How Do You Reface Cabinets?

Expose the natural wood of your cabinets, or cover them with a sunny color to make your room appear larger.

Refacing the cabinets in your kitchen, laundry or bathroom allows you to improve and enhance the looks of each room without spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on brand new cabinets. Refacing allows you to avoid the hassle of removing old cabinets to install new ones and requires only a day or two for project completion.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Paint or stain stripper
• Paint scrape
• Steel wool
• Old rags, 2
• Sandpaper
• Tack cloth
• Wood filler
• Paint or stain
• Paintbrush
• Artist's brushes
• Polyurethane

Instructions

1. Take the cabinet doors off the cabinets by removing the hinge fixtures from both the door and the cabinet facing. Remove the hinges completely with a manual screwdriver to protect the hinges from paint of stain damage and sticking. Remove any existing handles as well.

2. Remove the existing paint or stain on the cabinets by applying stripper and allowing the stripper chemicals to set for a time determined on the stripper packaging. After this time, begin scraping off the material using a paint scrape and steel wool. Wipe away excess residue with an old rag, when possible.

3. Rub the cabinets, cabinet faces and doors down with sandpaper. Apply only enough pressure to remove any remaining paint, stain or bumps. Be careful not to damage the wood with too much sanding. Wipe the cabinets with tack cloth to remove dust from sanding.

4. Fill holes in the cabinets with wood filler. Apply the filler with the paint scrape and smooth the filler into each hole, removing excess filler. Avoid filling the holes needed to install the hinges and handles and re-sand the cabinet parts as necessary.

5. Apply paint or stain to the cabinets as desired to create a new look for a refreshed look for the cabinets. Apply paint with a foam or bristled paintbrush and use an old rag to rub stain onto the cabinet parts. Use a thin, intricate artist's brush to draw designs or text onto the cabinets.

6. Allow the paint or stain to dry a couple of days before applying additional coats. After completion of painting, apply a coat or two of polyurethane to protect the paint job and seal the cabinet parts from potential water damage.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your work area well ventilated and wear a facemask to prevent light-headedness and fainting while you work.

References

• This Old House: How to Reface Kitchen Cabinets
• Cabinet Refacing: Cabinet Refacing Project Planning

Resources

• Kitchen Refacing.org: Kitchen Cabinet Refacing Instructions