Just like any home improvement project you choose to take on, the tools and materials you use will either make the job go extremely well or extremely bad. Of course, cabinet refacing supplies are no different. If you will remember that you are saving thousands of dollars by not having to totally replace your cabinets, spending extra money to get high quality tools and materials for this project should be no issue.
When thinking of tools you will need for this project, the actual tools needed are minimal. A screwdriver to remove the hardware,and paint brushes and rollers to apply the finish. Since you likely have plenty of screwdrivers on hand to deal with this, I'll focus on the brushes and rollers. Purchase a professional quality 4-1/2" roller frame and the finest shed resistant 1/4" nap roller covers you can find. Also purchase a professional quality 2" or 2-1/2" flat or angled sash paint brush made for use with all oil-based or alkyd paints, low VOC coatings, enamels, and high-grade acrylics. Depending on the type painting tools you are used to buying, these may seem quite expensive, but believe me the extra cost will be apparent in the end when you are rewarded with a beautifully applied finish.
Now that your tools are in hand, let's address the paint and primer. Once again, go for quality. Skip the discount center and even the big box home improvement store for this project. Head to the local paint supply store and speak with a knowledgeable sales person there and explain what you are doing. They should supply you with a professional grade primer and paint designed for cabinet and trim application. Again, you will spend a little more, but you will be overjoyed with the results.
The combination of professional grade tools and high quality paint designed for cabinet refacing will produce a beautiful finish that will last for many, many years to come.
Monday, January 4, 2010
How to Reface Kitchen Cabinets
Have you ever looked at those old, out of style cabinets in your kitchen or bath and thought it would be nice to just tear them completely out and replace them with some nice new custom cabinets? If you have, I also bet that not long after having this thought that the next thought you had was something to do with how doing such would cost a small fortune. There is an option that will make those cabinets look brand new at a fraction of the cost of replacement. Cabinet refacing cost is an option that involves simply applying a new finish to the existing cabinets. You could hire a professional painter to complete this project and still save quite a bit of money over completely replacing your cabinets. However, this is a project that can be accomplished easily by even the most novice do it yourself homeowner and doing it yourself is where you can really save thousands of dollars over the cost of cabinet replacement.
First off, I have found that the easiest way to approach a cabinet refacing
is to first remove the doors. The cabinet doors are much easier to refinish when they are laid horizontally on a flat surface. After you remove the doors, remove the hinges and cabinet pulls. If you are going to reuse the cabinet hardware, clean it all thoroughly with dish washing liquid and a toothbrush.
After removing all the door hardware (hinges and cabinet pulls), the real fun can now begin. All surfaces must be cleaned thoroughly using a good industrial strength cleaner which will remove any greasy residue that may have accumulated on the surfaces.
Once the surface is completely clean, you are ready to begin preparing the surface for the new finish. If your intent is to apply a new coat of stain to the cabinets, then you will need to remove the present finish from the wood. Today, there are many environmentally safe paint and stain removers that also have a much more pleasant odor than those of earlier years, but still do a great job of removing even the toughest finishes. If you are going this route than the general instruction would be to apply the paint and stain remover per directions on the container followed by a good sanding prior to refinishing.
If you are applying a painted finish to the your cabinets, you do not need to completely remove the present surface. After cleaning, lightly sand the surface in order to dull the old finish which provides a good surface for the adherence of the new paint.
Now that the cabinets are lightly sanded, be sure to remove all the dust from the sanding. Then apply two coats of a high quality primer allowing at least 24 hours between each coat and also doing a light sanding between coats.
Once the second coat of primer is dry, it is now time to start to see the results of your labor. Again, apply two coats of a high quality finish paint designed specifically for cabinets and trim, following the same procedures you used for the primer.
Once the final finish coat has dried for the required twenty four hours, you can reattach the old hardware if you desire, or if you purchased new hinges, drawer pulls, and cabinet pulls in order to provide a more up to date look, attach the new hardware. After the hardware is on, hang the newly resurfaced doors and your cabinet refacing is complete.
First off, I have found that the easiest way to approach a cabinet refacing
is to first remove the doors. The cabinet doors are much easier to refinish when they are laid horizontally on a flat surface. After you remove the doors, remove the hinges and cabinet pulls. If you are going to reuse the cabinet hardware, clean it all thoroughly with dish washing liquid and a toothbrush. After removing all the door hardware (hinges and cabinet pulls), the real fun can now begin. All surfaces must be cleaned thoroughly using a good industrial strength cleaner which will remove any greasy residue that may have accumulated on the surfaces.
Once the surface is completely clean, you are ready to begin preparing the surface for the new finish. If your intent is to apply a new coat of stain to the cabinets, then you will need to remove the present finish from the wood. Today, there are many environmentally safe paint and stain removers that also have a much more pleasant odor than those of earlier years, but still do a great job of removing even the toughest finishes. If you are going this route than the general instruction would be to apply the paint and stain remover per directions on the container followed by a good sanding prior to refinishing.
If you are applying a painted finish to the your cabinets, you do not need to completely remove the present surface. After cleaning, lightly sand the surface in order to dull the old finish which provides a good surface for the adherence of the new paint.
Now that the cabinets are lightly sanded, be sure to remove all the dust from the sanding. Then apply two coats of a high quality primer allowing at least 24 hours between each coat and also doing a light sanding between coats.
Once the second coat of primer is dry, it is now time to start to see the results of your labor. Again, apply two coats of a high quality finish paint designed specifically for cabinets and trim, following the same procedures you used for the primer.
Once the final finish coat has dried for the required twenty four hours, you can reattach the old hardware if you desire, or if you purchased new hinges, drawer pulls, and cabinet pulls in order to provide a more up to date look, attach the new hardware. After the hardware is on, hang the newly resurfaced doors and your cabinet refacing is complete.
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