What can you do with old looking wood cabnets?
Question:They are really ugly, really old, and cheap looking.
Can I paint over them or will the wood traces show?
How much does it cost for a new cabinet set for my kitchen?
Thanks!
Answers:
Your cabnets sound just like me!! and it cost far to much for a face lift!!!
First you need to determine if they are real wood, not processed wood/glue like cheap furniture you'd buy from Wal-Mart. If they are real wood you can remove the doors, hinges, and handles and strip them down to the bare wood. I've done this with cabinets and old furniture bought at flea markets and you'd be surprised to find how good the wood looks underneath. Once you strip off the paint or varnish with a scraper, you can buy a small orbital sander and sand them down with progressively finer sandpaper until they are very smooth. If you're going to paint them you don't have to sand them down too fine. You might try experimenting on the inside of the doors with different kinds of wood stain, where nobody will see if you don't like the color. Once you find a stain you like, just use a cheap brush, foam brushes work best, spread the stain on, then wipe the excess off with a cloth. You can put on as many coats as you like to make it darker. Be sure to wear latex gloves or something to protect your hands. The final step is to apply a coat of polyurethane, let it dry, then lightly sand it with fine sandpaper, clean off the dust with a cloth, wait til dry and apply another coat, or as many coats as you like. Polyurethane will protect the wood and make it last for years, It sounds like a lot of work, but much cheaper than having new cabinets installed, and you have the satisfaction of knowing you did it on your own! Good luck!
Use a good wood primer and paint over them your desired color. The pick out new hardware for the door. Like knobs or handles...you can even glue a wood design in the center or on the top of them to give them a lil flare. Home Depot.
They have a book you can look through.
Sometime old cabinets are not worth putting money into. You could check out the unfinished cabinets in Lowe's you can probably replace those cabinets, depending on size of kitchen for less than $700.00 and you have a lot more life left in them. Kitchen's really add to the value of your home not to mention the efficiency.
New cabinets are expensive. Consider replacing ONLY THE DOORS. If the shelves are o.k., then you only need new or refinished doors, and not the entire cabinets. I have rental properties, & I took off the doors at the hinges, sanded them down with an inexpensive belt sander,
(that's really quick & easy), & put new varnish on them. You can also just use a pretty paint color, and you can even buy "half round" trims, (rope designs are beautiful), and glue them on the outside before painting, if you like.
Just remember, you cannot "just paint over" old cabinets without any preparation. Whatever you plan to paint must be clean & free of dirt & wax. I find it easier to sand them than to wash & rinse them, and it leaves such a lovely, smooth surface, but you decide. Also, you cannot use paint over varnish without sanding it well first.
Hardware stores also have some fa-a-a-bulous new knobs & handles to replace the old ones. Browse your local hardware store and then just let yourself go!
If you are renting ask the landlord before doing anything.
If you own the house, you can do serveral thing for the cabinets.
*Clean them really well.
*Replace the hardware (knobs, handles, drawerpulls etc)
*You could paint them but be sure to clean them really well and prime them first. Once you start painting use a semigloss, high gloss or washable paint.
*If they are real wood and you like the way they look (style wise) strip and restain them. Make sure that you seal them with varnish or polyurathane.
*If the cabinets are structurally sound you can have them resurfaced. They put new stip molding up and replace or cover the doors. Getting them resurfaced is cheaper than totally replacing them.
*Another option is that if the doors are standard sizes you could go to Home Depot or Lowes and get new doors.
Hope that gives you a few ideas. Totally redoing all the cabinets in a kitchen is really expensive and a gigantic pain. You also have to replace your countertops and you will have to either get your sink reinstalled or replaced. Just redo your cabinets you will be much better off. That way you won't have to pay plumbers, electritians, contractors or live without a kitchen for weeks.
If you sand them down a little with sandpaper and then paint them with a primer coat and then paint them with whatever color you choose it will be a huge improvement.
More Related Questions & Answers...