Expert: Greg Scholl - 12/4/2010

Question
Greg,
I have been thinking about refinishing by existing kitchen cabinets.  I was looking into doing something like RUST-OLEUM Cabinet Transformations kits.  You first degloss, apply a bond coat then a decorative glaze(http://RustoleumTransformations.com).

My main question is what is typically used for a bonding agent and what is the decorative glaze that they say brings out the details of the wood? The reason I ask is that when you buy a kit you are limited to their colors.  I can not find the right color for me and I would like to have a paint store color match for me if possible.  Any advice on the what these products are and can I buy them seperate and get the color that I want instead of selecting one of the kits colors?

Lastly, is this technique as easy as the videos show?

Answer
Hi Ray, this kit is really just a collection of very similar products that one would use anyway to do this type of finish. It consists of a Bond Coat (primer although I am impressed how their bond coat covers a dark finish so well), Glaze, and clear coat. There are many ways to mimic this exact process, using other products, so you certainly could assemble a custom bunch of products to do the job.The techniques used are identical to the way a Pro would approach this type of refinishing, except for maybe a few details.....for instance sanding....I would always do a light sanding after the thorough cleaning,degreasing...just to make the surface absolutely smooth and increase adhesion to a higher degree, especially on modern, catalyzed finishes which have been used for the last 20-25 years in the kitchen cabinet industry, probably using 220-320 sandpaper. A good primer is a 'bond' coat, and primers can certainly be tinted to a custom color, or a flat/eggshell/satin paint can be used over a primer for a stronger base color, depending on the next step...flat paints 'hold' glazing better, for instance. Glazes can be found in Art stores, paint stores and other suppliers, or even Gel stains can be used as  a glaze...the top coat is likely an Acrylic Urethane like Zar's excellent UltraMAx, available in several gloss levels. The thing about kits like this is they are comprised of compatible products, designed and tested to work together to effect a certain look, and yes, only certain colors....but they give the novice an opportunity to simply purchase a kit to achieve the process, without having to get into knowing more, researching, and testing/experimenting to learn about this type of finishing.....a good idea on their part I think....the video lays out the process very well, is it easy? Not really, as with any high quality result, it takes a bit of skill with a brush, careful attention to detail, a lot of work, and good practices and technique. Is that something everyone can do to the same degree the first time? No....not in my opinion...painting or faux finishing cabinets to achieve a professional result takes some skill....but if one follows all the directions properly and uses the best technique they can, they will produce a perfectly good result that will most likely look much better then the starting point.And, they will have learned a lot and gained a lot of confidence for the next job. Hope that helps- post back if need be- regards- Greg