You bought the perfect house on the perfect street from the original owners who lived there for 33 years. It has 33 years of history, character, and kitchen cabinets harboring 33 years of grease, scratches, dents, dings, and bangs. Your first-time homebuyer’s dream came complete with your very own kitchen nightmare. Here’s a few tips on cabinet refinishing go-tos and no-gos from the pros at Kitchen FX to help you navigate the nightmare back to your Austin kitchen dream.

Do: Plan your project well in advance

When it comes to the perfect cabinet refinishing project, planning is key. Planning isn’t just about the amount of supplies you’ll need to complete the project or the amount of time it will take to disassemble and reassemble your cabinets. It’s also about planning the right lighting (shadows in your workspace can lead to uneven finishes on your cabinet faces).

Go Pro: If you’re not sure about your lighting sources or ability to create a picture perfect finish, the pros at Kitchen FX can help you get the silky smooth, perfect finish your kitchen dream deserves and requires.

Do: Consider the amount of time your kitchen will be a wreck and if you can handle it

Whether you’re planning a kitchen cabinet refinish or you’re mounting a full kitchen remodel, it’s going to take time. When you’re providing the labor for your own cabinet refinishing project, it could take 3-5 weeks to fully disassemble, refinish, and reassemble your kitchen. And that’s if you’re working every day. It’s important to plan your project to reduce the amount of time your kitchen will be a construction zone, or paint studio.

Go Pro: Unlike other kitchen cabinet experts, the pros at Kitchen FX will be in and out of your kitchen in one week or less, depending on your project. Nobody else can make that promise to you and your kitchen, not even you.

Don’t: Refinish your cabinets without adequate ventilation

It’s tempting to tackle a kitchen cabinet resurface project over the winter break or during the sweltering summer months off work and school. But those are the times when you’ll also be tempted to leave the house shut up and cut off from fresh air. You’ll be busting out paints, stains, and sanders in your home; ventilation is key to both your safety and the finishing process.

Go Pro: If safety is on your list of concerns, the pros at Kitchen FX can get the job done with low VOC and no-dust options for cabinet refacing.

Don’t: Start your project without properly cleaning and stripping your kitchen cabinets

With so many new products out there for refinishing your kitchen cabinets, it can be difficult to tell which ones will last and which ones will make your nightmare worse. Never start a kitchen cabinet refinishing project without completely cleaning all of the grease, stuck on food and unidentified “objects” off of your cabinet surfaces. And don’t simply paint over the finish that’s already there. Strip the old finish either chemically or by sanding the surface, and make sure you’ve done a thorough job.

Go Pro: If you’re unsure about cleaning and stripping your cabinet surfaces, the pros at Kitchen FX will clean and strip your cabinets quickly and efficiently, with no finish or gunk left behind, guaranteed. No other cabinet builders make that promise.

When you purchase a new (or new to you) home, you’re building a dream. Whether you take on the project yourself or let your dedicated team at Kitchen FX do the dirty work for you, that dream deserves a kitchen that shines; these tips and our pros will get you there.