How to update kitchen cabinets without replacing them

If your goal is to update the look of your existing cabinets, the cheapest route is to simply reface them. This process involves either stripping the stain or paint from the existing cabinets and adding new stain, varnish or paint; in some cases, you might even want to refinish the cabinets with a stick-on veneer.

Update your cabinets

Go for wax, gel stain, glaze, or chalk-style paint. This will give a casual, countryish look. Or apply a stencil atop the existing paint. Paint or stain: Painting or traditional staining of kitchen cabinets requires meticulous sanding and expert application.

Paint Your Kitchen Cabinet Doors. The most cost-effective way to change the look of your kitchen cabinets is by painting them. This easy, DIY project will take you a day to complete and can be done by a beginner. All you need is a few standard tools: sandpaper, primer, paint, paint brushes, and painters tape.

REFINISHING IS MUCH CHEAPER THAN REPLACING OR RESURFACING

Buying paint or stain is much cheaper than getting new cabinet faces or changing them altogether. With refinishing, you won’t need to worry about the cost of wood, hardware, tools, or labor required to completely change or reface your cabinets.

Why You Don’t Need to Sand Cabinets Before You Paint Them

“The problem with sanding down to the wood is that it creates the potential for moisture to seep in or out of the wood,” says Chris. Moisture and wood can obviously be a bad combination. And there’s obviously lots more moisture (steam!

It’s almost always better to strip than to sand. To begin with, except in cases where the old finish is flaking off, it’s a lot more work to sand than to strip using a paint-and-varnish remover. Stripping is messy, which is probably the reason many people chose to sand instead.

Can you just paint over cabinets or should you strip them? When the existing finish is a clear coat, the best course of action is to strip the finish down to the bare wood before painting. This eliminates a potential adhesion problem between the old finish and the new paint.

Deglosser focuses on dulling an old finish. If the older finish is irregular, rough, pitted or scratched, deglosser won’t smooth it. Only sandpaper can repair bad surfaces, smoothing them with its abrasive qualities. If your previous finish needs smoothing in any way, sanding is the only way to accomplish it.

Orbital sanders are best for bulk sanding. Equipped with 100-grit sandpaper, orbital sanders remove surface material from cabinets and doors without going too deep. Light-grit sandpaper such as 120- or 180-grit on an orbital won’t remove material fast enough.

Dip your brush into the stripper gel and apply a thick layer over the painted cabinet doors. Paint stripper gel contains wax to help slow down the evaporation process. After about twenty minutes, the paint will start to bubble and lift from the surface.

Does vinegar remove paint from wood? Vinegar does not remove paint from wood, but it can soften paint and make it easier to remove. It is a non-toxic, natural alternative to chemical paint strippers, but may take a little more time and effort to get all the paint off.

Wood cabinets are ideal for painting, but any surface that can be scuffed with sandpaper can be painted. Special cabinet paints are available that provide a smooth finish, but any high-quality paint should work. Make sure your paint is acrylic, not vinyl. Acrylic latex-based paint is durable and easy to clean up.