
clean these areas. Use a synthetic steel wool pad because it won’t hurt
your fingers or get caught on the wood grain.
4. Dip the pad in paint thinner, mineral spirits, or turpentine, and
scrub the stains. Then lightly scrub the whole surface, cleaning and
dulling it so the new finish will stick.
5. Once you’ve cleaned the surface and removed the dark stains, wipe on
an oil-based, clear finish such as Minwax. All clear finishes are
low-odor and most are available in either glossy or satin finish. Apply
several coats for a thicker finish.
6. If you find you need to redo more than just a few stained areas, use
a chemical refinisher — a strong solvent cleaner that dissolves and
removes part of the old varnish. Ask an expert at your local paint
store to suggest a good quality refinisher.
7. When you’re using the chemical refinisher, work in small areas, and
scrub the finish with a synthetic steel wool pad. The chemical
refinisher will remove the finish and even out the color of the wood
and stain. Rinse the pad in more refinisher when it gets clogged with
dirty finish.
8. The cabinet’s surface should be smooth and evenly colored after
you’ve scrubbed the whole surface. If you find it isn’t, just wipe the
entire cabinet in long, overlapping strokes with clean refinisher and
clean steel wool in long, overlapping strokes. Most of the stain color
will remain, and the wood will be very smooth.
It’s extremely important that you wear protective clothing and make
sure that your work area is well-ventilated when you’re refinishing
your cabinets. And don’t forget to follow all safety precautions on the
refinishing product labels.
By following the 8 tips above, you’re sure to enjoy your
newly-refinished, beautiful kitchen cabinets for many years.
For more valuable home repair and maintenance tips and resources, check
out Joan Yankowitz’ free “Easy Home Repair Tips & Techniques” Kwik
eGuide at
http://www.kwikeguides.com/home_repair.htm , and subscribe to
her free “Home Repair Tips” newsletter at http://www.kwikeguides.com/subscribe_hrt.htm
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