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How to prepare to rejuvenate timber kitchen cupboards?

Hi, this time I’ve moved to the kitchen cupboards.
Once again hoping for some guidance on how best to prepare and what to do/products to use to spruce up these timber cupboard doors. As you can see in photos?varnish nearly off those in high traffic areas/sunlight.

Are internal doors like these always finished with varnish as opposed to oil or not necessarily?

Appreciate response and helpful advice to previous question.

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Dave-1

Good Evening @harmony

Looks like there are two differant types of cupboards.

The first set is the kitchhen ones and they look like they be a laminate type top, With the bench do you want to change it around as well?

- Laminate paint may be the answer for you, with both the bench and the doors. Have a look at this Modernise your kitchen by painting the benchtop

The laminate paints have improved dramaticaly from even 3 years ago so it could be worthwhile looking into them. The doors can also be painted.

With the last photo of the draws, they look to be varnished pine draws. Withthese you could sand them back and then either redo for a fresh varnish look or paint. You could possibly even oil the timber but as they look like they could be clothes drawers I would finish with a stain over a direct oil.

Mmmm Ive just noticed the shunt top to what I had presumed where clothes drawers 🙂 Then the same answer as the first part.

Dave

MitchellMc

Hi @harmony,

It's fantastic to see that @Dave-1 has already been offering assistance.

Before rejuvenating your timber kitchen cupboards, the first thing to consider is whether you're planning to re-varnish them or switch to paint. Regardless of your choice, you’ll need to sand the existing varnish back to bare timber to ensure the new finish adheres properly. Use a medium-grit sandpaper to remove the old varnish and then follow up with a finer grit for a smooth surface.

Typically, kitchen cabinetry is finished with varnish because it provides a hard, protective coating that can withstand wear and tear from daily use, sunlight exposure, and spills. Varnish also enhances the natural beauty of the wood grain while offering good stain and impact resistance. If you prefer a more natural look, you could oil the timber instead, but keep in mind that oil mainly nourishes the wood and doesn’t offer the same level of protection as varnish. Oiled finishes will require more frequent maintenance and won’t stand up as well to moisture or heavy use.

If you decide to re-varnish, I’d recommend a product like Cabot’s Cabothane Clear for a tough, durable finish. For oiling, something like Feast Watson Scandinavian Oil can be used for a natural look, though you’ll need to reapply it regularly to maintain the timber.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

harmony

Thankyou Mitchell. That’s really helpful information.
I think the varnish is appropriate for the kitchen cupboards. I’m not familiar with sanding back varnish is it similar or harder than sanding a painted surface and would you recommend hand held sander or power sander. Sorry I’m a novice but have lots of timber cupboards! Thankyou again

MitchellMc

It's quite similar to sanding back paint @harmony. I would definitely recommend a powered sanded. I love the Ryobi 18V ONE+ Random Orbital Sander RROS18 for flat surfaces and the Ryobi 18V ONE+ Palm Sander is perfect for getting into those tight spaces/detailed areas.

Mitchell

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