How to Apply Tinted Glaze on Maple Cabinets

A tinted glaze will warm the wood of maple cabinets.

When it comes to cabinetry, maple offers the best of both worlds. This durable wood comes in a light, delicate finish that shows subtle grain patterns, which generally aren't as overbearing as they are in oak or pine. Maple also comes in various shades, depending on the region it's from. The inherently light tone of the wood makes most homeowners reluctant to cover it with a glaze or stain. However, if you've lived with the same maple cabinets for a long time, adding a glaze or stain is one way to reinvent the cabinets, without covering the elegant grain pattern.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• 1/4 cup trisodum phosphate
• 1 gallon water
• Sponge
• Rubber gloves
• Electric sander
• 60-grit sandpaper
• 120-grit sandpaper
• 220-grit sandpaper
• Handheld vacuum
• Glaze
• 3-inch nylon brush

Instructions

1. Remove all of the contents from the cabinets. Unscrew all of the hardware from the cabinets, such as handles and pulls, and put them in a safe place.

2. Combine 1/4 cup trisodum phosphate with 1 gallon of water in a bucket. Put on a pair of rubber gloves, dip a sponge in the mixture and wring it out. Swab down the cabinets thoroughly, allowing them to air dry.

3. Install a piece of 60-grit sandpaper at the bottom of an electric sander. Run the sander across the exterior of the cabinets, everywhere you plan to put the glaze. Follow with 120-grit sandpaper and then 220-grit sandpaper.

4. Run a handheld vacuum cleaner around the exterior of the cabinets, sucking up all of the dust from sanding.

5. Dip a 3-inch nylon brush into your tinted glaze and delicately shake off the excess. Place the brush at the far left corner of the cabinet, at the every top of the cabinet door. Bring the brush down in an even stroke.

6. Continue to dip and shake off your brush, allowing each stroke that you apply to the cabinet to slightly overlap the previous one, creating continuous coverage. Create uniform, vertical strokes that start at the top of the cabinet and work their way down. Allow the glaze to dry overnight.

References

• "Cabinets, Shelves & Home Storage Solutions: Practical Ideas & Projects"; Herb Hughes; 2004
• "Building Kitchen Cabinets"; Udo Schmidt; 2003