How to Glaze Painted Kitchen Cabinets
Adding a glaze finish to your kitchen cabinets is the perfect way to give them an updated and fresh look. Glazing your painted cabinets is an easy process any homeowner can undertake themselves without having to hire a professional to do it for them.
What You Will Need
- Screwdriver
- Rags
- Cleaner
- Painters tape
- Water based glazing liquid
- 2 inch soft, flat brush
- 2 inch flat, natural bristle brush
- Steel wool
- Thin paintbrush
- Mixing bucket
- Sandpaper
- Tack cloth
- Tint
- Remove all drawer pulls and knobs from the cabinets and set them aside.
- Wipe down the cabinets using a rag dampened with a bit of cleaner.
- Protect the walls surrounding the cabinets by laying down painters tape.
- Check the type of finish on the painted cabinets. If the paint is high-gloss or semi-gloss, you will need to remove the sheen with a low-grit sandpaper.
- Wipe down the sandpapered cabinet with a tack cloth.
- Mix your tint with the glazing liquid in the mixing bucket to achieve the desired shade.
- Use a wide, soft brush to apply the glaze. Follow the direction of the wood grain and work in four inch strips, one strip at a time.
- Drag a natural bristle brush through the glaze to even out the glazing.
- Use the steel wool to make a second pass through the glaze. Make sure to use even pressure until the end of the pass.
- Wipe the glaze off the steel wool with a rag.
- Repeat step 9 to further soften the glaze.
- Apply the next strip of glaze and repeat steps 7 through 9.
- Continue until all of the cabinet has been glazed.
- Use a thin paintbrush to remove any pooled paint from the edges of the cabinet.
- Remove the tape.
- Use a damp rag or cloth to wipe away any bleeding paint.
- Allow the glaze to fully dry before replacing knobs and hardware.