How to Restore Kitchen Cabinets.

So you have finally decided that the kitchen cabinets are sucking all the light out of the kitchen. You don't know if you need to replace the cabinets, or just restore them.

If you cabinet cases and doors are still sound, you can just restore them. By just cleaning them thoroughly and repainting them. This should take only a week-end to do the job. Will be a lot easier on the pocket book, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you did the job yourself.
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There are several ways to clean off the old paint.
1. You can buy paint remover and most of them work pretty well.
   a. Be sure to read all safety and directions.
   b. You will probably have to invest in some safety equipment, such as a respirator, goggles, rubber gloves, and apron.
   c. Be sure to use adequate ventilation when using any chemicals.
   d. No open flames should be used around these chemicals.

2. You can scrape the paint off with a paint scraper.
   a. You can use a heat gun to heat the old paint, and it will come off pretty easy and fast.
   a. I wouldn't recommend using your wife's hair dryer for this operation. It usually won't get hot enough.

3. Or you can use a combination of both techniques. To strip off the paint and lightly and any blemishes that you find.

First: You will want to prep the room, this consists of removing the doors from the cabinets. Then removing all hardware off of the door, such as hings, and handles. You will also need a some kind of drop cloth to protect the floors and walls if you are using chemicals, so they won't come into contact with either the floor, or walls.

You can get painters plastic at any hardware store, and blue painters tape to mask off the walls around the cabinets. Lay out the plastic on the floors.
(Me I like to keep the same hardware for the same door if I am reusing the hardware. You can do this by laying out the hardware as it comes off in the order that it was removed.

I put the hardware into little sandwich baggies and mark the baggie with an identifying number).

Second: Is to remove the old paint from the cabinets, and doors. Which method that you use will take time to do. If you use the paint remover, you will brush it on and let it sit. Usually for 30 to 45 minutes. (READ THE DIRECTIONS because they differ in times. It also depends on humidity, and temperature).

PS: You can also spray paint the cabinets and doors for a smoother finish. But I don't recommend this method unless you are planning to remove the cabinets and spray them outside.

If you take your time brushing the paint looks just as nice.

Third: If you use the chemical way, most of the time you will hav to use a cleaner on the cabinets to nutralize the chemical. (Usually just soap and water.) Then you have to them dry thorougly.

Fourth: You will then want to smooth the surface of the cabinets. Remove dings, and get them ready to prime.
   a. You will need to sand with a course sandpaper start out with 100 grit, this won't remove too much wood at one time, in case you are new to sanding.
   b. I recommend that you use a random orbital sander, with this sander you don't have to sand with the grain of the wood.
   c. You will want to work your way up to about 200 grit sandpaper as a finish grade.

Fifth: Now you want to prime all the surfaces with a good primer coat of paint. After you have painted all the sufaces. You will want to sand them down with 180 to 220 grit sandpaper. This is to rough the surface a little, in order for the finish coat will have a surface to adhere too.

Sixth: After the paint has had time to dry thorougly. It is time to reinstall the hardware. If you have a screw that is loose, or if you over tighten the screw, no problem you can take a tooth pick perferably a flat toothpick and insert into the hole and break it off flush with the hole and do it several times. Then reinsert the screw. This will add wood to the hole and you will be able to tighten the screw.

Then reinstall the doors and you will have a great looking kitchen again. There is no greater satisfaction than knowing that you done the job yourself.
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Jesse Auburg  Online Marketing  Entrepreneur
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