Refinishing Your Bathroom Vanity Cabinets

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Are you wondering how to refinish your bathroom vanity cabinets? Refinishing can be a good way to spruce up the bathroom and ensure that your home looks fresh and well-finished, even if the cabinets aren’t brand new. You can do this yourself if you have the DIY knowledge. So how should you go about refinishing bathroom cabinets?

Our guide gives you the steps needed to get to a perfect finish.

Step #1 – Remove All the Drawers, Doors and Handles or Knobs From Vanity

Before you can refinish the bathroom cabinets, you need to remove all the doors, knobs, and handles. You will be working with the individual parts of the cabinet, sanding and refinishing them, which you can’t do with all of this hardware in place. You might even replace the hardware at the end.

Step #2 – Remove All Varnish to Feel the Surface is Smooth to Touch

Sand your doors down to make sure all traces of the previous sheen are gone. Sanding off any varnish ensures that the painting bathroom cabinets will adhere better to the wood. Ideally, you want to use a sponge sanding block with two different grits; medium on one side and fine on the other. The medium grit is used first, and the finer grit adds the final smooth finish. Be sure to wipe or vacuum away any sanding residue, to make sure it does not get stuck under the paint.

Check, and double-check, that the whole surface is now smooth to the touch before you move forward.

refinishing bathroom vanity cabinets Step #3 – Apply the First Coat of Paint

As soon as all varnish is removed and the surface feels smooth to touch, you can apply the first coat of paint. Use painter’s tape to protect any surfaces that you do not want color on. There is no need to use primer, but you can if you like. Consider painting bathroom cabinets either from the interior or exterior surfaces. Paint the exterior doors first, and then you can prop the cabinet against a pedestal to allow it to dry. Replace them back in the cabinet and paint the interior. It is very important to do before refinishing bathroom vanity cabinets.

Step #4: Apply a Second Coat of Paint

Re-sand all the surfaces again to remove and bumps that may appear from painting. Use the fine grit side of the sanding sponge. You can then apply a second coat of paint, ideally a semi-gloss latex paint in the color of your choice. Be sure to do the exterior and interior surfaces. Often once the paint dries, the fresh new look of the bathroom cabinets draws your eye to the old hardware. This now looks out of place against the sleek new finish. Flat paints hide uneven surfaces better, so if you are using high gloss paint, you may want to spend a little extra time sanding. The gloss is infamous for pointing out every small bump.

Step #5 – Let It Dry

It sounds like the easiest thing in the world, but you would be amazed at how many people are impatient and do not do this properly. It is vital that you take your time and let the paint dry properly, even if it is as boring as…well, watching paint dry.

If you don’t do this, you risk smudging and ruining the finish when it is time for the next steps, and this can be immensely frustrating. You might even have to go back a few steps in extreme circumstances.

On top of this, you can get the paint everywhere, in places you simply don’t want it.

Step #6 – Install New Hardware

This means a little bit of knowledge is required and you need to find handles that fit. You may even go back to the original manufacturer or find the product name in order to get the ideal hardware.

Make sure that the new handle pulls you get to require the same holes as the original ones. If you end up with hardware lacking two holes for attachment but only have one hole, then you will need to start drilling. This can be tricky because you need to make sure to line the second hole up precisely. If you put a hole in the wrong place, you have to patch it up, re-sand and re-paint. So take your time and get the hole placement right the first time around rather than risk having to redo the job.

Conclusion

As DIY tasks go, refinishing your bathroom vanity cabinets isn’t the most difficult, but it does require a degree of accuracy and plenty of patience. Making a mistake can lead to having to start again or to cabinet repair.
Follow our steps for a hassle-free refinish and you can ensure that you enjoy a modern looking bathroom without the expense of new cabinets.

How To Redo Bathroom Cabinets For Cheap

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Paint the Vanity in the Bathroom

Do not throw out a sturdy vanity when it all needs is a little bit of updating. Painting the vanity can give it a new look, and it is easy to do.

How to Paint the Bathroom Vanity

These instructions can help you if you are refinishing an existing vanity. You will have to take off the doors and other hardware so it would be a good time to update the knobs and pulls as well. If you are looking to do a complete makeover, you can also replace the sink, faucets, and backsplash.

Redo Bathroom Cabinets For Cheap

Prep the Vanity

  • Step 1
    Remove the cabinets, doors, drawers, and any other hardware that is on the unit. If you are looking to replace the top of it and the sink, so now it should be a good time to take them out as well.
    Take off the drawer fronts as well if possible.
  • Step 2
    Use a trisodium phosphate and a sponge to wash the vanity. If there is a residue left behind from rubber cabinet bumpers use mineral spirits to remove it. After this wash this area with the TSP.
  • Step 3
    If the wood surface is covered with a bright finish use sandpaper with 220 grit to remove the gloss. Check the inside corners to remove any molding.
  • Step 4
    Remove any paint that is damaged if the surface of the vanity has been painted before. Using sandpaper feather the edges and put a latex primer on any bare spots.
  • Step 5
    A heat gun can be used to remove a film of glue if the surface is covered with melamine or thermofoil. Once the film is removed use mineral spirits to wipe any residue off.
    If the film is bonded to the vanity, use the 220 grit sandpaper to sand the surface until it is dull.
  • Step 6
    Vacuum any sanding dust off the surface and wipe it down with a clean and damp rag.
  • Step 7
    Use painter’s tape to make off the undersides of the top, the walls, the floor, and the inside part of the cabinet frame.

Priming the Surface to Paint

  • Step 1
    A separate primer should be used on the surface of the vanity.
    When working with bare wood that has been sanding apply primer and then sand it smooth.
    If there are dings or damages to the surface use putty to patch them up, sand them, then apply the primer
  • Step 2
    If the surface is thermofoil or melamine adds a shellac-based primer.
    Two coats may be needed.
  • Step 3
    After applying the first coat of the primer at the area, wipe it clean.
    A second coat of primer may be needed. After applying this coating allow it to dry overnight.

Painting the Vanity

  • Step 1
    Brush on a coat of paint and allow it to dry.
    Once this coat is dry, an additional layer or two may be needed.
    Remove the painter’s tape, apply the third coat of paint, and allow it to dry overnight. Once the vanity is dry, it can be reassembled.
  • Step 2
    Drill the holes needed for the doors or the drawers and the new hardware.
    Screw in the drawers and the door handles.
  • Step 3
    Add the door hinges and the door to the frame of the cabinet.
    When using two facing doors adjust the position on the hinges until they are even.
  • Step 4
    Reattach the drawer fronts, making sure they are easy to open.
  • Step 5
    A fresh coat of paint will give the vanity a new look and costs less than replacing it.