Refinished Cabinets or New?

You’ve just bought a new house and you love it, but the kitchen does need to be updated. You have lived in a house for a long time and now you’re just plain tired of how your kitchen looks. You just want a change. For many, just changing the look and colour of the kitchen cupboards will be enough, and it is a lot cheaper than a full kitchen renovation.

There are of course professionals who will come in and change those cabinets for you but you can also do it yourself if you are willing to give up a few weekends and are happy to use the elbow grease and savvy that we all have somewhere deep inside.

The first step is to figure out just what you want your finished product to look like. If you want the same doors but just in a different finish and with new hardware that will be a lot less work than if you want all new doors. Perhaps you want raised panel doors, or maybe you want flush doors that are modern and sleek. If you want new doors all you have to do is order them and you’ll know what size to ask for because you can measure your old doors first. If you have chosen to go with slightly larger doors this time around, that’s great too, simply add these measurements to your old doors and order away.

So you have your new doors (or the old ones that you are refinishing). The first step is to clean the inside of the cabinets and the doors with mineral spirits, then a 50/50 solution of household ammonia and water. Then a clean water rinse and allow everything to dry and, once you have sanded the doors with 80 grit sandpaper to remove any bumps you have yourself areas that now need to be painted.

The experts say to paint the inside of the cupboards first, and then the doors, as by the time the doors have dried and it is time to put them back, everything else will be ready to go. You start from the top and work your way down and remember that several thin coats are a lot better than one thick one. You’ll be glad you took the time once you see the finished product.

Hang those doors once more and enjoy your new kitchen!