Most decorators tell people that if they want a change in their kitchens, paint the kitchen cabinets. What if you have already painted your kitchen cabinets several colors, and now want the original wood look? You have two options- you can spend about $3,000 or more on new cabinets, or if you are a little shy on cash (or frugal), strip the paint off of your kitchen cabinets and reveal the wood beneath the sea of paint. Now, I won’t lie to you- stripping cabinets is a very messy, aggravating job, but it is doable. Here is how you strip the paint off of kitchen cabinets:
The first step when stripping your kitchen cabinets is to remove the hardware. Both the knobs and the hinges (and consequently the doors) have to come off. You cannot strip kitchen cabinets around the knobs, or with the doors left on. You need a clean slate to strip. Store all of your hardware in a safe place, so you do not lose all of the screws. When you take the doors off of the cabinets, set them wherever you plan on stripping them (my advice is outside).
The next (and most important) step is to cover anything you do not want ruined with cloth drop cloths. You cannot use plastic drop cloths because the stripper chemical will eat through the plastic. When stripping the cabinets’ frame, the paint and stripper chemical is going to fly everywhere, so the same chemical that will eat through the paint on the wood, will eat through your belongings, as well. Cover your floors, counter tops and appliances. Put everything that is on the counters in a safe place, and remove the contents of your cabinets (because your dishes will get covered, as well). I cannot emphasize the importance of this step enough. I did not cover my floor, so the paint stripper ate through my tile floors, so they had to be replaced.
The next step to stripping the paint off of your kitchen cabinets is to open your windows to allow for proper ventilation. This is important because the chemical stripper emits harmful fumes, so you cannot be inhaling these fumes in a closed-up space. After you have purchased the paint stripper (you can find it in the hardware section of most stores, or at home improvement stores), pour the stripper into a metal can, like a coffee can. Using a paint brush, apply a semi-thick coat on a small section of the frame. Allow the stripper to work on the paint for about five minutes. You will be able to see the paint bubbling up on the wood.
Using a paint scraper, start scraping off the treated paint. Depending upon how many coats of paint are on the cabinets, you may need additional coats of stripper to reveal the bare wood beneath. Repeat this on the remaining frame, and after the frame is stripped, strip the cabinet doors (outside preferably).
When you have nearly all of the paint stripped off of the frame and cabinet doors (some will inevitably remain), it is time to sand the wood. You can use a sanding block and sand the wood by hand, but this takes a lot of time and elbow grease. I recommend using an electric, palm sander to sand the cabinets. After you have sanded all of the wood, so that it is smooth an no paint remains, you are ready to stain the wood with the stain color of your choice.
Using a specific paint brush for stain, apply a first coat to all of the wood. You may need to use a dry rag to wipe off the excess stain. You do not want the stain to drip down the wood, or be uneven in color. After the first coat of stain dries, apply a second coat of stain, and allow to dry completely, which usually takes a few hours.
After all of the wood is stained, it is time for the last step- reassembling the kitchen cabinets. Put the hardware back on the doors and attach the door back to the frame with the hinges. Now all there is left to do is enjoy all of your hard work!
If you like the look of wood cabinets, but cannot afford to buy new kitchen cabinets, consider stripping the paint off of the existing kitchen cabinets. It will look as though you spent thousands remodeling!
