Cabinet Refinishing Tips

Although refinishing your kitchen cabinets is more time consuming than it is difficult, there are definitely some tricks you can use to shorten the process and save money. This article is going to explore the things you should do and those you should avoid.

DO make one trip to the paint, discount, or home improvement store with a list encompassing all of the things you need to buy. Make a list of stain, varnish, fine and rough grit sandpapers, foam brushes, tack cloths, steel wool, plastic, a palm sander, and a small can of varnish remover.

DON'T make numerous trips to the store because you've forgotten something. Your expense on gas will decrease the amount you save by doing the job yourself, and frequent trips will eat up your time making a lengthy process even longer.

DO use high-quality materials. What's the point of going to all of this work and then using finishes that won't hold up under use?

DON'T buy sale stain and varnish products. They can get old. If you buy a varnish that has a thick scum on the top, it's a sure sign that the varnish has been around for awhile.

DO sand all wood with rough-grit sandpaper first. It will help remove the finish. Use the fine grit after you've removed the finish to smooth the wood and get it ready for staining.

DON'T try to sand too deep in some areas to remove scratches. You'll end up with peaks and valleys on the fronts of your cupboards. Instead, sand the entire surface smooth and then apply wood filler if the scratch still looks bad.

DO use hand sanding and varnish remover in spaces where your palm sander won't fit. If you don't get all of the old finish off before starting to apply new stain, you're going to end up with areas that don't match the rest of the surface.

DON'T try to do all of the finish removal with varnish remover. Even though the packages all say that the products are simple to use, there's nothing easy about them. It still takes a lot of work, you are breathing in chemical fumes the entire time you're using them, you still have to dig finish out of moldings and corners, you end up with a lot of mess to clean up, and you'll spend a lot of money on all of the varnish remover you'll end up needing.

DO use clean rags to wipe on stains. There's no point buying brushes for stain, because it can be applied just as easily (or maybe easier than) when using a brush. You have more control of what you're doing when you apply the finish by hand this way, and you save money on brushes.

DON'T throw away used foam brushes after each coat of varnish you put on. Keep a piece of plastic wrap or a plastic bag to wrap the brush in between coats. It will stay soft that way, you'll be able to use it multiple times, and you'll be able to get by with buying a lot fewer brushes. Foam brushes are inexpensive, and they don't leave brush marks.

By following some of these handy tips you'll find that your cabinet refinishing job just got a whole lot easier.