Believe it or not, there are some folk out there who do not appreciate the beauty and the richness of red oak wood and there are some people out there who really don't appreciate oak wood at all. But I'm not one of them and over the years I have come to love and revere oak wood in general and particularly red oak wood. In this article I am going to give you a step by step guide to help you stain and varnish your red oak cabinets. I will be focusing on new cabinets but the same procedures are in order for existing red oak cabinets with the exception being that all existing coatings on your cabinets must be completely removed before you can restain them. Once again, I cannot stress this point enough; all previous coatings--stains, urethane, paints and primers must be totally removed from your cabinets before you can begin your restaining and revarnishing system.
When it comes to cabinetry I simply love to stain and varnish them each and every opportunity I get. I really enjoy taking my time and savoring every moment of it. From preparation to staining and varnishing to completion, I truly enjoy this special task and I guess it is because of my love for wood. Whether it's cheery, cypress, mahogany, birch, pine, red oak, white oak, walnut, pecan, or any other species; I love wood! In my opinion wood is in a class of its own and nothing else even comes remotely close. But sometimes wood needs a little something extra to bring out its beauty and charm--its grace and stateliness. And that is why we stain and varnish it to help bring out its natural elegance and splendor.
If you're looking to give your kitchen a new and interesting look, then by all means you should consider giving your kitchen cabinets a complete makeover. Some makeovers do little to transform your kitchen into an exciting and lovable place to gather for food and fun, but giving your kitchen cabinets a completely new look will definitely make a statement. And beautiful red oak cabinets neatly stained and carefully varnished will not only make a beautiful impression but they will also extend a warm and gracious invitation to all your family and friends. So join me as we get ready to travel one of my favorite roads.
PREPARATION: GIVING IT ALL YOU GOT
When it comes to most home improvement projects preparation is usually the key to a successful ending and when it comes to staining and varnishing your red oak cabinets this is the most important aspect of the project. First of all you should remove all fingerprints, grease, oil stains and every thing else from your cabinets; I prefer using alcohol, denatured alcohol if available, and thoroughly wiping the cabinets down. Be sure and wipe every square inch real good; making sure you remove any thing that could prevent the stain from penetrating into the wood. Do not use mineral spirits to clean your cabinets because it will only clog the pores of the wood and prevent the stain from penetrating into the wood. I sometimes use lacquer thinner to clean cabinets before I stain, as opposed to denatured alcohol, but lacquer has a very, very pungent odor and it can be extremely dangerous, so I don't recommend its use for the young novice, instead stick with denatured alcohol and by all means use it with caution as well.
Once the cabinets have been thoroughly cleaned and all dirt, grease, grime, oil and other unwanted surfactants have been removed
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