Update those old cabinets!
Want a hassle free, inexpensive way to give you bathroom an all new fresh look? Look no further than to simply restain or stain your bathroom vanity. You’ll just need a few basic tools and some ambition. The surface of the cabinets will need to be sanded down, so there’s a bit of elbow grease involved but it’s something anybody can handle.
You would be right to expect a profound change to the bathroom that is totally worth the investment of minimal time and money. There’s no demolition or construction involved, just a sure fire rapid way to what will appear to be an all-new bathroom.
You’ll need some basic tools including:
- A screwdriver
- Painter’s paper
- Paint brushes
- A sander (entirely optional if you don’t mind more manual labor)
- Sandpaper (180 and 220 grit)
- A dust mask
- Rags
- Wood stain
Next, you have to prep the area you’ll be working in. Clear off your work space. Remove anything that’s hanging on the walls. Place paper or plastic around the surrounding area, being certain to cover anything you don’t want to accidentally get paint on, up to the edges of the vanity. Hang an additional protective sheet along the edges of the walls just to be preventive and avoid any unwanted fallout from the task. A tarp is perfect to cover your floors, as it is durable and won’t rip under physical movement.
Now, take off all the handles and any hardware from the drawers and doors. You don’t want to put yourself in the position of staining around the hardware, it all must be removed before proceeding. In fact, the very next step is perhaps the most crucial. Sanding is the most time consuming part of the job, and will determine the quality of your stain. Imperfections will become visible but can be limited by doing a thorough and careful sand job. Failure to do so could prevent the stain from taking to the wood correctly and could even cause damage by way of chipping and cracking.
First go over the surface with 180 grit sandpaper (sanding sponges work as well) to smooth it out generally. Then, with 220 grit sandpaper, smooth it to the point of perfection. Throughout the sanding process be certain to wear a dust mask. There are many particles floating through the air as a result of the procedure and you want to protect your health. Safety goggles are also recommended. When you have reached the desired results, wipe the area down with a cloth to remove any remaining dust particles.
You are now ready to begin staining your bathroom cabinets. Be mindful of the fact that the more coats you apply the darker it will be. There is a wide variety of stains available and just about any big home improvement store will have everything you need. Once you’ve settled on a color you must decide whether you want to finish it with lacquer for a glossy appearance. When laying the stain do so evenly. With each coat you must look for tiny imperfections like light and dark spots, paint those areas as conservatively as necessary but try to be as consistent as possible with each application.
When you have achieved a satisfactory result, carefully remove the tape and protective paper and plastic. If after the fact you notice spots that could use a touch up, simply use a fine tip brush to darken those areas. Finally, reattach the vanity’s hardware and voilà you have finished and your bathroom has a cool new look!
One final suggestion – instead of reusing your old hardware, browse around your home improvement outlet for all new styles that catch your eye. They are mostly affordably priced and feature cool choices like nickel, bronze, chrome and oil-rubbed bronze in designs that range from Victorian to industrial. This will help you further create a fresh and completely different representation of your bathroom!
