Kitchen cabinets and Watco??

[Al Willits]

Wife has convinced me refinishing the kitchen cabinets would be beneficial to my health, so after sanding a test door (one I can replace easily) it seems the finish she likes is the Watco Natural stuff.

Can you use standard household cleaning methods on this stuff or does it need to be coated with something else ??

Directions on the can don't seem to say much about this.

tia

Al or....the newbie strikes again..

[Howard Acheson]

No, Watco is not a good choice for a kitchen. It is not very durable and it will not stand up to kitchen greases and the frequent cleaning with cleaning chemicals. It's a excellent finish for a project or surface that does not get much abuse.

For the most protection and durability, you want to consider film finishes like lacquer or, even better, an oil based varnish. You could also go with a poly varnish which is the most durable but does not have a clear an appearence.

I suggest you try some samples with varnish. You can brush it on--you will need a minimum of three coats for protection although four is best. You could also thin the varnish 50/50 with mineral spirits and wipe it on. If you use a wipe on, you will need 6-8 coats for an equivilent amount of protection.

[Al Willits]

Varnish it is then, thanks.

Seems to be well reccomended from what I've read today.

Al