How To Restain Kitchen Cabinets

The process of stripping the old finish off of your cupboards and applying a new stain is going to take a lot of work. In order to restain the cupboards, every inch of existing finish must be removed from the kitchen cabinets.

There are three methods used for stripping the old clear-coats and stain off. The most popular way that professionals get the old stuff off is by using some sort of paint remover. Another way is by using good old fashioned elbow grease and sanding paper. The final method is used for removing paint and that is through applying heat.

Whichever method you choose to use, your new finish will only be as good as how well you prep the doors to receive the new stain and clear coats. You can get into small creases and crevices by using a wire brush.

Even if you are using stripper, you will still have to sand all of the cabinet parts before applying any of the new finish. Your sanding can start with 100 grit and work down several notches until you finish it off with 220 sand paper.

After every bit of the old finish has been removed and you have fixed all the flaws with wood putty and through sanding, you can start refinishing your cupboards.

In order to do the restaining properly, test an area of your kitchen cabinets first with the new finishing materials. This is just a precautionary step to ensure that the new stain and clear coats are going to work fine. DO NOT omit this step. You will be very mad if you apply the finishes on all of your kitchen cabinets and the varnish starts to bubble after a couple of hours.

When you are doing any kind of refinishing work, it is a good idea to never be in a hurry.

Steps for Restaining Cupboards in The Kitchen

Follow these steps after you have completed your test in an inconspicuous place on your kitchen cupboards.

• Apply the new stain with a foam brush and allow it a few minutes to soak in.
• Wipe off the extra liquid with a clean rag that is lent free.
• Let the stained surfaces dry for as long as the manufacture suggests.
• Apply your sanding sealer and allow plenty of drying time.
• Sand the sealer coat and reapply another one.
• Lightly sand that coat and then apply two to three finish clear coats.

You must never rush the process of restaining cabinets. If you don’t hurry, your kitchen cupboards will turn out great with the new stain color and clear-coats.