How to Refurbish an Old Cabinet

Remodeling can be expensive, especially cabinets. The cost of wood is high making cabinets one of the most expensive things to replace in your house. Why not keep your old cabinets and just refurbish them. Find a stain or paint in the color you prefer and follow these steps to refurbish your old cabinets.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Remove all the hardware from the drawers and doors before you refurbish the old cabinets. These include handles, hinges and latches. You can reuse these or replace them, depending upon how worn they are and if you want to update the look.

2. Take off the top of the cabinet and either toss it or set it aside. If it has cracks or it's warped, you will need to replace it. If you decide to add to the cabinet, find wood that matches the old kind for best results.

3. Strip the old paint from the cabinet. Use a hot air gun and move it in a circular motion over the paint, being careful not to burn or bubble the wood. Scrape off the paint using a putty knife over the area that you just heated.

4. Apply putty to any dents or gouges to make the cabinet look new. You can leave them if you like the old look of the cabinet. Sand the cabinet until you achieve the desired finish.

5. Stain the old cabinet with the color you desire. If the wood is pine, a stain of boiled linseed oil will yield the best results. Apply a wood conditioner before staining to get a consistent color.

6. Paint the cabinet instead of staining if desired. Apply a primer prior to painting. After the stain or paint is dry apply two coats of finish using either a spray gun or a paintbrush and allowing it to dry between coats.

7. Finish up by putting on a new counter top. You can refinish the old one with linoleum or tile. If the top is unusable, purchase a new one. Reattach the old or new hardware to complete the look.