Easy Cabinet Refacing

Easy Cabinet Refacing

When it comes to cabinet refacing or resurfacing, your options are endless. Make a big impact on a small budget. You can even do it yourself! Every technique from pickling to sand blasting to faux painting will provide you with beautiful results. So depending on the level of difficulty you want to manage and the results you want to get, there is a technique out there for you.

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The fact of the matter is that cabinet refacing is an affordable update that will make your kitchen or bath look new again. Knocking down walls, changing awkward floor plans, and replacing old appliances are remodeling strategies that come with a high price tag. If you absolutely can't do it yourself, look to well known and trusted companies like Sears. However, if your room's layout suits you fine, the problem may just be those dark, dull and outdated wood finishes. If you want to lighten them up, add color, or simply want a dramatic change, then you need to consider cabinet refacing. It is a fraction of the cost. Why spend thousands of dollars on your kitchen when just a few hundred dollars on cabinet refacing will do the trick?

Here are a few cabinet refacing techniques you can easily do yourself:

Cleaning your cabinets:
Between the moisture, grease and dirt in your kitchen, your cabinets and doors take a beating. Sometimes a good cleaning is all they need to come back to life. Be sure to use a commercial cleaner meant specifically for wood. You can find this at most hardware or home improvement stores. If your prefer, you can mix your own by using 3 tablespoons turpentine, 3 tablespoons linseed oil, and 1 quart of boiling water. Use newspaper or plastic to shield the floor and countertops from spills. You will want to wear rubber gloves when mixing and applying the warm solution. Additionally, you will need to make new batches whenever it starts to cool or gets too dirty. Rinse the wood cabinets with clean water.
Preparing the surface:
If cleaning your kitchen cabinets didn't do the trick for you, you may want to paint or varnish them. You will need to prepare the wood by sanding it, vacuuming it, and wiping it with a soft cloth soaked in mineral spirits.
Refinishing and painting your cabinets:
If you like the tone and grain of the wood your cabinets are made from, and then just refinish it with stain and coat it with polyurethane. If you don't like the wood, then cover it with an enamel paint color that complements your room. Darker cabinets, however, will most likely need multiple coats of paint. Note that before you refinish your cabinets you will need to remove your hinges and all hardware. This is a great opportunity to clean it.
Decorative painting:
Effective, fun and easy techniques such as color washing, rag rolling and sponging give depth to your cabinet finishes. For any of these finishes, you should follow step-by-step instructions from a decorative painting book.
Pickling your cabinets:
This opaque finish brings out the wood's natural grain, but lets you embellish it with color. First you will need to brush on a light coat of flat, oil-base paint. Before it sets, wipe much of it off with a clean burlap rag. Note that the more paint you remove, the more grain you will see. If the paint begins to harden and is difficult to wipe off, don't panic; just remove it with a rag dipped in mineral spirits. To be on the safe side, wipe off more paint than you think necessary. You can always go back and make the pickled surface darker by adding another coat.
Bleaching your cabinets:
If you just want to make your stained wood lighter, bleaching is your answer. You will want to use commercial wood bleach available at hardware stores. Or, you can make your own solution with one part laundry bleach or oxalic acid to 10 parts water. Be sure to spread out plenty of newspaper to protect the floor and countertops. While you're working, wear rubber gloves and make sure there's very good ventilation. Apply the mixture on a warm day and let it stand for a few minutes (more or less time depending on the amount of bleaching you want). It is a good idea to test an area of cabinet that is not obvious. Then wash the wood surface with plenty of water.

The above techniques work just as well for unfinished cabinets as they do when you refinish your existing cabinets. You can simply, and happily, cut out the steps that include cleaning and stripping – saving your lots of time.

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