It's more time consuming for refinishing kitchen cabinets than it is difficult with tricks to shorten the process while saving money. Here I'm going to explore the areas a person should do and those that should be avoided.
DO only make one trip to your home improvement hardware store with a comprehensive list for all the tools and supplies you need to buy. The list should contain varnish, stain. fine and rough sandpapers, tack cloths, foam brushes, plastic, steel wool, a small can of varnish remover, and a palm sander.
DON'T make lots of trips to the hardware store because you may have forgotten something. It's highly important that your list is thorough so you don't have to make trip after trip. With doing this you save money on gas and the amount of time for how long your project will take.
Do purchase high-quality materials. You don't want to spend all the time to refinish your cabinets and spend all the money if it won't hold up in the long run. Not to mention re-doing it a second time!
DON'T buy sale varnish and stain products. They will get old. One sign to look for is to not buy varnish that has thick scum near or on the top. It's most likely that it's past its due date.
DO thoroughly sand every inch of wood with rough-grit sandpaper before anything. After you sand all the finish with using rough-grit sand paper, then use fine-grit sand paper to prepare staining.
DON'T sand to deep in areas to remove scratches, you don't want peaks and valleys on your cabinet doors. If a scratch is still present after sanding the entire surface then use some wood filler.
DO use varnish remover and hand sanding techniques where your palm sander won't fit. Areas will be completely different, this will happen if you don't remove all the old finish before applying the new.
DON'T try to remove all the finish with just varnish remover. There's nothing easy about using a varnish removal even though they might say they are. You'll still have to dig or scrape old finish out from within cracks and corners while using a mask due to the fumes that could be breathed in. Then afterwords there'll be a mess to clean up. With that being said, that'll be a lot of work.
DO have and use "clean" rags to wipe stains. So don't buy brushes for applying stains as this method will just as easy (if not easier) then using a the brush method. There's more control using a clean rag while doing this by hand, plus you save money with not having to buy so many brushes.
DON'T toss foam brushes that you've used after each coat of varnish that you've put on. Please make sure to toss them within a plastic bag or plastic wrap between coats. Doing this will allow you to use them multiple times preventing you to have to buy lots of foam brushes as you'll be able to use them over and over. These foam brushes do not leave brush marks and there quit inexpensive.
Following these simple tips will help you get your refinishing kitchen cabinets job done a whole lot easier.
By:Jason T
