DIY Cabinet Refacing Tips
When it comes to DIY cabinet refacing, a little advice goes a long way. By completing the project themselves, homeowners can save a significant amount of money on cabinet refacing costs as opposed to hiring a professional. Cabinet refacing is a project that most any homeowner can successfully tackle, provided that they understand the process and have gathered the appropriate materials.
Determine Your Existing Finish
The very first thing that must be done before a DIY cabinet refacing project is to figure out what type of finish is on the existing cabinets. If you are unsure of the finish, use these tests to help you identify it. First, apply a few drops of denatured alcohol to the surface. If the finish dissipates, you'll know it's a shellac finish. Next, put a bit of turpentine. If the surface dissolves, the finish is wax. If the finish comes off using paint or varnish stripper, you have a polyurethane or varnish. A paint finish should be fairly obvious, but you'll still need to determine what type of paint was used. If the paint comes off with denatured alcohol, it is water based. If your cabinets are currently finished in water-based paint, you'll need to strip the paint completely if you intend to use oil-based paint for the new finish.
Practice and Preparation are Key
If you desire a high gloss finish for your cabinet doors, the most important thing to do is thoroughly sand the existing finish to create the best surface for painting possible. Once the cabinet doors (and visible cabinet casing) has been sanded, you can add a coat of primer to ready the surface. For best results, select a water-based primer that will not leave streaks on the cabinet doors. When adding the new paint, you'll need to apply at least two coats of a high-quality, durable paint.
