Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - Change sheen on kitchen cabinets
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Desie
03-12-07, 09:07 PM
My husband and I just bought a house with oak cabinets installed in the early '90s. They have a high-gloss finish and I'm less than thrilled about it. Is there any way that I can put a matte finish over the high-gloss? How should I go about doing it?
clockdaddy
03-13-07, 03:10 AM
Desie,
The short answer to your question is yes. Now the process for doing so isn't quite as short!!
Cabinets built in the early 90's typically were finished with a type of a catalyzed finish of either lacquer or (most probably) varnish. Some of the cabinet companies were still using regular water resistant lacquer.
During the following procedures be sure to have plenty of ventilation. Wear disposable gloves (latex or vinyl) and safety glasses. When you're dealing with chemicals, always...always... play it safe and read directions on all containers.
Going the "safe" route, there are two options to be considered. The first is the use of a deglossing coat. Check with your local paint supply store for deglossing solution. This should be applied in a hidden area (back side of a door!). With most finishes a coating of this will dull the finish. If it does work on the back of the door, then try it on the corner of one of the drawers on the outside. Presuming it continues to work, clean the cabinets thoroughly using mineral spirits. Do this a couple of times to make sure any trace of wax, cooking grease or oils from your hands is completely gone.
When the cabinets are clean, put a coat of the deglosser on one of your drawer fronts and allow this to dry. Check the result and see if you're satisfied with the result. If it seems to be working for you, apply a second coat to remove any streaks and even the shine. Still works? Proceed with doing all of the doors and frames. If not, keep reading!!!
If the deglosser has little or no effect on the existing finish, this means the finish is a catalyzed finish and a different approach is needed. Again, the procedure starts with a thorough cleaning after which all surfaces need to be sanded to dull the gloss of the existing finish. Usually, it's best to use a 220 grit sandpaper for this. Make sure all of the gloss is sanded dull.
Again, stop by your local hardware supply or paint store and pick up some satin oil based polyurethane finish. In this case, a water based urethane finish isn't advisable, so you've got to go with the smelly stuff! If your supplier has some, pick up some "fisheye eliminator". If they don't carry this, drop by any automotive paint supplier and they'll have it. You don't need a lot, a little bit goes a long way. You'll also need mineral spirits, a good bristle brush and a plastic painter's bucket.
OK, here we go!! Stir the urethane finish thoroughly. You want to make sure all of the paste in the bottom is mixed in well(this is the flattening agent). pour the urethane into another container (i.e. a paint bucket) and add 10% mineral spirits and the recommended amount of fisheye eliminator. Stir this very well.
Finally, it's time to start putting on the finish after you wipe down the cabinets with a rag dampened with mineral spirits. Apply a thin but even coat of your new finish making sure to overlap for an even application. After everything has its first coat, allow this to dry overnight.
You may notice when the first coat is dry, a little roughness to the finish. Don't go ballistic!! This is normally the residue of small amounts of particles left on the cabinets. Simply do a light sanding (again!!) over all the cabinets and doors, clean again with a rag dampened (not wet!) with mineral spirits or you can wipe the entire area down with a "tack cloth".
Apply another even coat of finish and allow to dry over night. This should give you a nice low shine, almost flat appearance to the cabinets.
Keep in mind to keep your finish stirred regularly to prevent the flattening agent from settling to the bottom of the container. Make sure you apply even, thin coats of finish. After doing a door, "tip it off" which means to lightly go over the entire door with the tips of the brush using long strokes over the entire length of the door.
Well, there you are!! You asked for it!! Yes, it is a lot of work, but the end result is a lot less expensive than replacing the cabinets.
Good luck...let us know how you do!!
The short answer to your question is yes. Now the process for doing so isn't quite as short!!
Cabinets built in the early 90's typically were finished with a type of a catalyzed finish of either lacquer or (most probably) varnish. Some of the cabinet companies were still using regular water resistant lacquer.
During the following procedures be sure to have plenty of ventilation. Wear disposable gloves (latex or vinyl) and safety glasses. When you're dealing with chemicals, always...always... play it safe and read directions on all containers.
Going the "safe" route, there are two options to be considered. The first is the use of a deglossing coat. Check with your local paint supply store for deglossing solution. This should be applied in a hidden area (back side of a door!). With most finishes a coating of this will dull the finish. If it does work on the back of the door, then try it on the corner of one of the drawers on the outside. Presuming it continues to work, clean the cabinets thoroughly using mineral spirits. Do this a couple of times to make sure any trace of wax, cooking grease or oils from your hands is completely gone.
When the cabinets are clean, put a coat of the deglosser on one of your drawer fronts and allow this to dry. Check the result and see if you're satisfied with the result. If it seems to be working for you, apply a second coat to remove any streaks and even the shine. Still works? Proceed with doing all of the doors and frames. If not, keep reading!!!
If the deglosser has little or no effect on the existing finish, this means the finish is a catalyzed finish and a different approach is needed. Again, the procedure starts with a thorough cleaning after which all surfaces need to be sanded to dull the gloss of the existing finish. Usually, it's best to use a 220 grit sandpaper for this. Make sure all of the gloss is sanded dull.
Again, stop by your local hardware supply or paint store and pick up some satin oil based polyurethane finish. In this case, a water based urethane finish isn't advisable, so you've got to go with the smelly stuff! If your supplier has some, pick up some "fisheye eliminator". If they don't carry this, drop by any automotive paint supplier and they'll have it. You don't need a lot, a little bit goes a long way. You'll also need mineral spirits, a good bristle brush and a plastic painter's bucket.
OK, here we go!! Stir the urethane finish thoroughly. You want to make sure all of the paste in the bottom is mixed in well(this is the flattening agent). pour the urethane into another container (i.e. a paint bucket) and add 10% mineral spirits and the recommended amount of fisheye eliminator. Stir this very well.
Finally, it's time to start putting on the finish after you wipe down the cabinets with a rag dampened with mineral spirits. Apply a thin but even coat of your new finish making sure to overlap for an even application. After everything has its first coat, allow this to dry overnight.
You may notice when the first coat is dry, a little roughness to the finish. Don't go ballistic!! This is normally the residue of small amounts of particles left on the cabinets. Simply do a light sanding (again!!) over all the cabinets and doors, clean again with a rag dampened (not wet!) with mineral spirits or you can wipe the entire area down with a "tack cloth".
Apply another even coat of finish and allow to dry over night. This should give you a nice low shine, almost flat appearance to the cabinets.
Keep in mind to keep your finish stirred regularly to prevent the flattening agent from settling to the bottom of the container. Make sure you apply even, thin coats of finish. After doing a door, "tip it off" which means to lightly go over the entire door with the tips of the brush using long strokes over the entire length of the door.
Well, there you are!! You asked for it!! Yes, it is a lot of work, but the end result is a lot less expensive than replacing the cabinets.
Good luck...let us know how you do!!
Desie
03-13-07, 06:29 PM
Thanks clockdaddy....I really appreciate all of the information. We take possession of the house on March 31, so I'll get to work on those cabinets the following week. Thanks again!
Desie
Desie