Should I strip or sand my cabinets?

Strip vs sand: start with the finish you want

The decision is less about the old cabinets and more about what goes on next.

• New paint on top: sand. Paint only needs a clean, dull surface to grip. Removing the whole old finish adds days and dust for no gain.
• New stain or a natural wood look: strip. Stain has to soak into bare wood, and any clear coat left behind blocks it and leaves blotches.
• Failing finish: strip. Paint over peeling, flaking, or sticky finish fails along with it.
• Many layers of old paint: strip. Built-up coats soften profiles and make doors rub in their openings.

Sanding vs chemical stripping vs heat stripping

Veneer is the hidden trap. Many cabinet doors that look like solid oak are a thin wood layer over a core panel. Aggressive sanding goes through it quickly, and the damage cannot be stained to match. A chemical stripper is gentler on veneer when it is used carefully and neutralized as the label directs.

Lead paint in older homes: what Health Canada advises

Painted cabinets in an older house need a check before you create dust or fumes. Health Canada's lead-based paint page says a home built before 1960 probably contains lead-based paint, that a home built between 1960 and 1990 may have it on the exterior, and that interior paint may contain smaller amounts that could still harm young children. It also states there is no known safe level of lead exposure.

For removal, Health Canada advises:

• Consider hiring an expert. If you do it yourself, use a chemical paint stripper paste applied with a brush.
• Do not use sanders, heat guns, or blowlamps on lead-based paint, because they create toxic dust and fumes.
• Keep children and pregnant women away, seal doorways and vents with plastic, and ventilate with a fan blowing out an open window.
• Wear goggles, gloves, and a good-quality breathing mask, and work in short sessions with breaks outdoors.
• Put scrapings in a sealed container marked hazardous waste and follow your municipality's disposal rules.

To find out whether lead is present, the same page suggests sending paint chips to a lab or hiring a contractor with x-ray equipment. Stained and clear coated wood is a separate question from old paint, but test any painted layer you cannot date.

How to strip cabinets at home, in order

1. Test the finish for lead if it is painted and its age is unknown.
2. Remove and number doors, drawers, and hardware, and work outside or in a ventilated garage.
3. Brush on the stripper paste and wait the time on the label. Do not let it dry out.
4. Scrape with the grain using a plastic scraper on flat areas and a stiff brush or pick in profiles.
5. Clean off residue as the product label directs, then let the wood dry.
6. Sand lightly to smooth raised grain before stain. The hand or sander guide covers the tools, and the low-dust sanding guide keeps the mess contained.

Plan on stripping taking longer than you expect. Each door has two faces and four edges, and profiles often need a second application.

Best option for oak cabinets in St. Albert: refinish or paint

Honey oak and golden oak cabinets from 1980s and 1990s homes are usually solid enough for either route. Cabinet Refinishing St. Albert offers both. Refinishing strips the old finish, repairs the wood, re-stains it, and applies a clear coat of catalyzed lacquer, conversion varnish, or Benjamin Moore Advance, so the grain stays visible. Painting keeps the stripping out of the job: the doors are prepped, the open oak grain is filled, and a solid colour is sprayed.

Thermofoil and laminate have no wood grain to strip, so they are painted or refaced instead. Compare every option in the refinishing vs refacing vs replacing guide, or see cabinet refinishing in St. Albert. To hand off the stripper and scrapers, call Cabinet Refinishing St. Albert at 587-817-6477 or request a written price.