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Expert Q Ren Molnar Q&A Archive
Top > Paint > Cabinet

Question:

I have oak kitchen cupboards that were installed in 1992. The doors and drawers do not have handles/knobs.
They have lost some of their lustre and on the cupboard doors that are used more frequently they are beginning to look greyish from where wet hands have touched them over the years. I would like to strip them down and refinish, however, some people (who are not experts) tell me that they cannot be stripped because the stain in cupboards is impregnated and too deep to remove. If this is true, I will get a second job (for my wife)to buy new cupboards. If not, I am retiring at the end of June and would have the time and patience necessary to undertake this task, but need your advice as to whether this is realistic and achievable.

Answer:

You can strip them to a certain extent but when you go to re-finish them you'd have to apply a stain darker than what you have now. Your wife might complain about losing that much light in the kitchen.


Courtesy of Ren Molnar, Construction Consultant at HomeFocus.com. I can also be reached at (613) 748-3003 and Home Focus – The Radio Show is broadcast live 8 to 10 A.M. (Ottawa, Ont. time) on Saturdays on www.cfra.com. In the interests of retaining credibility and in fairness to all, I cannot recommend prices, people nor companies for various projects.

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Answered By: Ren Molnar

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