Painting Ideas & Tips
  • July 11, 2018
  • Home Renovations

How to Refinish Kitchen Cabinets?

The cabinets play an essential role to bring new life into your kitchen, Changing the cabinetry from time to time is necessary. However, spending on new cabinets is not required every time. Old cabinets can be refinished and put back again as new ones.

Refinishing Old Kitchen Cabinets

The old cabinets can be removed and placed back after the refinishing work is completed. Follow these simple steps to get a new look for the old cabinets in the kitchen.

1. Mark Every Door and Drawer

To avoid the confusion of fixing the doors of the cabinets, you can label the doors with numbers before removing.

2. Remove the Doors and Drawers

To refinish or repaint the cabinets, the doors and drawers are to be removed from their places without damaging them. The screws and other loose pieces used for the doors are stored in a container.

3. Clean

After all the cabinet doors are removed, take a clean sponge and wipe down the area. Remove all the unwanted grease and other marks present on the doors and cabinets.

4. Fill the Gaps

Any gaps and holes present should be closed with a filler. The closed gaps ensure that the cabinets look new after the installation.

5. Sand Down the Cabinets and Doors

Once the filler has dried up, clean the surfaces with sandpaper to get a smooth finish. The sanding also helps to remove unwanted debris and let your cabinets look super finished. Sanding leaves a layer of dust on the surfaces. After the sanding is completed, take a clean cloth and clean the surfaces.

6. Prime the Surfaces

Depending on the paint you are using, choose the primer to be applied. The primer acts as a adhere to the surface and the paint. After the primer is applied, allow it to dry before painting the exterior.

7. Painting the Surfaces

After the primer is dried, you can apply the paint on the surface of the cabinet doors. To get a professional look go for multiple coatings. Take care while painting and ensure that the paint is applied evenly.

8. Sanding Between the Paint Coats

To get a smooth finish, the sanding process can be done after a coat of painting is completed. The cleaning process removes any raised parts or blemishes present after a layer of painting is completed.

9. Reinstall the Cabinets and Doors in the Kitchen

Once the paint on the surfaces is thoroughly dried, you can install the doors and drawers on the cabinets. Take time to reattach the cabinets carefully according to the labels present on the surfaces.

Best Paint for Refinishing Kitchen Cabinets

Colors for the cabinets must be complemented with the kitchen walls and ceiling. As the cabinets take much of beating and traffic, the paint must be a good one to take all the pressure. So what to choose? Oil or Latex paint. When compared with each other, latex paints have more benefits than oil-based paints. Latex paints dry out quickly and are more user-friendly. If you are using latex paint, make sure that it is an acrylic formulation which provides more durability than others.

How To Refinish the Kitchen Cabinets without Stripping?

To repaint the kitchen cabinets all the doors and hardware are to be removed. But there is another way to repaint without even removing the doors and hardware. A simple faux painting called glazing or faux finishing techniques can be applied to complete the repainting without removing the hardware or doors.

Glazing can be explained as simple color washing. The desired color is mixed with a substance called glaze, which is milky white and also dries very quickly. The glaze and the paint are to be combined in equal parts and applied to the doors with the brush. After applying the surface is cleaned with a clean rag. If you want the finish to be brighter, add more paint than the glaze. If you want the finish to be lighter add less paint to the glaze.

How Much Does It Cost to Refinish Kitchen Cabinets?

Not all the cabinet refinishing projects are the same. Some are big and risky, and some may be small.

The cost of the project depends on the following factors:

1. Number of Cabinets

The number of cabinets has a crucial role to play in deciding the cost of the project. The higher the number of cabinets, the more the price will be.

2. Choice of Refinish

There are many options available in the refinishing, and each has its price. Some designers keep the color the same, and some change the color depending on the request of the house owner.

3. Design of the Cabinets

Some cabinets are smooth in touch and comfortable to refinish. Some cabinets have detailed carving and trims. These carvings are to be painted very carefully and take more time and money.

4. DIY or Hire a Pro

The cost depends on who is doing the work. If the homeowner completes the job all by himself, then the cost would be of the paints only. If a professional is hired then the cost increases. But in a DIY project, you have to face the risk of not getting the work done correctly, and you may lose extra dollars than hiring an expert. Hire an expert to avoid kitchen renovation mistakes that cost you more than actual work.

Conclusion

Refinishing kitchen cabinets is an easy way to bring a new look and feel to the home. But doing it on your own will be easy when you are equipped with the right tools, added with some previous experience, spending your valuable time. A little mess in the process can lead you to lose more money than the cost to hire a professional. So, it is a wise decision to hire an expert. Executive Touch Painters has 20+ years of experience in doing Kitchen Cabinet refinishes in Toronto. Contact or Call us at  (416)-410-0164 to get a Free Estimate Now.