Refinishing Your Kitchen Cabinets in 8 Steps

You understand that it’s usually a lot more cost-effective to refinish your old cabinets than to purchase brand-new ones if you have actually shopped for them lately. As the #1 installer of kitchen cabinets in Charlotte NC and Huntersville, we’ve done our fair share of refacing and refinishing projects here in the queen city and have plenty of expert tips to help make the job much easier for you. Here are 8 steps to successfully refinishing your kitchen cabinets.

1. Strip the paint with a good chemical solution if your cabinets are already painted. If they are stained or varnished, either clean the surface area well or use a chemical refinisher to get rid of the stain.

2. Take the doors off your cabinets and also get rid of any hardware. It will be much easier if you lay the doors flat to service them.

3. Check to see just how much damage there is to your existing cabinets. If there is only a small amount of damage, such as dark stains around the door handles, just clean those areas.

4. Scrub the stains with a pad dipped in paint thinner, mineral spirits, or turpentine. After that, gently scrub the entire surface area, cleaning and dulling it so the new coating will stick.

5. Once you have actually cleaned the surface area and removed the dark spots, apply an oil-based, clear surface such as Minwax. All clear coatings are low-odor and many are available in either satin or glossy finishes.

6. You can use a chemical refinisher to redo large areas. This is a solid solvent cleanser that dissolves  the old varnish. Ask a professional at your neighborhood home improvement or paint shop to recommend a good quality refinisher.

7. When you’re using the chemical refinisher, work in small, localized areas, and scrub them with a synthetic steel wool pad. The chemical refinisher will get rid of the coating and even out the wood and stain color. When it gets clogged with stain, simply rinse the pad in more refinisher.

8. The cupboard’s surface should be smooth and evenly colored after you’ve rubbed the entire area. If you discover it isn’t really, simply wipe the whole cabinet with clean refinisher as well as clean steel wool in long, overlapping strokes. The majority of the stain and wood will continue to be very smooth.

When you’re refinishing your cabinets, it’s incredibly essential that you use protective garments and that you make sure your work location is well-ventilated. Also, don’t forget to comply with all safety precautions on the product labels for the materials you’re using..

With the above 8 tips, you’re sure to enjoy your newly-refinished, lovely cabinets for several years to come. However, if you’re not into DIY projects, we’d love to help you get the job done! Our kitchen cabinet refinishing experts in Charlotte NC are available by phone at (704) 274-2994 to discuss your needs.