What is cabinet refinishing? Cabinet refinishing refers to using your current cabinet doors without removing the entire finish or stain. The total removal or stripping of the finish is accomplished using a chemical stripper or several passes of sanding, or both. Once the cabinet has been stripped, the refinished surface is left unfinished and ready for you to install or paint. In some cases, the cabinet is left undone until you are prepared to finish it; in others, the cabinet will need to be completed as soon as possible to make room for new cabinet doors.
Cabinet refacing is the process of painting or staining the cabinets and taking off the finish to be refaced. This is a prevalent method for people who do not wish to pay for an entirely new kitchen cabinet. Refacing is also helpful for those who desire to give their kitchen cabinets a fresh coat of paint and do not wish to pay for the cost of cabinet refacing.
How does refinishing a cabinet door accomplish a whole new look? By replacing the cabinet door with a new one with the same or a similar style and wood grain, you will achieve a great-looking result. You should also consider that by refinishing the cabinet instead of just painting it, you will get a better-looking result than just using the stain. If the wood on your cabinets is in reasonably good condition, refinishing may be a good option. If the wood is heavily damaged, however, refacing may not be a good idea.
How do you choose between refacing and staining your kitchen cabinets? Refinishing your cabinets will provide you with an easy way to provide your cabinetry with a new look, but it may be more costly than staining them. For this reason, it may be a better idea to replace the hinges on your cabinets. Hinged doors are often much more accessible to repair and much less expensive than their wooden counterparts.
There are several different methods of applying a coat of paint to your kitchen cabinets. The most common form of refinishing is called grooving. This is where you take away part of the top layer of wood so that the surface of the next layer can be installed more easily. This method is often used when the surface is painted a less porous wood, such as particleboard or laminate.
When you are refinishing your kitchen cabinets, another option is to install new drawer fronts for your drawers. This can be a more labor-intensive way to reface your cabinetry, and you may need to pay a professional to do it for you. If you feel up to the project, you can install new drawer fronts and doors yourself. This is not recommended for unfinished or older cabinetry because it can be harder to clean up.
When you are doing your own refinishing, the best thing to do is purchase a new stain, and a kit for your drawers and new drawer pulls. Many hardware stores sell kits for drawer pulls and new stain, but if you don’t have this in stock, you can still purchase stain for your drawers from many home decorating stores or department stores. Just remember that you will have to buy a different brand of stain to match your hardware, and you’ll probably have to do some sanding to get rid of any scratches.
After you have your drawers and doors refinished, you can apply a clear wood lacquer over the entire piece. This provides you with a nice finish and protects your wood from becoming damaged from moisture. You can also apply another layer of stain on top of the lacquer to make it look nice. You can always paint your cabinets if you want to add a more modern look, but you must be careful that you only paint the tops of the cabinets and never the bottoms. This will prevent the stain from becoming permanent and allow you to keep your kitchen remodeling project relatively inexpensive.