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What is Refinishing? Refinishing is the process of redoing the existing surface that has been previously painted and worked over with a new coating of paint or varnish.
The idea is usually to give a new look to the surface that is being redone either for aesthetic reasons, or to increase the resale value.
Why Refinish your Kitchen Cabinets? Because it's cheap. Replacing them can cost you thousands of dollars. It's also cheaper than refacing them, which involves covering them with new wood.
Also, if you paint your cabinets, you don't need to remove all the stuff that is inside. Painting the doors will be just fine. However, it's probably a good idea to get it all out into another kitchen anyway.
By refinishing your cabinets, you can give them any sort of finish you want. You can give a Faux finish, making them look like marble, or you can give them an antique look. All for just the cost of a few coats of paint!
It will also increase the resale value of your home if you're thinking of selling. New buyers are very alert to any signs of maintenance, and are quick to appreciate it.
What look are you going to give your Kitchen Cabinets? You need to get a lot of ideas. Think beyond just coating them over with a new coat of paint, or changing the color. Pick up a few magazines on home improvement and see what the latest trends are.
You can give them a crackle finish, or make them look like a rare brand of wood. That's the magic of painting. You can have the home you've always wanted for a tithe.
Prepare well.
This is going to take a few days at least. Ensure that you have a makeshift place for your kitchen while the refinishing is in progress. Also, you have to do this in the summer. The fumes of the paint will need to be let out, and the windows have to remain open.
Get out all your safety equipment. You have a responsibility towards your family and the community to dispose of the paint that you use in a safe manner. Try and use Eco-Friendly Green paints for this job, as they are better for your health especially in a place like the kitchen.
Ensure that you have plenty of Drop Cloths for your painting job. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Take off whatever can be removed. That includes the front of the kitchen cabinet, as well as the doors and hinges. All this will make it easier to sand the surfaces properly and ensure that the painting job is thorough.
Refinishing your Cabinets.
As you may know, preparing the surfaces is more than half the battle. A properly cleaned and sandpapered wood will hold the paint for much longer than one that has grease and dust on it.
Personally, I feel that it's best to remove the old paint off the cabinet doors before painting on a new one. In most cases, there are only a couple of layers that need to be stripped off. There are several liquid paint removers on the market that will do the job very quickly. In case you're dealing with several more layers, you will have to use "brushables", which are paste like removers that do a more thorough job.
Complete the removal of the paint with sandpapering. Then finish off with a proper application of Wood Cleaner. This will take out all the dirt and grease, and will allow the primer to get a good grip.
Following the grain of the wood, apply the primer. This will fill up all the pores on the wood, and give the paint a clean "grippable" surface to stick onto.
Once the primer has done it's work, start painting - again from the center onwards along the wood grain. Two coats of paint should do fine. Make sure that you leave sufficient time for drying before painting the next coat. The time will depend on the type of paint that you are using. For latex based paints, give 2-4 hrs for the paint to dry.
Don't forget to also paint the bases of the cabinets, as well as the inside edges. This will make the job consistent and professional.
After finishing the paint job, you might want to replace the knobs and handles as well. This will complete the new look of your kitchen.
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