Staining Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are furniture that give a complete look to the kitchen. Hence, it is important to use the proper stain on the kitchen cabinets to give the kitchen a distinct look. Most people prefer dark stains for kitchen cabinets because they tend to hide grease and other stains that can be produced during cooking. However, dark cabinets can make the kitchen look small. Hence, it would be best to use light colored stains as it gives the kitchen a brighter appearance. Nevertheless, the color of the kitchen cabinets is a complete personal choice and one can opt for the color that goes well with the décor of the kitchen. Once you have selected the stain that you are going to use for the kitchen cabinets, the next step would be to learn how to do it. Though most people prefer to get it done by a professional, this can be quite expensive. Hence, it would be better to stain the kitchen cabinets on your own. So, if you want to learn the staining procedure, take a look at the directions that are given below.

How to Stain Kitchen Cabinets
Though staining cabinets is not a very difficult task, it is a time-consuming work and one needs to focus well to complete it. The things that you will require to stain kitchen cabinets are a good oil based stain, sandpaper, cotton rags, carpet pieces, cardboard and work bench. Apart from these things, there are some more things that you will need which include respiratory face mask, rubber or latex gloves, old clothes and shoes. Once you are ready with these things, you can move forward to the actual process of staining kitchen cabinet doors, handles, drawers, etc.

Step #01
The first step to get stained kitchen cabinets is to dismantle the kitchen cabinet from the walls. This is important to give the cabinets a proper finish and also to ensure that the walls are not stained. If you are making kitchen cabinets by yourself, you can actually skip this process as you can stain the cabinets before you fix them on the walls. However, if you have brought ready-made cabinets, it would be best to remove all the parts of the cabinets including the drawers, doors, handles, hinges, etc. Once you have done this, lay all these parts on the floor where you will be staining them.

Step #02
Once you have removed the doors, drawers, hardware, etc., the next step would be sanding the wood. Sanding helps in making the area smooth and should be done if your cabinet is an old one. However, if your kitchen cabinet is a new one, you can continue with the staining process without sanding. This is because the new cabinets must have been already sanded while they were being made. Nevertheless, if you see small scuff marks or dents on the cabinets, it would be best to sand them using a good quality sandpaper.

Step #03
After you have sanded the cabinets, the next step should be the actual staining process. However, there are some precautionary or safety measures that you have to take before beginning it. The first thing you have to do is to wear gloves so that the stain does not spill on your skin. Always do the staining process in a well ventilated room because the strong fumes of the stain can make a person sick. Lay down cardboard on the floor where you are going to stain the cabinets to prevent it from spilling on the floors. Also, wear old clothes and shoes which you would not mind getting dirtied. Apart from that, it is also a good precaution to wear a dust or respiratory mask while staining the kitchen cabinets to prevent yourself from inhaling the strong fumes of the stain.

Step #04
Once you have taken all the precautionary measures, it is time to begin with the application of the stain on the cabinets. When you open the bottle of the stain, stir the contents with a stirring stick. Take a piece of old carpet and dip it in the stain and then, begin rubbing it on the wood. You can apply the stain either against the grain of the wood or with the grain. Whatever way you choose, make sure that you cover all the surfaces. Some of the most common spots that are missed during stain application are edges or corners of drawer and doors, grooves, etc. If you tend to over stain the wood, do not worry as you can wipe off the excess later. Once you have completed one piece of wood, take a look at it thoroughly and apply stain on the places that you have missed.

Step #05
The next step is to wipe off the excess stain on the cabinets. It is best to wait for at least ten minutes before removing the excess stain. You should never do this with your gloved hand as this can cause a smudge mark to appear on it. Always use cotton rags to do this job. First, remove the bulk of the excess stains by holding cotton rags on both the hands. Once this is done, take another cotton rag and rub it with the grain of the wood to remove the extra stain completely from the wood.

After you have completed the above process, you have to allow the stain to dry off completely. If you have applied the stain on just one side, you can lay the wood pieces flat on the ground. However, if you have stained both the sides of the wood, it will be best to lean it in such a way that both the sides could be dried together. The time taken for the stain to dry up would depend on the type of stain you have used. By following these steps, you can surely stain your kitchen cabinets like a professional. However, the most important thing you should remember is to take all the safety measures mentioned above to prevent dangerous problems.