How to Refinish Kitchen Cabinets Like a Pro
If you’ve ever wanted to refinish your kitchen cabinets but you never knew how to do it, you have come to the right place as this article is going to help highlight all of the important things you need to know in order to refinish your kitchen cabinets. Not only is this going to tell you everything you need to have with you when you do this job, but it will also detail step-by-step instructions to ensure you get the results you want at all times. While there are some things you can learn as you go, refinishing kitchen cabinets can be a tedious process so it is best to learn from a tutorial to ensure you know everything there is to know about refinishing so you can do an excellent job in your home.
What You Will Need To Follow This Tutorial (a video attached down below)
When it comes to refinishing the cabinets in your kitchen, you will find that there are quite a bit of tools you need to have with you so that you can get the desired results you want. While most of the tools you need for this projects are going to be found in a standard tool box, there are some materials you are going to need as well. When you get ready to refinish your cabinets, make sure you have scrubbing pads, sanding blocks, sand paper, No. 10 finish washers, cabinet doors and drawer fronts and cabinet knobs and pulls.
Step by Step Instructions
Prep
The first thing you need to do is empty the cabinets completely to make sure that there is nothing rolling around or in the way when you need to work inside of the cabinets. Take a few minutes to ensure everything is empty and it will save you time along the way.
Remove Doors And Shelves
Most of the shelves you find that need to be removed will simply lift off the pegs they sit on but some of them might need to be unscrewed. You will need to unscrew the doors from the hinges to take them off but make sure you label all of the parts so that you remember which door and shelf goes where.
Clean
Any grease or dirt built up on the cabinet will get in the way so you want to make sure you clean thoroughly. Use TSP to help clean and remove a lot of the grease built up as it will also etch the paint so it is ready to be primed. You can then lightly sand any of the rough areas to ensure you have a smooth finish across and then wipe down with a damp cloth. Take your time on this step as the extra effort you put in will be well worth it once you are finished.
Strip
In some instances, people will paint over the hardware of the cabinets if they are in a hurry and if you are refinishing the cabinets, you should take the time to remove this paint and make the hardware look good as new. You can also choose to stip the cabinets using a strong chemical if you want but this is completely optional and is not necessary unless you want to bring back the cabinets to the original wood.
Fill
If there are any dents, chips or nicks in the cabinets, fill it in with wood putty and wait until it is dry to sand it smooth with the cabinet. Afterwards, wipe it down with a wet cloth and then wait for the cabinet to try before going onto the next step.
Prime
If you are going to paint the cabinets, you will need to first prime them to allow the paint to bond with the wood. If you are painting on an unfinished surface, then you will need to prime the wood before you decide to pain. The best thing for you to remember is to try and match the primer with the pain you are using for the best results.
Paint
This is the moment where all your hard work pays off as you are now ready to paint the cabinets and transform your kitchen! If you want to get the best results, you can use a sprayer to give you a smooth and glossy look but this will require you to mask and cover just about everything in sight. If you don’t want to go that route, go with a brush but use a high-quality brush and only brush in one direction. Remember, two light coats is going to look a lot better than one heavy coat.
You can watch this video to learn more.
Conclusion
Now that you have learned everything there is to know when it comes to refinishing your kitchen cabinets, I hope you will put this information to use in the proper way to help ensure that you can do a great job with your own kitchen cabinets. The information above should help to ensure a smooth and easy process when you tackle the job. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and please feel free to share this article with your friends or family and comment below to let us know what you think!
About the Author Darrell Webster
I believe there is a handyman in all of us as long as you have the right tools. I started this blog to help anyone who is interested in fixing things to learn their way around the different tools and to know how to perform different DIY tasks. I have been doing this for years and believe I am a master of this art.