Cabinet stripping/refinishing
#1
I am planning to refinish all the cabinets in the kitchens and bathrooms. Everyone I tell asks if I know what I'm getting myself into. And I don't. Anyway- here's the question. Currently, the cabinets are pickled and I want them stained. I plan to sand them down to bare wood, fill in any holes with putty, stain, and apply two coats of polyurethane. The doors are solid wood, but cabinets are a veneer. Would it be better/easier to strip them in place first and then lightly sand or would straight sanding be adequate? I have a small child in the house, so I don't want him exposed to the toxic fumes, but if the stripping will be tons faster, I'll send him to grandma's. Any brand recommendations on stain and polyurethane or different procedure to follow? Thanks for your help.
#2
Spritz:
Stripping will insure the complete removal of the previous finish - sanding alone will not.
Carver Tripp, Minwax and Zar all make good stains - look for the color you like rather than a specific brand name. I haven't tried many polyurethanes, mainly because Minwax worked well and I saw no reason to look further. Plus, their product is available in both brush-on and aerosols -and they're compatible with each other.
Stripping will insure the complete removal of the previous finish - sanding alone will not.
Carver Tripp, Minwax and Zar all make good stains - look for the color you like rather than a specific brand name. I haven't tried many polyurethanes, mainly because Minwax worked well and I saw no reason to look further. Plus, their product is available in both brush-on and aerosols -and they're compatible with each other.