Restaining Kitchen Cabinets

As we spend a good amount of time everyday in the kitchen, we do not like to see an exhaustive, dull look inside our kitchen. So we opt for kitchen remodeling in order to rejuvenate the kitchen decor from time to time. One excellent way to improve the overall appearance of the kitchen design almost instantly is by restaining kitchen cabinets. The best part of this project is that you do not have to invest much time and money for it. An estimated cost of restaining is not more than $200 dollar.

How to Restain Kitchen Cabinets?

Kitchen cabinets can be restained only if they do not have any serious structural problems. So you have to inspect them carefully to ensure that there is no major damage in them and then proceed to the next course of action. You should equip yourself with proper tools and materials. They are wood stripping solvent, sandpaper, a soft lint free cloth, paintbrush, wood stain and water based polyurethane or lacquer. Once you are ready with all these things at your hand, you have to follow these steps to accomplish the project.

Step#1: First of all, you have to remove the cabinets from the wall from where they are usually hanged with screws. Put a mark inside the cabinet so that you can reinstall them in the same order. Then unscrew all the hardware like the knobs, pulls, hinges, etc. and keep them aside in a container so that they do not go missing.

Step#2: The next step involves removal of old finish from the cabinets as much as possible. This is done to ensure that the new stain penetrates well into the grains of the wood. For this purpose, a wood stripping solvent is preferred as it can clean off the stain without much effort. Apply the solvent on the cabinets with the help of a paintbrush and wait for about 10 minutes. You will find that the solution becomes thick and bubbly as the existing paint gets dissolved into it.

Step#3: Scrape out the stripping solvent using a metallic scraper. For the crevices, you will need a flexible scouring pad. You should move the scraper in the direction of the grain or else you will end up getting several scratches on the wooden surface which has to be removed with a lot of sanding. If required, you can reapply the solvent to clean off any remaining finish. Then rub down the wooden surface with mineral spirits to get rid of any residues left behind. Once the cabinets dry up, sand them up with sandpaper to obtain an even surface.

Step#4: After wiping off the sanded surface with a dry piece of cloth, apply the new stain finish with a paintbrush. Use long, uniform strokes for this application. If you are looking for a bright and striking color for your cabinets then you may have to apply more than one coat. Let the first coat dry up for about six hours, then sand it down lightly and apply the second coat over it. Repeat the process of sanding and restaining the cabinets if you want to add more number of coats. However, do not reapply the stain unless the previous coat has soaked up properly.

Step#5: Allow the newly painted stain to dry up thoroughly for complete 24 hours. Then apply a polyurethane varnish for the protection of the finish. You can either use a brush or a paint sprayer to carry out the task. It should be applied in two coats. Keep a gap of 24 hours in between two coats and sand the first coat gently before you apply the second coat. Once the final coat has dried up properly, you can reinstall the hardware back on the cabinets and hand them with screws.

Restaining kitchen cabinets is an easy and simple process that can be done to enhance the visual appeal of your kitchen decoration. While carrying out the job, make sure you protect your hands from all these chemicals by wearing gloves. Moreover, the project has to be carried out in an area where there is adequate ventilation. Otherwise, harmful fumes of these chemical substances will get entrapped and you may get suffocated in it.