I was so thrilled with how the bathroom vanity turned out that a few months later i gel stained all of my kitchen cabinets.
Gel coat paint for cabinets.
However it was easy to use and yielded exactly the results that i was going for.
If applied directly to unfinished wood it will act as a stain.
Always test to make sure it s dry before applying the next coat.
Semi gloss paint is the balance between eggshell and high gloss and works well with any style bath or kitchen.
Unlike regular oil based paints it doesn t generally leak onto other surfaces or between cracks meaning that it s an excellent choice as both a base coat and an all in one coat depending on whether or not your cabinet has already been painted.
There are some drawbacks though.
You do not wipe it off as you would with a paint.
Water based will have a re coat time of about 3 hours.
Semigloss cupboard paint will accentuate any imperfections so be sure to sand cabinets well if you choose this type of paint.
There is no way you could do just one coat of gel stain.
I do think you might be able to do one coat with a paint brush but i didn t try that method in the beginning.
Enamel based paints are known to give a rock hard finish and while carrie used deco art a traditional enamel based paint like sherwin william proclassic interior acrylic latex enamel paint which is mostly used as an interior trim paint is another excellent choice for a really durable finish.
Prior to gel staining cabinets i had a lot of experience working with regular wood stain but i had never worked with gel stain.
Head over to carrie s blog read her entire process and decide if enamel based paint is the.
This was the main difference i saw from regular stain and gel stain.
That is if you re using the sock method.
Use a paint brush to apply a layer of gel stain.
For example it s difficult to get out once it s on and the gel color may look lighter than you intended.
Smoothest application and so easy.
Because semigloss has a lot of shine it reflects light and can make colors look more vibrant.
The gel stain is to be applied to a finished piece of wood in order to act as a glaze.
Let the cabinets dry for 48 hours.
See more in the tips at the end of this post.
The drying time for he cabinets was longer because of the time of year she completed her project.
A gel stain is a great way to bring outdated or worn cabinets up to date.
This general finishes gel stain is heavily bodied to prevent seeping and wood damage making it ideal for use on natural or treated wood surfaces.
This will keep your cabinets from being scratched when opened and shut repeatedly.
In most cases cabinets will be finished.
She had a lot of grease and stains on her cabinets that you couldn t see but came right off with the mixture.
Add felt pads to the inside of your drawers and cabinets once your polyurethane is dry.
What s awesome about diy is y.
Boxes sanded with 220 grit.
Gel stain comes in many colors and the thicker the stains the better.
First coat of java gel stain painted on.