How to Refinish Cabinets From the Seventies
Cabinets from the seventies are predominantly particle board veneer or laminate. If you are looking to refinish one of these two types of cabinetry, your best option is paint. You can give cabinets a fresh new look in a long weekend. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Sandpaper
- Palm sander
- Low tack tape
- Primer
- Foam roller
- Paintbrush
- Paint
Instructions
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1
Remove the cabinet doors and drawers, as well as the hardware. Mark each piece that you remove so you know where it goes when it is time to put it back.
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2
Thoroughly clean the cabinets to remove years of grease and grime. Use a mild cleanser and a lot of pressure to scrub the cabinets.
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3
Sand the cabinet frames and flat portions of the doors and drawers with a palm sander and medium grit sand paper. Palm sanders can be found at most home improvement stores. If you are not working with a large quantity of cabinets you can use sheets of sandpaper instead. Be careful not to expose particle board beneath the veneer or laminate.
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4
Thoroughly wipe down the surface of the cabinets to remove all sanding dust. Dust left behind will make your final paint job look gritty.
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5
Use a paintbrush to apply primer to corners and crevices. Go over the seams of the brushed areas with a smooth foam roller. Use the roller to apply primer to all flat areas of the cabinets. Foam rollers create a smooth finish without brush strokes, perfect for cabinets and other furniture. Allow primer to dry. If you can see the cabinet through the first coat of primer, apply an additional coat.
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6
Paint the cabinets using a brush and foam roller. Use multiple thin coats of paint instead of one thick coat to create a more durable finished product. Allow paint to dry completely.
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7
Brush or roll on a coat of polyurethane in gloss or matte finish to protect your paint job from the abuse that cabinets normally receive. Allow polyurethane to cure for five to seven days before replacing doors and drawers.
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Tips & Warnings
Your cabinets from the seventies might be real wood. Test to find out by sanding the wood in an inconspicuous spot. With real wood you have the option of sanding to remove the original stain and staining again in a different color.
