Expert: Greg Scholl - 3/2/2010

Question
QUESTION: we purchased new hickory sunset Kraftmaid cabinets to add to our 7 yr old kraftmaid hickory sunset cabinets. the new cabinets are lighter and not as orange color. Obviously our older cabinets have aged. my question is should we sand and restain old aged cabinets to match new or visa versa?

thanks,Kate

ANSWER: Hi Kate....Man, I get this question a lot....and I always wish I could give you the answer you would like to hear...but you have a few variables to overcome, and this is not a job for a novice ....these cabinet finishes are "state of the art" finishes that can be comprised of over 15 individual steps to the finish. The finishes are what makes these companies' product more or less desirable, the quality, range of finishing options, (many of them specifically unique to the company producing them), and toughness, beauty, and durability of the finish.These are Catalyzed finishes, two part chemically hardening films, that are VERY difficult to strip...This is no easy feat, and one needs quite a bit of hands on experience , skill, and knowledge to even think about stripping, prepping, and then trying to matching the other finish across a set of high end cabinets, .....oh, and some good spray equipment and knowledge there as well....these are catalyzed, multi part finishing techniques, it's definitely not some Minwax stain from a can and some polyurethane.....Modern cabinet finishes for kitchens need to meet KCMA standards for chemical resistance, water and acid/alkalai resistance, durability, toughness, etc. etc....What you see as a "clear" or "natural" , or described as "warm Hickory", "brown Cherry"...or the like, is very likely not, and can quite difficult to replicate if one doesn't know what products and techniques were used to create that particular finish...The second part of this is the wood itself, which changes due to exposure to UV radiation (sunlight), and natural oxidation and other cellular changes that take place as a piece of wood ages...it can darken, lighten, or change in hue or color completely over the course of time...and it doesn't take very many years to make profound differences.....depending on the environment, type of wood,etc. 7 Years is long enough that serious changes will have happened, and Hickory is a beautiful wood that can have quite a bit of brown in it, or be almost white like white Oak.....a large range of colors that will likely darken over time, (unless in direct sun, then it would likely bleach)......hope that helps a little.......please post back if need be- regards- Greg

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ok thank you very much.One more thing, should we have a professional refinish the old cabinets or the new? We are trying to stay away from having to do all.

Kate

Answer
You'll spend a lot trying to have these refinished, and likely within a year they will not look the same anymore due to what I've outlined previously....it will also likely be difficult to find someone willing to do this, also for the reasons I've previously outlined.Anyone who knows anything about these types of finishes, knows that the labor alone will probably add up to almost the cost of replacing them,(doors and drawer fronts) so be wary of anyone who says anything to the contrary...Did you provide a sample to Kraftmaid? That would've been the best route to take. They are the best choice to match their own finish......and all they would've needed was a drawer front, probably.....the new cabinets are the ones to be thinking about changing, especially if they're not installed.....but I would advise against this unless these cabinets will be right next to each other, or there is some other mitigating factor. You might be better off contacting Kraftmaid and describing the issue with them, and see what they can offer you.....but even if they match the existing cabinets perfectly.....they will age differently than the existing...making them once again....not match, and now they will likely darken in relation to the others.New wood with a new finish will never match older wood with an older finish exactly, it's just the nature of the materials......