How to Refinish Cabinets

A newly restained bathroom vanity cabinet

Restaining your old worn out cabinets can bring a fresh look into your home for a minimal investment of materials, time and effort.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Multiple grits of sandpaper
• drill or screwdriver
• lacquer, polyurethane or acrylic clear coat
• stain in color of choice
• stain rags
• paintbrushes
• masking tape

1. All doors and drawers removed

   Remove all doors and drawers from the cabinets. Remove all hinges and hardware from the doors and drawers.

2. 

   Sand off the old clear coat from the cabinets, doors and drawer fronts. Begin with around a 50 grit sandpaper and gradually increase the grit up to around a 150 grit or until you reach the smoothness and texture desired. A detail sander may be useful here to get into the tighter nooks and crannies.

3. Restained cabinet.

   Mask off the area around the cabinets to be stained. Apply the stain evenly over the entire surface of the cabinets and drawer front. Lay the doors out on a tarp and apply the stain to one side, allow to dry and then stain the other side. Allow the stain to remain on the wood surface for about 3-5 minutes (or check the can for manufacturer's recommendations, then wipe off the excess with a clean, lint free rag.

   Repeat the staining process if necessary to achieve desired results

4. New hardware installed.

   Once the stain has dried, give a light surface sanding (220 grit) and apply the clear coat of choice. Allow to dry and reinstall doors and drawers.

Tips & Warnings

• Mineral spirits will help to thin and clean up stain.

Resources

• Specialty Home Improvement, Inc.