Expert: Greg Scholl - 9/15/2010

Question
We have stated stripping the paint off of our kitchen cabinets and are staining them.  A friend of ours bought a new house a few years ago and the cabinets were beautiful.  It looks like they are stained and then drybrushed very lightly with a white or lighter color.  Is this something I could do when I'm staining my cabinets and would I use a stain for the drybrushing?  Thanks

Answer
Hi Sandy, what you're describing sounds like a pickled or whitewashed finish, and this technique is  fairly advanced finishing to do over a whole set of cabinets. These factory finishes utilize multiple steps, sprayed finishing techniques, and a high degree of experience and knowledge to make a whole set of cabinets match well, and end up with a deep, even, durable finish. While I try very hard not to discourage DIY'ers, this is pretty advanced finishing, and it would likely take quite a bit of experimentation and trial finishing to learn the techniques and then be able to replicate them over a whole kitchen full of cabinets. Depending on the wood type, it also can be challenging, as certain woods lend themselves better to "holding" the pigment wash evenly. Minwax makes a few choices in their "pastel" line that are easily attainable, but will give mixed results...

http://www.amazon.com/Minwax-61860-White-Pickling-Stain/dp/B000BZTJDI

You'll need to clear coat this, too, as with any final finish on kitchen cabinets,with a waterborne clear to eliminate any yellow-amber hues, and most consumer grade clear coats will not stand up to the harsh environment of a kitchen,this is where the DIY jobs tend to have a weak spot, as the professional cabinet finishes are sprayed on catalyzed clears, super durable, unaffected by chemicals,water, steam, etc., formulated to meet or exceed KCMA standards, and will last 20+ years.....just not in the realm of the novice finisher.Zar Ultra max is one consumer grade finish that I could recommend if you can find it...If you want to try, take a door and work with one door from start to finish to develop a finish schedule that gets you where you want to be...and so you'll be able to replicate the technique on every piece.You're entering the realm of advanced finishing techniques, and there's definitely a learning curve...but I'm here to help if i can- regards- Greg

http://www.ugl.com/zarWoodFinishing/zarInteriorPolyurethane/zarUltraMax.php


http://www.ugl.com/zarWoodFinishing/zarInteriorPolyurethane/zarUltraMaxWipeOn.ph...