How to Glaze Maple Cabinets
Maple cabinets are usually stained or glazed instead of being left unfinished. Maple is naturally a very light-colored wood, but different glazes can make it a variety of light or medium colors and can add interesting finishes, such as a metallic, rustic, or shabby-chic look. Glaze offers protection from scratches and other damage. Cabinets can be glazed relatively easily in several steps. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Paintbrush (to apply a smooth finish)
- Steel wool (to add a textured or distressed-look finish)
- Masking tape
- Protective plastic sheet
- Glaze
- 220 and 120 grit sandpaper (if cabinets are not already sanded smoothly)
Instructions
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How to Glaze Maple Cabinets
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1
Pick out a glaze or combination of glazes. They are available in home-improvement stores such as Lowe's and Home Depot or may be purchased online from rockler.com, lowes.com or other websites. There are many glaze finishes to choose from as well as many effects, such as distressing, marble, shabby chic, burnishing, color washing, rag rolling and wood graining, which can be created with glaze, according to rockler.com. Metallic glazes often have a different color underneath, so it may be necessary to buy more than one glaze.
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2
Do a test patch. Make sure the chosen color looks good on the wood by applying a little glaze to either an inconspicuous patch on the cabinets or on a sample piece of the same kind of wood. If you plan to use two or more layers of different-colored glazes, make sure to test both colors.
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3
Sand the cabinets. This step is optional, but if wood is not sanded smoothly already Lowe's recommends sanding it with 120 grit sandpaper followed by 220 grit sandpaper. This step will ensure that the glaze goes on smoothly, is absorbed evenly into the wood, and looks nice (without scratches or dents).
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4
Protect the area around the cabinets. If they are already installed, put masking tape along the edges of the cabinets to protect the walls. Put a protective plastic sheet underneath cabinets either on the floor or on the countertops beneath cabinets.
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5
Apply the glaze. Paint a thin layer of glaze with a paintbrush.
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6
Rub the wet glaze with steel wool for a weathered look (optional). Marthastewart.com suggests this step to give wood a more weathered, textured, and distressed look.
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7
Allow glaze to dry. A thin layer of glaze should take several hours (or overnight) to dry thoroughly.
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8
Repeat Steps 5 to 7 if a second color or layer of glaze is needed. A second layer may not be required, but if the glaze is not as dark or distinctive as desired or if you choose to paint one glaze color on top of another, such as a metallic glaze on top of a wood-colored glaze, repeat from Step 5.
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Tips & Warnings
Glaze can also be applied on top of paint to achieve different effects. Simply apply a layer of paint to cabinets after sanding them, and allow the paint to dry thoroughly before applying the glaze.
