Old finishes that may contain lead
If your cabinets carry finishes from before 1978, we treat them as possible lead and work lead-safe, from plastic sheeting to the final cleaning check.
Serving Des Plaines & nearby Mount Prospect, Park Ridge
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Des Plaines, IL
Keep your solid wood cabinets in Des Plaines and give them a new stain and a hard clear finish, with the grain still showing.
- Serving Des Plaines ZIP 60016, 60018
- A new look without tearing the kitchen out
- Clean, protected work area every day
Wood cabinet problems we refinish in Des Plaines
Good wood cabinets rarely wear out; their finish does. Our Des Plaines crew strips or sands the tired coating, stains the doors and frames to the tone you pick from sample boards, and seals everything with a durable clear coat.
Thin veneer on panels and end sides
Flat panels and cabinet sides are often veneer over plywood or particleboard. We use strippers and light hand sanding there so we never sand through.
New cabinets don't match the old ones
An added island or pantry in a slightly different wood tone stands out. We re-stain both so they read as one set.
Scratches, dings and worn edges
Worn edges and dings are part of the prep. We fill, sand and touch in color so repaired spots blend with the surrounding wood.
Want a darker or richer stain
Going darker is the easy direction. After cleaning and scuff sanding, a gel stain or tinted toner can deepen the color without stripping every door to bare wood.
Cloudy, milky or white-spotted finish
A milky haze over the stain is moisture inside the finish, common beside the dishwasher. We remove the affected coating and recoat so the color shows clearly again.
Finish worn to bare wood near the handles
Once the topcoat wears away, water soaks into the wood and darkens it. Sanding, re-staining and a fresh clear finish close it up again.
Sticky or gummy finish
Gummy, tacky doors mean the topcoat has broken down. We strip it rather than cover it, because nothing bonds well to a soft film.
What's included
- Protection and setupWe mask the counters, cover the floor and set up dust control in the kitchen first.
- Deep cleaningA degreasing wash removes cooking residue so the stripper and stain work evenly.
- Stripping the old finishOld varnish, lacquer or paint is removed with strippers suited to the coating and the wood.
- Sample door and color approvalOne door is finished first in your chosen stain so you approve the color in your own light.
- Sealer and clear topcoatDoors get a sealer and multiple sprayed clear coats, sanded lightly between coats.
- Face frames on siteFace frames, end panels and trim are stripped, stained and clear-coated in place to match the doors.
- Reinstall and hardwareDoors are rehung and adjusted, and new knobs, pulls or soft-close hinges go on if you chose them.
Finishes we offer
Wood bleach for spot correctionOxalic acid and two-part wood bleach lighten water marks or stubborn color before the new stain.
Gel stainGel stain colors evenly on tight-grain woods and can deepen a tone without full stripping.
Waterborne polyurethane topcoatWater-based poly keeps light stains from turning amber and dries quickly between coats.
Toners and glazesA toner adjusts color in thin, even layers; a glaze adds depth in corners and profiles.
Sheen: matte, satin or semi-glossMatte and satin look modern and hide fingerprints; semi-gloss is easier to wipe but shows more.
Kitchens like yours in Des Plaines: before and after
Before
After
DetailCabinet Refinishing & Staining in a postwar bi-level, Des Plaines
A postwar bi-level in Des Plaines, a typical kitchen for Des Plaines. What we started with: solid wood cabinets with a dull, uneven stain worn white near the handles. The main complaint was a dull finish worn through near the handles. Finished kitchen: wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a natural light oak tone, grain still showing. The job covered protection and setup, deep cleaning, plus stripping the old finish.
Before
AfterA Mount Prospect postwar Cape Cod: before and after
The site: a postwar Cape Cod in Mount Prospect. Before: solid wood cabinets with a dull, uneven stain worn white near the handles. The main complaint was a dull finish worn through near the handles. The result: wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a natural light oak tone, grain still showing. The job covered deep cleaning, sealer and clear topcoat, plus reinstall and hardware.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Mount Prospect →
Before
AfterA Glenview postwar Cape Cod: before and after
This one is a postwar Cape Cod near The Park. Before: solid wood cabinets with a dull, uneven stain worn white near the handles. The main complaint was a stain that had gone patchy and tired. The result: wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a deep espresso-brown stain, grain still showing. The job covered protection and setup, sample door and color approval, plus face frames on site.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Glenview →
Before
AfterDes Plaines kitchen, postwar Cape Cod: kitchen cabinet painting
The same doors sprayed in pale sage, new polished nickel pulls; counters and floor stayed as they were.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Des Plaines →
Before
AfterA Des Plaines postwar bi-level: before and after
Finished: new five-piece shaker doors in creamy white uppers and navy lowers on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and unlacquered brass knobs and cup pulls.
Cabinet Refacing in Des Plaines →How your cabinet refinishing goes
- Visit and wood checkAt the visit we identify the species and the old finish, and note veneer and damage.
- Color sampleOne door is stripped and stained in your chosen color so you can approve it at home.
- Strip and sandOld finish comes off the doors off-site while we prep the frames in your kitchen.
- Stain and clear coatThe approved stain goes on, then sealer and sprayed clear coats with light sanding between.
- Reinstall and walk-throughWe rehang, align, touch up and check every door and drawer with you.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining questions from Des Plaines homeowners
Can you re-stain 1960s oak cabinets?
Oak cabinets from those years are some of the best candidates for re-staining. Darker or neutral tones work best.
Can you refinish cabinets without stripping or sanding?
Partly. Some jobs only need cleaning, a light scuff and a new tinted clear coat. If the old finish is peeling, gummy or you want a lighter color, it has to come off.
What affects the price of refinishing?
The number of doors and drawers, how hard the old finish is to strip, repairs, and whether you go lighter or darker. We give a written, itemized estimate after the visit.
Do you refinish vanities and built-ins too?
We do. Vanities and built-ins often get the same color so the house feels consistent.
Is it worth refinishing kitchen cabinets?
If the boxes are solid wood or good plywood and you like the layout, usually yes. You keep the cabinets, counters and plumbing and change only the finish.
Des Plaines contractor registration: do kitchen contractors need it?
Contractors must register with the City (via the online portal); registrations expire Dec 31. We take care of that before work starts.
Do I need a permit for cabinet refinishing in Des Plaines?
It depends on the scope. Des Plaines's rule in short: A building permit is required for any residential kitchen remodel; non-structural work uses the Kitchen/Bath Non-Structural permit ($150 fee, rough and final inspections). We handle the permit when one is needed with Community and Economic Development Department - Building Division.
Do you work in my part of Des Plaines?
Yes. Our crews work across Des Plaines — ZIP 60016, 60018 — and nearby Mount Prospect, Park Ridge, Elk Grove Village.
Working in Des Plaines
- A lot of Des Plaines kitchens date from the 1960s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Des Plaines homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- We know how Community and Economic Development Department - Building Division handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
ZIP 60016ZIP 60018
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining nearby
Other kitchen services in Des Plaines
Kitchen Cabinet PaintingFactory-smooth painted cabinets without replacing them.
Cabinet RefacingNew doors and fronts on your existing cabinet boxes.
Kitchen Cabinet & Drawer RepairHinges, drawer slides and water-damaged sink bases fixed.
Kitchen RemodelingFull kitchen remodels, from layout to last cabinet pull.
Countertop Fabrication & InstallationQuartz, granite and butcher block, templated and installed.