Can You Sand And Restain Cabinets

Typically restaining cabinets is a long and involved process but it doesn t have to be.

Can you sand and restain cabinets.

As you would in any other project sand in the direction of the wood grain until you have the cabinets surfaces are smooth and even. If you want to take the cabinets back to the original wood apply a clear varnish or polyurethane finish or stain previously painted cabinets you will have to strip all the paint off the cabinets using strong chemicals followed by sanding. Over time your oak cabinets may get scratched or become discolored or you may decide you want a slightly darker look. The solution to these problems is to restain your oak cabinets.

Before you begin however it s best to do a little detective work. Apply a paint primer to the cabinets if you re going to paint them. Wipe off the sanding dust with a clean cloth. This provides a better bonding surface for the new stain or paint to adhere to.

This provides a better bonding surface for the new stain or paint to adhere to. Along the way you may wish to repair any imperfections cracks. If your cabinets are painted before embarking remove one of the doors and sand off a small area of the finish on the back. Restaining kitchen cabinets once you have raw wood apply a bit of the stain you like on an unseen edge to make sure it is the right light shade.

Denatured alcohol mixed with water 50 50 mix on a fine grit sanding sponge will remove all oils grime and take the edge off the old finish to help you prepare the cabinets. You will need to clean off and remove years worth of residue oils and grime in order to fully prepare the cabinet surface for stain. Sand your cabinets with 200 grit fine sandpaper to remove any peeling varnish and to roughen up the stained surfaces. Sand the cabinets one at a time with 100 grit paper then move on to 180 grit and finally work a 220 grit sandpaper over the surfaces.