Replacing cabinets is often out of a homeowner’s price range. But if you don’t have your heart set on brand-new cabinets and just want a fresh, new look, you can refinish the cabinets yourself for a fraction of the cost. You’ll need moderate home improvement skill for refinishing kitchen cabinets. Prepare tools, including drop cloths, sawhorses, 2-by-4s, drill bits, rags, wood putty, varnish, and a sprayer or brush. Determine what you want to do with the cabinets, whether to strip the old finish and start from scratch or revitalize the current finish to hide scratches and make your old cabinets look new again.

Assess your cabinets and decide how much work you want to put into them. When dealing with cabinets made of solid wood, consider cleaning, re-staining and re-varnishing them. Wood cabinets can be stained in a different color or paint them a solid color. Although changing dark stain from an open-grained wood like oak is a lot of work because old stain is harder to remove, making changing to a lighter color difficult.

To start, first set up your work space—remember that ventilation is important so you won’t suffocate from the fumes. Take out all the doors, drawers and hardware, such as hinges, knobs and pulls. Mark the areas where the hinges and other small parts of the cabinet should go. Spotlessly clean the cabinets with a detergent and rinse. Once dry, fill in holes and cracks with a carpenter’s wood filler. Sand the doors and cabinet boxes using a sanding sponge. Before applying stain, vacuum and wipe off all the dust from the wood’s surface. When applying oil-based stain or varnish, remember to work in the direction of the grain for a smooth finished look and let it dry for 24 hrs. Lastly for a completely updated look, consider replacing the hinges and door hardware.

Most real estate agents will confirm that nothing is more inviting to potential home buyers than natural wood kitchen cabinets, because they bring a sense of splendor and warmth into any kitchen. There are a number of other benefits of wood kitchen cabinets.

1. Natural wood cabinets compliment any kitchen style. You will discover certain traditions concerning the woods and finishes frequently utilized in a variety of kitchen designs and styles, as well as traditions about cabinet door styles. As an example, a darker solid wood like ebony, mahogany or cherry is most appropriate in a traditional, country or eclectic style kitchen. It would rarely be utilized in latest styles.

2. Wood cabinets are robust and heavy duty. Wood base cabinets will readily support any type of counter top material, including stone (granite, slate, marble, or concrete), and they endure well under substantial use, in addition to steam and heat. Most little marks, dents or scuff marks can be easily fixed. With time, wood can certainly be re-finished, repaired, cleaned as well as, painted or stained.

3. Wood made cabinets are clearly better than any material that’s MDF or veneered. Cabinets which were constructed with glue must be cautiously maintained for the reason that glue will probably be ruined by the humidity after a while and the laminate or veneer will begin to curl or peel. Wood isn’t going to curl or peel.

4. Hardwood kitchen cabinets can be found in lots of wood choices and stains, allowing a homeowner to pick the color and wood that best fit the layout and décor of their home. Assorted woods could be completed in a variety of ways to create a particular patina.

5. Wood cabinets are safe. Unlike metal cabinets, there isn’t anything in wood cabinets which could chemically affect the food kept in them.

6. Wood kitchen cabinets won’t ever go out of style. This is the reason their beauty and warmth boost the physical appearance and value of a residence when it is time to put it up for sale.

Learning these points, you now have a better understanding on why individuals select wooden kitchen cabinets instead of any other kind.