Expert: maura macaluso - 10/18/2010

Question
Hi there:  I'm moving into a house with 20 yr old oak kitchen cabinets.  They will for sure need stripping and I'm torn between painting them an off white/cream or staining them dark.  We are putting in oak hardwood flooring, and thinking about a black granite countertop.  Th room is open concept to fam room/dining area.  I don't know if that will be too much wood, also, if the woods don't match if that will be a problem.   Anyway, if I paint them, can you please recommend what to use and also procedure for painting, so they look professionally done?
thanks so much!

Answer
Hi Michaela,  I am having the same issue here at home.  I love wood and would hate to paint over it but want to strip and refinish the lower cabs. The upper cabs are in good condition and need no work, but if I stain the lowers can I get them to match? Or, should I bite the bullet and paint them? Was also considering a creme type color paint. Anyway, to get to your question.
As you can see, even with all my years of experience, it is a tough decision.  Unpainted wood, in my opinion, gives a warmth and beauty that cannot compare to painted surfaces. Sometimes woods of different colors play nicely together and may or may not go well with your  other cabs and/or black counter top.  You really need to experiment a little before deciding in which direction to go. What you need to do is remove 1 door, sand the inside of it down to fresh wood and play with some different stains. Before you compare colors make sure to put a layer of polyurethane over your stain test area because even a clear coating will somewhat change the color. compare, leave the door sitting against your cabinets for a few days so you can observe it in different type lights and at different times of the day. now you will have to make a decision whether to finish staining them all or to paint.  I would always give preference to restoring the wood but if you cannot achieve a good color match, painting is always an option, a last option but still a viable option. The shine of the finish needs to be considered, your paint and poly should either be a satin or a flat finish, depending on whether you want a slight shine or no shine at all. Semi-gloss and gloss are not recommended for household furniture as they shine too much and can cause a glare when light hits the surface.

To paint: Nothing tricky here, just standard painting procedure. first remove all the doors and all the hardware, including hinges. Fill the holes left by the hardware with some wood filler. If the holes where the hinges were, are in good shape and the hinges fit correctly, there is no need to fill them. You then need to sand down every visible inch, starting with a heavy grit working your way to a fine grit. You have an option for using water based or oil based products.  It is my opinion that oil based is a more durable product when working with wood, but I have no scientific evidence of that, just experience.  but pick oil or water. your primer, paint and clear coat should all use the same base. As for the brush, first the brush bristle color, if staining or painting a light color, you should use a tan colored brush. If using dark colors, black bristles are preferable. Don't skimp on your brush, while you don't need to pay what pros do for theirs, do not get the economy brushes. Plan to spend $10 to 15 on a decent brush.  the better the brush, the less you need to worry about lines in the finished paint.  the pros for oil are easier cleanup and less smell. Oil is a little more difficult to clean the brushes and a little more powerful odor but I think the durability makes up for it..  You will need to sand down the entire outside of the cabinets and the front and back of each door. An orbital sander will greatly speed up this process, just be sure to keep the sander flat and not rock it from side to side which is easy to do with an orbital sander. After sanding, you should do a layer of primer and then 2-3 coats of color allowing adequate drying time between coats. follow that all up with a few coats of polyurethane for protection. Make sure to paint with the direction of the grain wherever possible. Go back and forth, blending your paint lines as you go.  Let dry well.  If you are wishing to purchase new door handles or pulls, now would be the time.   Put on the new hardware, put all the hinges on the doors and then reattach them to the cabinets.
    Good luck with your project and thanks for the question. Have a good Canadian day!