A Fresh Look for Birch Cabinets: Stripping and Staining

Change the color of your cabinets by refinishing.

Giving your cabinets a new finish can revive their look and make them seem upgraded, all without the high cost of refacing. If your cabinets are structurally sound and you still like their overall design, you can remove the old stain and apply a different color. However, birch can be challenging to paint because the stain often goes on unevenly. Taking a few extra precautions will help you avoid blotchiness and achieve a smooth, attractive finish.

Step 1

Use an ammonia-based cleaner and a rag to thoroughly clean the cabinets. Remove all grease and residue from the surfaces.

Step 2

Put on rubber gloves and open windows and doors to allow for ventilation. Using a paintbrush, apply a chemical paint stripper to the cabinets. Spread a ¼-inch-thick layer of paste and leave it on the cabinets until it penetrates the finish, which typically takes 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 3

Use a paint scraper to remove the finish. Take off as much as possible with the scraper, wiping it clean on a towel as needed. Pour some paint thinner onto a piece of steel wool. Use the steel wool to remove finish from areas that the first stripper application missed.

Step 4

Sand the cabinets to eliminate any leftover finish. Attach medium-grit sandpaper to a palm sander. Move the sander firmly across the cabinets. Continue sanding until you expose bare wood. For spots the sander can't reach, fold a loose sheet of sandpaper in half and sand corners and crevices by hand. Remove sanding dust with a damp rag.

Step 5

Brush new stain onto the birch cabinets using a good-quality brush. Pick gel stain over other types: It is thicker and will soak into the wood more uniformly. Birch tends to become splotchy, with darker areas in places. To avoid this, use gel stain and work slowly. Apply a thin coat and wipe off any excess with a clean rag.

Step 6

Step back and check the stain color. Add another coat of gel stain (several thin coats work best). Wipe away excess with a clean rag and continue applying stain until you reach the color depth you want.

Step 7

Apply a coat of polyurethane to help protect the birch from nicks and dings. Use a paintbrush to apply the topcoat. You might notice some bubbles in the topcoat right after application; these will disappear within a few minutes. Let the topcoat dry.