You walk into your kitchen one day and realize that your cabinets look awful. But you’re not really in a position to spend a whole lot of money on a full-scale remodel. That’s okay, it doesn’t cost a whole lot to reface kitchen cabinets, not when you do it yourself.
Perhaps you’re thinking you don’t know the first thing about cabinet refinishing la habra ca and that’s all about to change right here and now. The following easy steps can tell you what you need to know about stain removal and refinishing your cabinet doors and drawers so they look as good as the day you moved in.
Let’s begin with the most basic of tasks: removing the doors and facades.
Preparing Your Kitchen
You’re going to unscrew all of the doors and drawer fronts that need to be worked on. Don’t lose those screws either, put them in a cup or some other container so they don’t disappear. Next, take off the hardware and place it all into soapy water. Let it soak as you’re going to need to remove any grease or residue that has accumulated all these years.
Scrub the hardware if necessary and then set it aside to dry. From there, you’ll want to do a complete examination of the remaining area of your cabinetry. Do you detect any damage or cracked surfaces? If you find any, stop right here as you may need to have a professional come in to take a look and possibly repair or replace the cabinets.
Stain Removal
You need to first check that your selected stain remover is safe for indoor use and always wear proper protective gear in the form of goggles and rubber gloves. Once you’re all set, you can begin to apply the stain remover with a brush or sponge.
Once it’s all been applied, take a piece of sandpaper and start sanding the surface to take off the old finish. Do this until you’ve taken off as much of it as you are able. When you’re done, you’re going to do it all over again and apply another coat. But this time, you’re going to cover it all in wax paper and leave it there for about 30 minutes.
From there, remove the wax paper and discard. Wipe and rinse the cabinets and sand again as you did the previous time.
Apply Sealant
Now that you’ve stripped and sanded on your wood, now you need to seal it. That will help to preserve and enhance the wood so it can be fully protected and ready for the new finish you plan to apply on your cabinetry.
Add the sealant to the wood as per the instructions printed on the label. Apply it and then let it sit there until the sealant dries completely. Don’t jump the gun here, let the sealant dry before you do anything else.
Time to Refinish
Now that your sealant has dried, it’s time to give your cabinets a brand new look. How you go about doing this is entirely your call. Some homeowners will simply apply a similar stain to the cabinets as the one they just removed. It keeps your kitchen looking consistent and doesn’t alter the appearance of the room.
There’s also the option of painting your cabinets and doing just the opposite by implementing a significant change to the décor of the room. In either case, you’re going to prepare the cabinets in much the same way as you did when you stripped them. Get the gloves and goggles on and follow any instructions on your chosen can of stain.
Apply your stain or paint evenly with a brush and let dry. Depending on the look you’re going for, you will follow that initial coat with subsequent follow-up coats to get the rich deep luster you want for your cabinets. Painting the cabinets shouldn’t take up much time just be sure you have plenty of tarps lying around and enough patience to complete the job to your satisfaction.
Replace the Hardware
Now that your cabinets have been refinished you need to replace all of your hardware. But you can give your cabinets a whole new look by putting on all new hardware. Swap out the knobs and handles for brand new models that give your cabinets a freshened-up appearance.
Just be sure you’re choosing hardware that matches the existing drill holes that already exist, otherwise you could be adding an extra step here and drilling new holes to accommodate the new gear.
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