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 Elk Grove Village & nearby Itasca, Wood Dale
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Elk Grove Village, IL
Keep your solid wood cabinets in Elk Grove Village and give them a new stain and a hard clear finish, with the grain still showing.
- Crews working in Elk Grove Village ZIP 60007
- Most jobs done in days, with your kitchen still usable
- Samples and a written quote before we start
Wood cabinet problems we refinish in Elk Grove Village
We refinish and re-stain wood kitchen cabinets in Elk Grove Village: the old finish comes off, the wood gets a new stain color and a hard clear topcoat, and the grain stays in view. It is the right job when the cabinets are real wood and you want them to keep looking like wood.
Thin veneer on panels and end sides
Many 1970s cabinets have solid wood doors but veneered end panels and center panels. Veneer is thin, so we strip it chemically and sand by hand instead of machine sanding.
Cabinets too dark for the room
Dark stain sits deep in the pores of oak and in the surface of maple. We tell you honestly how much lighter stripping can get you, using a test door rather than a guess.
Cherry that turned too red
Natural cherry deepens toward red as it ages. We adjust the tone with a brown or slightly green-based toner under the new clear coat.
Honey oak that looks orange
Old oil-based finishes amber with age, so oak that started golden now looks orange. A new stain in a browner or grayer tone, under a clear coat that does not yellow, fixes the cast.
Scratches, dings and worn edges
Pet scratches on the lower doors, chipped corners and dents from pots are filled with color-matched wood filler and sanded before the new stain goes on.
Finish worn to bare wood near the handles
Hands and wet dish towels wear through the clear coat around pulls and on the sink base. The bare wood turns gray or dark; we sand those areas back, blend the stain and recoat the whole door.
Dark water stains near the sink
Black marks on oak below the sink often come from water reacting with the tannin in the wood. Wood bleach can lighten them before re-staining; we fix the leak first.
What the work covers
- Protection and setupWe mask the counters, cover the floor and set up dust control in the kitchen first.
- Stripping the old finishOld varnish, lacquer or paint is removed with strippers suited to the coating and the wood.
- Sanding and repairsDoors and frames are sanded through finer grits, and dents, chips and loose joints are repaired.
- Sample door and color approvalOne door is finished first in your chosen stain so you approve the color in your own light.
- Stain or tonerThe approved color goes on by wiping or spraying, depending on the wood and the stain type.
- Sealer and clear topcoatA sealer coat and then two or more clear coats are sprayed on the doors for a hard, even surface.
- Reinstall and hardwareDoors are rehung and adjusted, and new knobs, pulls or soft-close hinges go on if you chose them.
Materials and finishes
Toners and glazesA toner adjusts color in thin, even layers; a glaze adds depth in corners and profiles.
Gel stainGel stain colors evenly on tight-grain woods and can deepen a tone without full stripping.
Catalyzed lacquer and conversion varnishThe toughest clear finishes we spray, chosen when the cabinets take heavy daily use.
Oil-based and water-based wood stainsClassic wiping stains soak into the grain and work best on oak and hickory.
Waterborne polyurethane topcoatA clear finish that stays clear instead of yellowing, with low odor while we work.
Before and after: kitchens near Elk Grove Village
Before
After
DetailElk Grove Village kitchen, 1950s ranch: cabinet refinishing & staining
The site: a 1950s ranch in Elk Grove Village. What we started with: solid wood cabinets with a dull, uneven stain worn white near the handles. What bothered the owners most: bare wood showing where hands touched the doors. Finished kitchen: wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a natural light oak tone, grain still showing. The job covered protection and setup, sample door and color approval, plus sealer and clear topcoat.
Before
AfterCabinet Refinishing & Staining in a 1990s two-story colonial, Itasca
This one is a 1990s two-story colonial in Itasca. What we started with: solid wood cabinets with a dull, uneven stain worn white near the handles. The reason for the call: a dull finish worn through near the handles. After: wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a deep espresso-brown stain, grain still showing. Work included protection and setup, stripping the old finish, plus stain or toner.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Itasca →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a postwar bi-level in Wood Dale
A postwar bi-level in Wood Dale, a typical kitchen for Wood Dale. The kitchen as it was: solid wood cabinets with a dull, uneven stain worn white near the handles. The main complaint was bare wood showing where hands touched the doors. The result: wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a deep espresso-brown stain, grain still showing. On site this meant stripping the old finish, sample door and color approval, plus stain or toner.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Wood Dale →
Before
AfterElk Grove Village kitchen, postwar Cape Cod: kitchen cabinet painting
What changed: the same doors sprayed in creamy white uppers and navy lowers, new brushed nickel bar pulls; counters and floor stayed as they were.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Elk Grove Village →
Before
AfterAn Elk Grove Village postwar Cape Cod: before and after
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 Elk Grove Village →Day by day
- Visit and wood checkWe confirm the cabinets are real wood, find any veneer, and look at how the finish is failing.
- Color sampleYou see a finished test door in your own light before we commit to the color.
- Strip and sandOld finish comes off the doors off-site while we prep the frames in your kitchen.
- Stain and clear coatColor first, then several clear layers for a hard, smooth finish.
- Reinstall and walk-throughDoors go back on, gaps are adjusted, hardware is fitted and we walk the kitchen with you.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining questions from Elk Grove Village homeowners
Can you re-stain 1970s oak cabinets?
Yes. Oak from that era is usually solid on the doors and frames and takes stain well. We check the panels for veneer before choosing how to strip.
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.
Is it better to paint or stain oak cabinets?
For a warm wood kitchen, re-stain the oak. For a light or colored kitchen, paint is the more reliable route, because oak resists going much lighter with stain.
Can thermofoil or laminate cabinets be stained?
Not with stain. Those surfaces are plastic, so we would suggest new doors or refacing instead.
Can you make stained cabinets lighter?
A moderate step lighter is often possible; a dramatic change usually is not. We prove it on one door before quoting the full job.
Do you work in my part of Elk Grove Village?
Yes. Our crews work across Elk Grove Village — ZIP 60007 — and nearby Itasca, Wood Dale, Schaumburg.
Working in Elk Grove Village
- A lot of Elk Grove Village kitchens date from the 1970s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Elk Grove Village homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- Older paint is treated with lead-safe practices: containment, HEPA cleanup and a clean hand-over.
ZIP 60007
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining nearby
Other kitchen services in Elk Grove Village
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.