Table of Contents
How to Refinish Kitchen Cabinets Step 1: Clean the surfaces. Step 2: Protect yourself and the rest of the kitchen. Step 3: Soak the hardware. Step 4: Strip and refinish your cabinets. Step 5: Sand, prime, and paint the wood.
Can I refinish my cabinets myself?
While estimates for brand-new custom cabinets start at $12,000, this DIY refinishing project cost $200 in supplies. If tackling a project yourself, it’s best to allow two full weekends to complete.
What is the average cost to refinish kitchen cabinets?
Cabinet Refinish Costs Refinishing cabinets costs $2,904 on average with a typical range of $1,791 and $4,072. It’s far cheaper than a new installation or refacing. Expect to pay between $4 to $10 per square foot including labor and materials for stain, lacquer, varnish, paint or shellac.
How hard is it to Restain kitchen cabinets?
Cabinet refinishing is one of the easier DIY projects, all you will need are some supplies, power tools, and adequate space to work on the cabinets. You won’t even have to strip down the old finish from your cabinet doors unless you are looking to make a drastic color change.
Is it worth it to refinish kitchen cabinets?
Refinishing Kitchen Cabinets Updating hardware can also help make old cabinetry look new again. Refinishing these hardy cabinets, instead of replacing them, can both conserve wood and money. Opting to refinish, rather than replace, kitchen cabinets is more cost-effective, too; Ballard says it can save you up to $5,000.
Can you repaint cabinets without sanding?
Can You Paint Over Cabinets Without Sanding? Skipping the sanding step is OK if you’re making a change from one newly painted surface to another, or painting raw, unvarnished wood cabinets.
What is the difference between refacing and refinishing cabinets?
As mentioned above, when you are refacing your cabinets, you are putting new material on top of the existing cabinet frames and replacing doors and drawer fronts. When refinishing cabinets, all you are doing is changing the finish, or color, of the existing materials.
Can you just paint over cabinets?
Wood, wood-laminate, and metal cabinets usually can be repainted without difficulty. Plastic laminate cabinets might not accept a topcoat of paint — those that can be refinished often require special paints and techniques, and results can vary. You could remove a door and bring it to a paint store, for example.
Is it cheaper to refinish or replace cabinets?
REFINISHING IS MUCH CHEAPER THAN REPLACING OR RESURFACING Refinishing requires much less prep work than replacement. Buying paint or stain is much cheaper than getting new cabinet faces or changing them altogether. Many people believe that refacing is a less expensive option than replacing them.
Is it better to sand or strip wood?
Stripping a finish is faster than sanding to remove it. But more importantly, sanding cuts through stain and patina (the color changes in wood caused by light and oxidation), and it does so unevenly. Jan 3, 2018.
Do you have to strip cabinets before staining?
Before you stain the cabinets, it’s important to remove all the doors and drawers to make sanding and applying the stain easier. Use 120 grit sandpaper to lightly sand the cabinets. After sanding, apply a wood conditioner. Use a rag to work stain down into the pores of the wood.
How do you strip and refinish kitchen cabinets?
Paint a light coat of stripper onto the face of one cabinet, one drawer and one door at a time. Wait 10 minutes and then scrape off the softened lacquer with a putty knife, starting at the top and scraping down. Let the gelled finish fall onto the drop cloth. Do all the cabinets, doors and drawers.
How often should kitchen cabinets be replaced?
Kitchen cabinets should be replaced whenever they are in poor condition or whenever you feel that it’s necessary to freshen up your kitchen’s style as interior design trends change. High quality kitchen cabinets can last for up to 50 years. That is assuming the cabinets have been keep in good condition.
Can I replace cabinets without replacing countertops?
Yes! Refacing the cabinets — whether it’s under your existing countertops or throughout your entire kitchen — can create a whole new look, just like a full cabinet replacement renovation.
What happens if you don’t sand before painting?
Sanding also removes any bumps and impurities from the wood which would make it look uneven and messy. If you don’t sand before painting you will likely end up with an uneven finish and a paint job that will likely end up peeling after a few months.
Do I need special paint for kitchen cabinets?
Wood cabinets are ideal for painting, but any surface that can be scuffed with sandpaper can be painted. Special cabinet paints are available that provide a smooth finish, but any high-quality paint should work. Make sure your paint is acrylic, not vinyl. Acrylic latex-based paint is durable and easy to clean up.
What happens if you don’t sand cabinets before painting?
You cannot sand off the dirt. If you don’t clean before sanding, contaminates (like cooking grease) will be pressed down into the wood. Contaminates will keep the soon be applied paint for sticking. You can remove the doors here in the process or wait until after you wash them down.
How do you make old kitchen cabinets look modern?
25 Easy Ways to Upgrade Basic Kitchen Cabinets Install Crown Molding. Remove Some Cabinet Doors. Add Glass Door Inserts. Beautify With Beadboard. Make Room for Wine. Create Lid Storage. Light It Up Under the Cabinets. Handy Spice Storage.
How do you make oak cabinets look modern?
Neutrals and simple classic colours are a great way to update wood cabinets. Rather than contrasting the wood with a colour like blue or green, neutrals keep things simple and modern while still adding visual interest. Copper is a beautiful complement to oak cabinets with its earthy rich metal finish.
When staining cabinets do you stain the inside?
Allow the wood to dry completely and sand lightly with fine-grit sandpaper. Repeat as necessary. When staining cabinets, you usually don’t have to worry about the inside of the drawers or cabinets since these parts are rarely visible. But you may want to stain the inside of cabinet doors.
