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Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Do it Yourself Discussion! => Topic started by: jeromedawg on October 17, 2017, 12:33:40 PM

Title: Refacing and staining cabinets?
Post by: jeromedawg on October 17, 2017, 12:33:40 PM
Hey guys,

Having never done this before, would love to get some ideas as to the process of where to start and what products to go with. We have lighter honey-gold colored cabinets that need to be redone. They are fading and are just plain ugly. We probably would want to get a darker colored stain - should we just go with the Rustoleum Transformations Dark Color cabinet kit? What's the best way to pick colors btw? Are there template sheets at Homedepot or Lowes that they can give for the different colored stains?

And as far as everything we need to do and steps, would it look something like:
1) Remove all cabinet doors/drawers
2) Sand the faces of the doors and drawers
3) Apply the stain kit (presumably this would include finish and everything too?)

Any tips and suggestions for a noob would be great. TIA!

EDIT: actually with that Rustoleum kit it sounds like you get the color mixed at Home Depot/Lowes after buying the kit? And also there's no need to sand the cabinetry - you just apply the deglosser and use the provided tools. So it's sort of a "one-stop shop" - does that sound about right? And is this really the best way to go? Or is it better just to buy the components independently like the deglosser, paint, and [presumably] the finish/sealer? And do you paint the insides of the cabinets as well?

I'm also wondering if we should install new hinges too, as the ones on it are pretty old-looking.
Title: Re: Refacing and staining cabinets?
Post by: bacchi on October 17, 2017, 01:05:16 PM
I haven't been impressed with deglosser and would sand it instead. The deglosser doesn't create enough hold for the new paint and it peels off.
Title: Re: Refacing and staining cabinets?
Post by: jeromedawg on October 17, 2017, 01:46:55 PM
I haven't been impressed with deglosser and would sand it instead. The deglosser doesn't create enough hold for the new paint and it peels off.

Would you both sand and degloss? Or if you were sanding only, would you then just buy the paint separately? Do you have to prime, then paint, and then seal after?
Title: Re: Refacing and staining cabinets?
Post by: Millennial-Mustache on October 18, 2017, 02:17:05 PM
Have you considered gel stain? You can apply it directly to the existing finish with almost no prep. We used it on our cabinets and were very happy with the results. It took a weekend of painting it on with sponge brushes and then we applied heavy polyurethane over the stain to give it a little shine and water-proofing. It was nearly fool-proof (but I would recommend practicing on a piece of scrap to see how it will look). 
Title: Re: Refacing and staining cabinets?
Post by: jeromedawg on October 18, 2017, 08:02:52 PM
Have you considered gel stain? You can apply it directly to the existing finish with almost no prep. We used it on our cabinets and were very happy with the results. It took a weekend of painting it on with sponge brushes and then we applied heavy polyurethane over the stain to give it a little shine and water-proofing. It was nearly fool-proof (but I would recommend practicing on a piece of scrap to see how it will look).

Haven't heard of this before! Do they offer it in different "colorations" - we definitely want a darker color than the honey gold coloration that's currently there.

I just came across this:
https://www.maisondepax.com/2016/08/diy-gel-stain-cabinets-no-sanding-stripping.html

It sounds like you literally coated on top of the existing finish without any prep though? Is that recommended?
Title: Re: Refacing and staining cabinets?
Post by: Goldielocks on October 18, 2017, 08:13:22 PM
If a pre-stain treatment is recommended, do it.  Prior owners of a townhouse put gel stain (or an all in one stain product) on cupboards, and the grain all raised up like sandpaper because they did not prep it or sand between coats.
Title: Re: Refacing and staining cabinets?
Post by: Millennial-Mustache on October 19, 2017, 03:20:31 PM
Jeromedawg -

It may depend on the surface, but yes, we did about what is described in the link. We removed all the doors and hardware, cleaned everything with lacquer thinner, and applied the gel. Once it dried, I put on a coat of polyurethane. I think the gel would have been permanently sticky if we skipped that step. The only caution I have is that how you apply it determines your result. You are more or less painting on the wood grain, and if you put it on too think, it won't look right. Alternatively, you can put it on with a rag before wiping it off and have a much more subtle look.

I think this is the one we used:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001OEJUPM/ref=pd_aw_sim_60_of_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=C1PTS7KAPKWG5SPWAT1Z

I don't know how to upload a photo of our cabinets from my phone or I would!
Title: Re: Refacing and staining cabinets?
Post by: jeromedawg on October 19, 2017, 04:45:57 PM
Jeromedawg -

It may depend on the surface, but yes, we did about what is described in the link. We removed all the doors and hardware, cleaned everything with lacquer thinner, and applied the gel. Once it dried, I put on a coat of polyurethane. I think the gel would have been permanently sticky if we skipped that step. The only caution I have is that how you apply it determines your result. You are more or less painting on the wood grain, and if you put it on too think, it won't look right. Alternatively, you can put it on with a rag before wiping it off and have a much more subtle look.

I think this is the one we used:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001OEJUPM/ref=pd_aw_sim_60_of_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=C1PTS7KAPKWG5SPWAT1Z

I don't know how to upload a photo of our cabinets from my phone or I would!

Thanks for the info/tips! I'll look into that!

As far as uploading photos, if you have Google Photos on your phone (and a Google account) you may already be having your photos uploaded to Google Photos. If not, it's not too hard to enable. Once uploaded you can just share a gallery with the photos and paste the link.
Title: Re: Refacing and staining cabinets?
Post by: Papa bear on October 20, 2017, 10:48:13 AM
Preparing the surface is the most important part of this.  You need to make sure you have removed the old finish completely. 

