# Removing textured finish from kitchen cabinets



## jbwaechter (Apr 29, 2007)

Bought a house - the kitchen cabinets are solid and roomy, but the previous owner applied a heavily textured finish that looks hideous. It also feels like 60-grit sand paper. I plan on building new doors and drawer fronts. Anyone have an idea on the best way to remove this textured finish from the face frames? 

We want a smooth surface to paint over. I could build new face frames, but I don't think I it's worth the effort to try to remove the existing frames. We are trying to do this with minimal disruption to the kitchen - don't want to remove the cabinets from the walls. Do you think scraping will be sufficient to remove the texture, or will a stripping solution be required? Not sure I like the idea of using a stripping solution on the cabinets while in place in the kitchen, especially with two new babies in the house.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

It would help if you mentioned what material the textured item is made of. Paint? Joint compound? Painted joint compound?
You want to minimize trauma to the wood or you'll spend more time filling the divots then stripping the frames.
If you're concerned about the kids, keep them out of the space. The area should be sealed off from the rest of the house. 
You need to know what it is before you can remove it effectively with the minimum amount of dust. Paint remover is better then dust.
Ron


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## jbwaechter (Apr 29, 2007)

I'm not really sure what the texture is. It does not appear to be joint compound. It's an ugly greenish-brown color. More like a heavily tinted glaze with sand embedded. It's glossy, and quite rough - not at all what I would expect from paint applied over a sprayed texture.


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## Rmaldonado (Oct 4, 2010)

Hi, starting a project. I want to restain my kitchen cabinets. My husband said they are wood, and they have a shiny coat. What are the first supplies need. My boss suggested 300-400 sand paper. does someone have a list of products that i would need to get started. This is all new to me but I have extra time and it looks so easy on the TV programs. I would like to keep the wood look, but go alittle darker color, but not too dark.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

Rmaldonado said:


> Hi, starting a project. I want to restain my kitchen cabinets. My husband said they are wood, and they have a shiny coat. What are the first supplies need. My boss suggested 300-400 sand paper. does someone have a list of products that i would need to get started. This is all new to me but I have extra time and it looks so easy on the TV programs. I would like to keep the wood look, but go alittle darker color, but not too dark.


Best to start a new thread.
Ron


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## steveel (Sep 10, 2010)

In my old house, I'm first washing woodwork with denatured alcohol. In many places that dissolves a top layer of shellac and getting that out of the way makes removing an oil-based stain in step 2 much easier. Of course, you may not have shellac. An easy way to find out is to try washing with the alcohol and see what happens. If it gets soft or gummy its not shellac. If anything dissovles easily and wipes away without much effort then you probably do.

http://www.google.com/search?q=stai...=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=c6affe93747c32d0


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## Rmaldonado (Oct 4, 2010)

*Thanks for the info*

So I heading to Home Depo-to get supplies, bathroom cabinets might are same as kitchen, fading, etc. Thinking might try those first.


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