When remodeling your home, specifically the kitchen, cabinets are king, but how do you know when it is time to restore old cabinets?
Cabinets are the focal point of a kitchen overhaul. But what should you be looking for when you decide to take those drabby cabinets and make them look as glorious as they did when they were brand new?
You might see your cabinets as old and run down. Perhaps it is time to replace them altogether, but you’d be surprised to find out that your cabinets may benefit from some simple restoration love. Believe it or not, you can restore most cabinets to like-new condition. As long as what you’re working with is structurally sound and not beyond repair, you’ve got the beginnings of a cabinet restoration project.
Maybe you are unsure if the time has come for restoration. Not to worry, some signs will guide you along this restoration journey. But, the truth is when you want something done right, without problems, and with results that are sure to please, hiring a professional may be the choice for you.
However, if you choose to take on this project without professional help, you can take some recommended steps to make the process run smoothly.
- First things first, remove the cabinet drawer fronts and doors. The cleaning, sanding, and painting are infinitely more manageable if you lay these components on a flat surface.
- Remove the hardware and set it aside, or you can get rid of them and replace them with new hardware once you have finished.
- Give all the surfaces a good cleaning. Use warm water and mild soap to clean the cabinet of debris, caked-on foods, dust, and dirt. Then allow the wood time to dry completely.
- Protect other components in your kitchen and, most of all, yourself. Give yourself ample amounts of painter’s plastic or drop cloths. You’ll want to spread them over appliances, countertops, and floors. For yourself, you’ll want to wear protective eye gear, gloves, and clothing that can get dirty.
- Pay attention to prep work. Some cabinets may need some light sanding, while others need to be stripped completely of their finishing. After sanding and stripping, dings, blemishes, gouges, and scraps may need to be filled in and concealed afterward with cabinet painting or staining.
- Paint and refinish using a new roller or a detail brush if you have carvings, details, or molding.
Before diving head-first into your restoration project, let’s take a brief look at a few things to consider. First, it’s wise to have an idea of what your end goal looks like. With cabinet restoration, the goal is usually to preserve the original craftsmanship and details of the material. With cabinet refinishing, the goal is to achieve an entirely new look, a facelift, if you will.
Perhaps you love the design of your cabinets but want to boost their original beauty. Restoring them may be the path you decide to take. However, the amount of time and money you spend on your project will depend on the size, type of wood, age, carved details, damage, and hardware of your cabinets.
Ornately carved details are often found in cabinets that have been around for decades or centuries. Preserving the beauty of the original craftsmanship can be more detailed than simply giving them a fresh scrub.
As with any project, you’ll find yourself making decisions that directly affect the overall look of your finished design. And there will always be pros and cons to consider.
Cabinet Restoration Pros:
- Restoration will maintain the integrity of the cabinets’ original design.
- Depending on the condition of the cabinets, this process can be as easy as cleaning, sanding, and applying a new stain in the desired color.
- Eliminates the need to purchase new cabinet doors
Cabinet Restoration Cons:
- Excessive dust from sanding cabinet boxes and doors.
- With Solvent-based finishes come unpleasant fumes. This part of the process is best applied in an open area or outdoors.
- Several steps in the process require general restoration and cure time.
Here are a few parting bits of information that may help you recognize that it is time to restore your cabinets. It might be time to turn “meh” into something beautiful.
Let’s talk about paint.
- Maybe the paint on your cabinets is peeling, flaking, blistering, or fading. Over time, the paint may show signs of deterioration, affecting the look of your cabinets. Perhaps a fresh coat of paint may do the trick.
- Know your budget. A kitchen remodel should be looked at from all angles before you get started. Do you have a DIY situation, or should you leave it to a professional? Knowing your budget may be the key to answering that question.
- Your cabinets look outdated. If you look at your cabinets and think they have a look that feels stuck in the past, a restoration project can help you achieve the look you want for your future kitchen. Updating your design, style, and appearance will give your kitchen a fresh-modern look.
- Even if everything else in your kitchen is catapulted into the beautiful now, your cabinets can bring the overall look down. Updating your cabinets’ design, style, and appearance can give your kitchen a fresh-modern look.
Let’s talk about how you change your cabinets’ look through the art of staining.
- This one might require a little more effort, but changing the richness in color or lightening the color of your wood cabinets can be an excellent way to restore them.
- Keep in mind that staining cabinets may take some sanding or bleaching to get the look you are trying to achieve.
Let’s talk about how to approach surface damage.
Restoring cabinets that have minimal damage means that they are not entirely destroyed. Of course, no type of sorcery can revive a doomed cabinet, but it can bring light bumps, bruises, and scrapes back to life with a little bit of love.
Get in Touch with Allen Brothers for Your Cabinet Restoration
No matter where you start or how you finish, keep in mind that you do not have to do it alone. If you are looking for professional help to make your cabinets the star of your kitchen show, Allen Brothers Cabinet Painting is ready and willing to help. We can visit you in Sandy, Draper, South Jordan, West Jordan, Salt Lake City, and other nearby cities and towns. Contact us for more information today.
