Stain is a Pain!

Ah, the title - I'm practically Dr. Suess. The downstairs bathroom improvements continue with this post. All along I've wanted to stain the cabinets a dark mahogany color. Well, this weekend I've started.

Here's a WAY Before picture when we moved in alongside a Before picture from earlier this week.

 

So first things first, below is a list of supplies for my project (I say "my project" because this is a completely Kristin's-hands-only project since Mike is preoccupied with the doors. SO WATCH OUT.)

 

Supplies

1/4 gallon of oil-based stain

Latex gloves

Old men's dress socks (they're longer and cover more of your arm!)

Tarp

Painter's tape

 

It's a pretty short list which means it's budget friendly! Now onto the project itself.

 

#1: Remove hardware and doors. With this step I also took the time to wipe out my cabinets. They needed a good cleaning anyways.

 

#2: Tape off the area. Make sure you cover the floors and any walls or countertop that could possibly get stain on them.

 

 

#3: Sand and degloss the cabinet area. I used the same deglosser we used on our cabinets and trim. It's great because it gets off all the grit off the surface along with any remaining stain or gloss that's left behind.

 

 

 

#4: Start staining! I put on my latex gloves, one hand covered with the sock for staining. I started with the back of my cabinet doors since I was nervous about the process. Note: I also chose to use the sock-method instead of a foam brush for more even coverage. Here's a picture of the back of the doors and the cabinets after the first coat.

 

 

 

 

 

After this coat I waited 12 hours before starting the second. From what I've read, drying time is one of the most important things about staining. Since I'm a very impatient person, this part was definitely difficult! So I waited and waited and waited.

 

And everything looked great ...except the side that's laminate is SO streaky (see above - it stayed that way)! So what do you think I did? I tried again and again. Below is a picture after the third coat. It got darker, just not less streaky!

 

 

 

So now my project is on pause because I think it's the oil-base (instead of a gel-base) that is my problem. Back to Menard's I'll go.... AFTER Mike and I get back from our vacation next week! Sun, fun, and small little-umbrelled drinks here we come!