Expert: Jamie Yocono - 6/4/2008

Question
We have a new home (2 years old) with cherry finished cabinets. On all the cabinets that get used-  like the front of the kitchen sink-  the bathroom sink-  the cabinets finish is wearing off on the corners and top parts.  So parts of the cabine is a natural wood color and parts are cherry colored. It is odd looking.  I think the builder tried to get by on the cheap- anyways-  how do I fix this?  Do I have to sand EVERYTHING off first and start a new?  Can I re-stain the worn parts? and seal it with a good poly or something?    I can send you a photo of you need to see it.  thanks!!

Answer
Janice,

Got the pictures, they are a perfect reason for using penetrating finishes instead of surface finishes. A penetrating finish will soak into the wood, and won't chip off. Unlike a surface finish!

Don't you wish you could pop that builder right in the nose?

Honestly, I think as time goes on, your cabinets will continue to lose their finish. So I think the best way to correct them would be to strip them and refinish. I know that's probably what you don't feel like hearing, but it's just the way it is. Sorry.

You need to strip them, luckily, the finish will probably come off fairly easily. Stripping is MUCH easier than sanding.

About buying stripper: I've always heard that the ingredient that is the powerful stripping agent is heavy, so when you are shopping for a can of stripper and having a hard time deciding which to buy, pick up the cans and see which is heaviest. Buy the heaviest one for the money. It will be the most powerful.

You probably aren't going to need to do much sanding. Brush the stripper on, let it sit and dissolve the old finish. You can probably use one of those 3M scrubber pads for wiping the gunk off. Wipe and rinse the scrubbing pad often. Then, when the finish is gone, wipe the doors/drawer faces clean.  If the can recommends a certain thing to rinse them with, I would follow their direction. You just want to remove all that stripper residue.

Can I suggest using Watco as a finish? It's a Danish Oil, and you can buy it in various shades. You probably will want Cherry Watco. You can apply it with a rag, sanding it in lightly wherever you have rough spots.

I like to wet sand the oil into the wood, so even though your drawers/doors are smooth, I would still do it. It helps it absorb better. Also- you don't need a dust free environment, so it's easy to use. You could strip everything one weekend, and a few days later, oil. Just make sure the wood is dry when you oil

I just posted a video on my woodworking blog about applying Watco. Honestly, it's a simple to use finish, and I've used it on my cabinets for years. Three coats is what you'll need. And then once a year, maybe an additional maintenance coat. I use that Orange-Glo cleaner for weekly touch-ups.

My blog is: www.wooditis.blogspot.com.  Scroll down for a post from Friday, May 23. That is the one with the 4 short videos on applying Watco.

For some reason, the e-mail you sent disappeared from my mailbox, I have a pretty powerful spam filter and there might have been a word in it that triggers it's deletion. I managed to download the photos before it disappeared. Heck, I'm a woodworker, not very computer savvy. So if you write back to that e-mail address again, just use the title " cabinets" and it should be fine.

OK, I hope this helps. watch my video, see if Watco interests you at all. You can buy it anywhere - Lowes, HD or Ace. I would think a quart would be enough, unless your kitchen is really big.

Write back if you need help, or if you just need a little moral support.  :)  I'd like to give that builder a piece of my mind.

Jamie Yocono
www.wooditis.com
Las Vegas, NV