Gel Stain on kitchen cabinets?

**Tom Wall** · 09-10-2007, 12:55 PM

I have been putting off refinishing the kitchen cabinets for some time now. So, this weekend, while I was in a local Woodcraft store I asked if there was an 'easy' way to darken my kitchen cabinets. I don't have the time right now to sand and so forth. Anyway, he said I might get away with cleaning them with tsp and then applying a dark gel stain on top. Any thoughts, this seems a bit too easy. The cabinets are red oak with a 'whitemist' water based stain on them now.

**Jim Becker** · 09-10-2007, 1:57 PM

All I can say is try to test the theory in an inconspicuous place or a piece of the existing cabinetry that can be removed. The gel stain may work since it sits on top and you can wipe it back to try and get a particular color, but getting an even color is going to be tricky. And you still need to top-coat it afterward. You may want to consider re-facing the cabinets and replacing the doors and drawer fronts with a species/finish that is more to your liking. It's a great opportunity for a fresh look at a lower cost than complete cabinet replacement if the layout doesn't need to change. A friend of mine in Florida just had this done in her kitchen and it's an amazing transformation...

**Tom Wall** · 09-10-2007, 2:24 PM

I had the exact cabinets in a bedroom that I took out awhile ago. So, I have plenty of door to test on. The top coat he suggested was 'General Finishes' Arm-R-Seal oil & urethane. I don't think I'm ready to replace any door panels or drawer fronts quite yet. Besides, there are 2 ceiling high panels on the side of the refer and ovens that wouldn't match any new door panels. We like the layout and if we could get a nice casual dark stain (we're going with java ) that will cover the white, we'll be fine with it. He had a de-greaser of some sort, but I didn't want to get involved with any 'methyl chloride' strippers. So he said give tsp a try.

**Jim Becker** · 09-10-2007, 3:01 PM

Do remember that the gel stain (more like a glaze in this context) will obliterate even more of the woodgrain than the original "pickled" finish and there may be some color interaction if any of the "white" is seated in the pores. Hence my suggestion to do a trial. That's wonderful that you have previously removed pieces in the same finish available...a godsend in a sense...since you can do larger samples than if you had to pick an obscure area as a test. It will also help you understand what you need to do mechanically to get an even coat.

**Tom Wall** · 09-10-2007, 3:38 PM

Yes, the trial door panels will let me experiment. I just wanted to make sure the gel stain would adhere to the old finish and hopefully not cover the grain completely. As far as the dark stain interacting with the old white stain, it might give me a distressed look that my wife wants anyway.