Refinishing Kitchen Cabinets the Easy Way with Shellac

Refinishing you kitchen cabinets can be done in several different ways. If you have existing hardwood cabinets your choices are endless. You could paint them, you can sand and stain them, or you go reapply a clear coat to give them a like new appearance. Whichever route you choose, be aware that time and effort is a definite part of the process, but significant saving can be realized by refinishing rather than replacing expensive kitchen cabinets.

If you have quality hardwood cabinet, most are oak or maple, they should last forever. They may need refinishing from time to time, but the woodwork itself should remain intact for decades. So what do you do when your kitchen cabinets start to look a little old and in desperate need of some attention?

As mentioned above, there are several choices for refinishing cabinets, but this article will focus on the simplest method of reapplying a clear finish for a like new look. Old cabinets begin to wear and most of the wear is in the finish applied to the hardwood. The finish is durable, but over time will surely show signs of use. The easiest method for restoring the gloss on your old cabinets is by applying of few coats of a product that few people know about. This product is call shellac.

Shellac was an incredibly popular wood finish 50 plus years ago. It was used on all kinds of furniture and even saw use on hardwood floors. It is easy to work with, requires very little prep, will stick to anything, and dries in just minutes. Even more important, shellac costs only about $20 for the amount needed to refinish your kitchen cabinets.

Shellac will give your cabinets a pure gloss finish. It will shine like new and provide protection for years to come. The best part is, applying shellac is as easy as painting.

The apply shellac to your kitchen cabinets you will need to remove the doors and drawers to make the job easy. Once you have removed all of the doors you can begin the finishing process. If removing the doors is too time consuming, you can apply shellac with the doors on, best you must be careful about drip and sags in the finish. I highly recommend removing the doors.

Once removed, lay the door out on a large work surface. You will need to remove any grease from the surface with a rag soak in mineral spirits. You can lightly sand any areas that maybe be chipped or otherwise damaged, but there is no need to sand the surface in preparation for the shellac. Shellac will adhere well to anything as long as its clean.

Apply the shellac with a high quality natural bristle brush. Work quickly with light strokes. Each coat will dry to the touch in minutes and can be recoated in about 10 minutes. Two coats should adequately cover the cabinets. Once fully dry, reattach the cabinets door and the job is complete.

Shellac will give a beautiful new gloss to you old kitchen cabinets. They will stand out and immediately everyone will ask if you had new cabinets installed. Pass on this little technique to others and they will thank you for it.