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Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/Yellowing of Kitchen Cabinets

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Expert: - 7/25/2010


Question
QUESTION: Hi - Any way to stop/reverse yellowing of 9yo Mills Pride (MDF) kitchen cabinets?  Other than this, they are in excellent condition.

If not, need to redesign and replace and appreciate your advise given these parameters:  

Live in FL, lots of natural sunlight in kitchen
Wheelchair user
Need ez to open doors & pullouts helpful.
Limited budget

Father is a retired custom home builder and master craftsman who unfortunately, is too ill for this project.

Again, appreciate your expert advise, Dee

ANSWER: Hi Dee, usually yellowing is a result of older Urethane finishes, or heavy smokers, and often can't easily be reversed....all modern finishes will not yellow like the older finishes, (except from excessive smoke), so you can worry less about new cabinets. Any good Home center will have a wide range of cabinets from several different cabinet manufacturers, in a wide range of prices, to show you....but good cabinetry is expensive, and one area where you do get what you pay for....and professional installation will add a lot to the price. Ikea has many inexpensive options as well, but their cabinets are all "flatpacked", meaning that one has to build the cabinets and then install them too...but they are well designed and relatively easy to do.....hope that helps- regards- Greg

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

QUESTION: Thanks Greg, the MDF cabinets I have were also flat-packed from Home Depot; Mills Pride brand is out of business.  As I'm not a smoker, the yellowing of the cabinet doors were the result of the mfg's finish and cannot be reversed?    

I am highly considering IKEA cabinets as they are in my price range (under 5K) & designed to my wheelchair needs.   Any other suggestions would be highly appreciated.  Denise

Answer
If the yellowing is all over the cabinets (uniform), then it is the finish....but some of these MDF cabinets were finished with a Therm-a-foil finish, which is like a shrink wrap....it really depends on the environment, cleaning regimen, etc....but it sounds to me like the finish is the culprit........

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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