I would clean and then sand all surfaces before applying anything new.  I'm not a fan of any "liquid sanding" or other chemical removing agents, as I have not seen them work like mechanically preparing the wood.

I also do not like the stain/finish all in one products either. I feel you get better work with separate units.  Make sure you apply the stain and finish to the manufacturer suggestions, and be sure to lightly sand (or 0000 steel wool) and clean between coats of finish.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Refacing and staining cabinets?
Post by: jeromedawg on October 21, 2017, 01:31:46 PM
Preparing the surface is the most important part of this.  You need to make sure you have removed the old finish completely. 

I would clean and then sand all surfaces before applying anything new.  I'm not a fan of any "liquid sanding" or other chemical removing agents, as I have not seen them work like mechanically preparing the wood.

I also do not like the stain/finish all in one products either. I feel you get better work with separate units.  Make sure you apply the stain and finish to the manufacturer suggestions, and be sure to lightly sand (or 0000 steel wool) and clean between coats of finish.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks, so what products would you specifically recommend as far as stain and finish?
Title: Re: Refacing and staining cabinets?
Post by: Cassie on October 21, 2017, 03:20:42 PM
Years ago when young and on a tight budget we had someone dip our cupboard drawers and doors to remove all the old stain.  I then stained and put a sealer on them. I also put some new hardware on them and they looked great.
Title: Re: Refacing and staining cabinets?
Post by: SwordGuy on October 21, 2017, 04:37:26 PM
We use remover to loosen the existing sealant and scrape it off, then sand to prep the wood.  At that point, stain to suit your taste.   Add a sealant for longevity.
Title: Re: Refacing and staining cabinets?
Post by: Spartans on November 13, 2017, 03:10:12 PM
Have you considered gel stain? You can apply it directly to the existing finish with almost no prep. We used it on our cabinets and were very happy with the results. It took a weekend of painting it on with sponge brushes and then we applied heavy polyurethane over the stain to give it a little shine and water-proofing. It was nearly fool-proof (but I would recommend practicing on a piece of scrap to see how it will look).

Haven't heard of this before! Do they offer it in different "colorations" - we definitely want a darker color than the honey gold coloration that's currently there.

I just came across this:
https://www.maisondepax.com/2016/08/diy-gel-stain-cabinets-no-sanding-stripping.html

It sounds like you literally coated on top of the existing finish without any prep though? Is that recommended?

+1 for Gel Stain.  We used General Finishes, they have a ton of different colors.  We used gray in our kitchen and java in our bathroom.  The beauty is that it's like paint in the sense that it sits on top of the surface so you can use it on previously stained wood, without having to sand that wood down. Very easy to work with too, just need to do a little practice to get used to it.  We like foam brushes because they're cheap enough to just throw away rather than deal with mineral spirits for clean up.  Less brush marks with them too.

You scuff sand it to remove the existing poly, then you're ready to go.
Title: Re: Refacing and staining cabinets?
Post by: wkumtrider on November 17, 2017, 10:26:49 AM
Check out www.Frugalwoods.com for a nice write-up of how they painted their kitchen cabinets.  They used the the deglosser and had really nice results.
Title: Re: Refacing and staining cabinets?
Post by: jeromedawg on October 05, 2018, 02:59:50 PM
Hey guys,

Getting ready to actually (and finally do this). Was wondering though if I should remove the stove vent/hood fan which is blocking (and hiding) a portion of the cabinets or if I should just not bother doing that.

Was also wondering if it's OK to break the project in half and do the upper cabinets all at once and then the lower cabinets another time. This is if we're trying to do this over the course of probably several weekends.

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ts9Xz1xcA8K49smuhKswtRPdCTpx6yzZqgtLmLtoADZtm2Vv0QZs6jSA8dJiyN0in4BGB0m9Xa3TIFCJM73B6FZQpBe5Zsw2IuaNAA7DHbBEaBxVeJE_XoJ8BIhWLYna3RoSBZhrCaGXTXnAj8-v6fbYQjHDjXEoNtS8Sgpdbn5McKpHTACY-rP3rkaQFhXfCQ_BHim1E29qdLZvjCRTdqZqOerVTOcZWtzYKXljbrhMQBTACzRQnLvzbkq_FqtAXyVkbtPiaOdvQsG7rKXBKpA4NrwpFMHYgQgsL_qLhcHvecxws2XdNTYpQEue2XreBvNO-I7Edb5XgZPEpvhiy2KsGdsYvndUkDjWuI6p_Ux6ojPB4HTXd2AtJjC7Rps0Y9mwnbo_mC4x5I-6oYnGwZr9fcMtbJd-plbjPIsS0vBchZneTcvh3IqAoVSbtkBF7agYScjqqDOEDGrnROr-wA5wA25Zl_yrZc1axYv__VHERDDLDXojUXO-rsk-ZPm6U2JTN11-TzTTurkrwow7xTfXebK_-U4tu36riSXAWupzKIQG3fCg0kkhFgyKZ1FqmlzPTna-J8VKpZc1bMJLOjJvAL4qsbFgTx5sZk2YkxhRQVnJFKoiEIm3CAvIVJ39ClxxekNH49SkRmmW0RItBz_buy6Or50aUfiCkGyxzONUuBhhHT24sLkZ0w=w997-h748-no)