You’ll spend most of the time waiting for the stain and sealer to dry.
Cost
$100–$500
Doing the labor yourself goes a long way.
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What you'll need:
TOOLS
Drop cloths
Screwdriver
Drill
Cloths
Electric sander (optional)
Gloves
Goggles
Putty knife
Paintbrushes
SUPPLIES
Sandpaper
Chemical stripper (optional)
Extra fine steel wool
Wood conditioner
Stain
Sealer
Whether you opted to save money by purchasing unfinished wood cabinets or you’re looking to revamp an outdated kitchen, you can make a big impact by learning how to stain cabinets yourself. But without the right know-how, the cabinets can turn out patchy or streaky. To avoid mishaps, follow these seven steps for staining wood cabinets like a pro.
Prepping to Stain Wood Cabinets
Before you stain wood cabinets, there are a few prep tasks, from creating a clear workspace and protecting your appliances and countertops to selecting the base stain for your cabinets.
Protect Nearby Surfaces
Even a drop of dark wood stain could ruin those pearly white marble countertops, so take the extra time to protect all the nearby surfaces—it’s what a pro would do, after all. Use drop cloths or plastic sheets to cover counters, sinks, tubs, toilets, floors, and other nearby objects that you can’t move out of the way before you start staining.
Find the Right Stain
Staining wood cabinets requires one important supply: the stain itself. Take time to consider which color stain you want since lighter stains can show the natural wood finish while darker stains are more vibrant. Keep in mind that some cabinet materials will take the stain better than others. For example, oak is easy to stain because it’s porous, while maple is difficult to stain because it’s less porous.
Another factor to consider is the type of stain, whether oil-based, water-based, or gel. Oil-based stains leave a deeper color and more even finish but also have a lingering odor. Water-based formulas are more eco-friendly but can raise the wood grain and require extra sanding. Gel stains don’t soak into the wood but sit on top of it, so this option is ideal for less porous woods, like maple.
Setup a Workspace
You’ll need to stain shelves, doors, and drawers that you’ll remove from the cabinets. So clear out a space to work, whether on the drop cloth-covered kitchen floors or the empty garage. Choose an area with room to move around easily and windows for ventilation.
Remove the Cabinet Hardware and Doors
Photo: Scukrov/ iStock/ Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
While you don’t have to remove the cabinet bases from the walls, you should remove the doors, shelves, drawers, and any hardware like kitchen cabinet handles and drawer pulls. This step goes a long way toward obtaining an even stain coating.
Use a screwdriver or drill to remove hinges from doors, brackets or plugs from shelves, and any remaining hardware. Place the wooden elements on the drop clothes in your workspace. Keep the hardware together in labeled containers to make reinstalling the finished doors, shelves, and drawers easier.
Clean All of the Surfaces
For unfinished wood cabinets, you’ll need to clean the surfaces with a damp cloth and mild detergent. You can skip the cleaning step if you plan to strip an existing finish, like paint or an old stain. But if the drawer, shelf, or door interiors are unfinished and you plan to stain them, make sure to clean those surfaces.
Wipe down the surfaces with mild soap and water. Then dip a cloth in plain water and ring it out before wiping down the raw wood surfaces once more to remove any detergent left behind.
Remove the Old Finish
Photo: Mdv Edwards/ Adobe Stock
For finished cabinets, you have to remove the old stain before applying new coats. Use 100- to 120-grit sandpaper to remove the finish; sand following the wood grain. If you want to work faster, use an electric sander, moving non-stop to avoid damaging the wood surfaces.
For unfinished cabinets, you can use a low-grit sandpaper to gently sand the surfaces after cleaning for a smooth surface to apply stain.
If you’re staining a lot of cabinets, you may consider using a chemical stripper. You’ll need protective gear, like rubber gloves and goggles, and a well-ventilated work environment. Apply the chemical stripper following the manufacturer’s instructions; it will need to set into the wood for about 20 to 30 minutes, then you can use a putty knife to scrape away the old finish carefully. With the old finish scraped off, buff the wood with sandpaper or use an electric sander to prepare the cabinets for conditioner and stain.
Apply a Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner
Pre-stain wood conditioner helps create the smoothest surface for your stain and helps the stain better adhere to the cabinets. Apply the wood conditioner with a paintbrush in a thin, even layer on all the wood surfaces you plan to stain. Let the conditioner dry according to the label instructions (about 15 minutes). Follow up by gently buffing the wood with extra fine steel wool.
Apply the Stain
Photo: Mdv Edwards/ Adobe Stock
It’s time for the exciting part: applying the stain to your wood cabinets. Use a paint stir stick to stir the wood stain until there are no clumps. With a paintbrush or clean cloth, apply the stain to the intricate parts of the wood surfaces and move along the direction of the wood grain.
Move on to coating the flatter surfaces, and apply a thin, even coat. Wipe away the darker areas of stain or excess stain with a clean cloth. Let the first coat dry for eight to 48 hours, depending on the consistency of the stain and coat thickness. Water-based stains tend to dry faster than oil-based or gel stains. Check the instructions on the container of stain.
Apply additional coats, and let each layer dry until you reach the desired color. Use fine-grit sandpaper or extra fine steel wool to lightly buff the wood between each layer of stain.
Apply a Sealer
Sealing is optional but highly recommended to better protect the stained cabinets from wear and tear. You can skip the sealer if you used a two-in-one stain and sealant product.
Use a clean paintbrush to apply a thin layer of polyurethane sealer over the stained wood surfaces. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for drying times. Then apply a second, thin layer, and allow it to dry.
Replace the Hardware and Doors
Photo: Brett Taylor/ iStock/ Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
Once the sealer has dried, you can reinstall the doors, drawers, shelves, and hardware with a screwdriver or drill. Vacuum up sawdust in the room before carefully cleaning up the drop cloths. Finally, admire your handiwork and begin placing dishes and utensils back in the cabinets and drawers.
DIY Cabinet Staining vs. Hiring a Pro
Staining kitchen cabinets costs about $300 to $500 for supplies, depending on how many cabinets you’re staining. The more cabinets to cover, the more wood conditioner, stain, and sealer you’ll need. Although this is a simple DIY project for handy homeowners, it can take a long time to apply thin layers of stain and sealer carefully; plus, you’ll need to wait several hours for each coat to dry.
Hiring a local handyperson or a cabinet specialist adds about $500 to $1,000 to the cost to stain cabinets, but pros can work more efficiently. With a professional, you can have your kitchen back together in just a few days. DIYing, especially if you can’t work on this project around the clock, could take a DIYer at least four to five days, if not several weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should always sand wood cabinets before staining if you want the stain to adhere properly. Once you remove any previous finishes, buffing the surface lightly with sandpaper is an important step when staining cabinets. Always follow the direction of the wood grain, and you can make the work easier with an electric sander.
Yes, you can stain existing kitchen cabinets. Perhaps you’ve moved into a new home but aren’t in love with the existing stain. Luckily, you don’t have to tear out the old cabinets and replace them. You can refinish your kitchen cabinets by removing the old stain—either by sanding or with a chemical stripper—then applying new stain and sealer to achieve the look you want for less than the cost of installing new cabinets.
Whether it’s better to stain or paint old cabinets depends on your situation, as each option has pros and cons. Paint offers a smooth, modern look, while stain highlights the natural wood grain for a charming, rustic look. Painting cabinets may cost about 15% more than staining cabinets. While paint tends to be more durable against damage because of its thick coating, stained cabinets hide inevitable dings and scratches better than paint.
