Refinishing Kitchen Cabinets

Give a new lease of life to old or worn kitchen cabinets by exchanging their old hinges, knobs, and handles with new ones. You can also refinish the cabinet doors to give you a cabinet that not only looks new, but also has your own personal stamp on it.

To start, you should take the cabinets apart as much as possible. Kitchen cabinets can get very dirty over time, so it is a good idea to clean all of the parts thoroughly, particularly before any sanding which can ground dirt even deeper into the wood.

If you are replacing the hinges, handles, or knobs, make sure you know the dimensions you need before you buy the parts.

Now that you have your replacement handles and hinges, and the cabinets are as clean as you can get them, it is time for the sanding and finishing of the rest of the cabinet.

When sanding your cabinets, start with coarse sandpaper, and finish with something finer. Use a sanding block and apply light to moderate pressure, just enough to remove excess gloss and irregularities.

Choose your colours carefully when you are choosing a wood stain. Make sure that the colour works with the rest of the room, and remember that very often; wood stain will get darker in colour after it dries. To apply the stain, use an old cloth to rub the stain into the wood, and then rub it off again once the colour has penetrated the wood.