Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This kit is a great way to easily do a nice-looking DIY job on your old worn out cabinets. The result looks wonderful, but this is not a one-weekend project! PROS: -Easy; if you can paint, you can do this -Finished result looks very nice. People will think you had them redone professionally or replaced. -Good price for the convenience of having all the products in one kit. Obviously MUCH cheaper than professional refinishing or replacement -No sanding required CONS: -It doesn't actually come with everything you need, and you will need some extra things that the box doesn't tell you about. -Takes FOREVER. Obviously this is primarily affected by how many cabinets you have, and how much workspace is available. -Colors are not accurate on the box, and there are no sample chips available I tested out a small kit in pure white on a small bathroom vanity. That project only took one weekend, but it was a very small cabinet. I was satisfied with the results, and went to purchase a large dark it for the kitchen. Although my cabinet frames are fairly compact in my little galley style kitchen, I do have 20 doors and 4 drawers, so it was a lot of surface to cover. I initially chose Paprika, based on the photograph on the box. This was a mistake. Fortunately, I tested it on a scrap of wood before putting it on the cabinets. I would highly recommend doing this for any color you choose. The actual color without glaze was like the redwood stain you use on decks; add the glaze, and they looked almost purple. Not what I was going for! Unfortunately, once you have added the pigment, you can't take the thing back. It ended up not being a total loss, though, because I used some of the items in the first box when I ran out of them. The second time around, I chose Chocolate with Glaze. I liked the Espresso color, but it is too dark for the glaze to show up, and I wanted the two-tone effect. I am very happy with my final color choice. PREP: I was so excited to get started that I forgot to number the doors. It probably would have been easier to put them back together if I had done so. Take your time masking and covering your appliances. Fill any holes that will no longer be used if you are changing out your hardware. Fill damaged areas with wood putty and sand flush. Make the largest work space you possibly can. Drive screws through 2x4's and put them on sawhorses, work benches, or tables. Placing the doors on the screws makes it easier to paint the sides. I only had space to do 2 - 3 doors at a time, so my project took a very long time. DEGLOSSING: Purchase more scrub pads. LOTS of them. My husband and I used probably 15 beyond what was included in the kit. This is the most difficult step from an elbow grease standpoint, but you must be very thorough, or the base coat will not adhere. If you think you've scrubbed enough, scrub it again. We only used half of the deglosser provided, so don't be stingy with it. After it's clean and deglossed, be sure to wipe it down with a damp cloth, then wipe again with a dry cloth, and allow to dry completely before starting the bond coat. BOND COAT: Nothing fancy here, it's just painting. Use long strokes, and the best brushes you can buy. I used Shur Line Teflon 2" angled. If you are going from light cabinets to dark, 2 coats will be fine. If going dark to light, you may need 3 coats. I only used about 1/2 of the bond coat provided in 2 coats. Watch for drips and clean them up as you go. This stuff dries pretty fast. After they dried to the touch, I would go ahead and flip them over on the screws and do the other side. Do be careful not to bump into them or move them while on the screws; I had to touch up some scratches with a furniture stain pen before doing the top coat. After they are dry to the touch, you can put them on plastic cups to cure completely if you need to make room for the next set of doors. GLAZE: If you have an early production kit, you will not have enough. Rustoleum has great customer service, though, and will hook you up with another can. Do not start this step until your bond coat is completely dry (I let mine dry overnight first). Otherwise, the glaze will wet the bond coat and remove it when you wipe, and create a muddy mess. This stuff takes a really long time to dry. To speed the process, I set up a fan and ran it on low to dry the doors. I also needed a few more wiping cloths (good thing I had that extra kit). You may want to pick up an extra pack of cheese cloth when you buy your brushes. If you chose anything darker than chocolate, don't waste your time glazing; you won't be able to see it. I used the standard brush on, wipe off in long strokes technique, and it gives a nice wood grain appearance. Just stay with the grain. If you screw up, just wipe it all off with firm pressure and start over. You have about 5 minutes of workability before it starts to set up. After waiting at least 8 hours (I would go overnight to be safe), if it still feels tacky at all, do not proceed to top coating yet. TOP COAT: You can do this 2 different ways. On the white bathroom vanity, I used a foam brush to get a very thin and even coat, then coated it a second time for extra protection. This prevented bubbling and drips. On the kitchen, I was ready to get it over with, so I used a brush per the instructions. The application with a brush is thicker, so you have to be more careful not to leave weird lap marks or excess project on the edges, which will dry white instead of clear. If this happens to your corners, you can cut the bubbles off with a razor. You cannot do spot touchups with this product, so make sure you covered everything by going over it with a worklight or flashlight. Do NOT overbrush areas you have already covered; wait until it cures and do a whole new coat on that area. This stuff dries FAST. If you want/have to 2nd coat it, make sure the first coat is completely dry first. Do not use a fan to dry the final coat, as you may stir up dust and debris that will get stuck in your beautiful clearcoat, preserved forever in your cabinet surface like a fly in amber. Take your time and have fun! Now on to the Countertop Transformation...