Tinting Stained Cabinets

Stained cabinets and older cabinets don’t mix. They’re the same color, but you can tell its two different variations fighting for control in your kitchen. End the war peacefully by tinting stained cabinets to match the old ones. It’s not about matching the tint of wood; it’s about matching the grain, gloss, shape, detail and wood type.

Stained cabinets have to be tested first; this is done to see how the wood reacts to being stained. Test it on extra pieces of wood (not the cabinet), and test it several times so you have an idea of what the stain will do to the wood. Before testing make sure the wood tested is the same type of wood the cabinet is made from. Make sure that the wood is sanded down with sandpaper to match the surface of the cabinet door. Another way to test is to go to a paint store and let them test it out for you. Paint stores will tell you what stain matches the wood best. The purpose of staining is to bring out the wood grain and make it look natural.

Get the exact match of stain along with one shade lighter and one shade darker. All shades must be in the same color range. A second round of testing begins with using a test sample (pieces of wood). Grab a piece and use the stain that matched the best to brush on the sample. Rub it off after a minute and compare the results with the rest of the cabinets. Mix a light shade if the results are too dark. Mix a dark shade if the results are too light. When the stain matches the rest of the kitchen cabinets, use the result to paint on the cabinet door. Finish the process by using a clear topcoat; this seals in the shade permanently. Follow the instructions on how much to use and how long to wait between coats.

Another way to tint stained cabinets is to wipe off the wax and grease with water and TSP. After drying sand it down and wipe dust off. Use a tinted polyurethane varnish for darkening the cabinets until the right shade comes. To lighten the shade, use paint remover several times and scrape off as much of the finish as possible. If possible you may have to chlorine bleach. Make sure the home is fully ventilated as removing paint releases fumes. Then use the tinted polyurethane varnish to start darkening until the right shade comes.

As you can see it’s not a hard process. Matching stained cabinets to the rest of the decor is possible if you’re willing to work at it. You can also contact us for our professional touch on stained cabinets as well as more information about stained cabinets and our company. We have experience in tinting stained cabinets and can assist in any way.