In article , Tim says...

In article ,
Tim S wrote:

Tim wrote:

Hello,

I have a rental apartment in my home which has cabinets that are about
40 years old. I don't have the time or funds to replace them. Does
anyone have any suggestions about repainting them so that they would
look presentable? They currently have a wood finish with a polyurethane
or shellac over it.

Thanks.

House I grew up in had painted cupboards - looked fine, better than the
melamine covered crap that replaced them (popular in 70's Britain).

Do they have any detail or are they flat? A creamy off-white paint is a bit
boring but looks fresh and clean on flat doors. Are they actually made of
wood or is it a simulated finish? Stripping and re-varnishing or oiling
might be an option - difficult to tell without seeing them.

Any of that help or am I missing the point?


All of the posters' suggestions have been helpful. The cabinets are wood
and have a light stain on them. They are slightly "glossy" but I don't
know how to tell whether that is polyurethane or shellac. Basically,
they have scratches on the surface that don't go beneath the outer
coating but they make the cabinets look pretty beat up. I figure that
with some sort of new finish and new door handles that they would look
alright.

Thanks again.

Dismount the doors, TSP every external surface, sand lightly, clean off the
sanding debris, prime. Then paint. Replace hardware (hinges too) rehang.
Very doable. Simpler if the new hardware can use the holes of the old hardware
(might not need filling).

Takes some time, but it's very doable.

Banty


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