Old finishes that may contain lead
In homes built before 1978, painted or old finished cabinets may contain lead. We test, contain the work area and follow EPA lead-safe practices when we strip or sand.
Serving Glenview & nearby Northbrook, Park Ridge
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Glenview, IL
Keep your solid wood cabinets in Glenview and give them a new stain and a hard clear finish, with the grain still showing.
- Serving Glenview ZIP 60025, 60026, 60062
- A new look without tearing the kitchen out
- Clean, protected work area every day
Wood cabinet problems we refinish in Glenview
Refinishing is for owners who like wood but not the color it is now. In Glenview we take doors to our shop, strip and sand them, re-stain or clear-coat them, and finish the face frames in place while your counters and layout stay untouched.
Thin veneer on panels and end sides
Veneer can only take a light sanding. We identify which parts are veneered at the visit and plan the stripping method around them.
Cabinets too dark for the room
Lightening stained cabinets is harder than darkening them. We strip a sample door, show you the lightest tone the wood will take, and you decide before we do the rest.
Want a darker or richer stain
To move from golden oak to a deep brown or espresso tone, we often skip full stripping and build the new color with toner coats under the clear finish.
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.
Cherry that turned too red
Too much red in older cherry cabinets can be balanced with a tinted finish coat. We sample it on a door so you see the result first.
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.
Painted wood you want back to natural
If someone painted good oak or maple cabinets, we can strip the paint and return to stained wood. Paint in the grain takes careful work, and we check a door first.
What we do on the job
- Door and drawer removalEvery door and front is labeled to its opening and taken off-site for the heavy work.
- Deep cleaningGrease and wax are cleaned off first, since both block stain and clear coat.
- Stripping the old finishOld varnish, lacquer or paint is removed with strippers suited to the coating and the wood.
- Stain or tonerStain, gel stain or a tinted toner is applied to reach the color on the sample.
- Sealer and clear topcoatA sealer coat and then two or more clear coats are sprayed on the doors for a hard, even surface.
- 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.
Options to choose from
Wood bleach for spot correctionOxalic acid and two-part wood bleach lighten water marks or stubborn color before the new stain.
Catalyzed lacquer and conversion varnishSprayed, cross-linking clear coats that cure harder than standard finishes, for busy kitchens.
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.
Gel stainGel stain colors evenly on tight-grain woods and can deepen a tone without full stripping.
Before and after: kitchens near Glenview
Before
After
DetailA Glenview 1960s ranch: before and after
The site: a 1960s ranch near The Park. Before: solid wood cabinets with a dull, uneven stain worn white near the handles. The reason for the call: bare wood showing where hands touched the doors. After: wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a deep espresso-brown stain, grain still showing. Work included deep cleaning, stripping the old finish, plus reinstall and hardware.
Before
AfterBefore and after: a postwar bi-level in Park Ridge
The site: a postwar bi-level in Park Ridge. Before: 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 natural light oak tone, grain still showing. Work included door and drawer removal, deep cleaning, plus reinstall and hardware.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Park Ridge →
Before
AfterSkokie kitchen, 1950s ranch: cabinet refinishing & staining
The site: a 1950s ranch in Skokie. Before: 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. Finished kitchen: wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a natural light oak tone, grain still showing. The job covered deep cleaning, stripping the old finish, plus sealer and clear topcoat.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Skokie →
Before
AfterKitchen Cabinet Painting in a postwar bi-level, Glenview
Finished: the same doors sprayed in pale sage, new polished nickel pulls; counters and floor stayed as they were.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Glenview →
Before
AfterCabinet Refacing in a 1960s ranch, Glenview
New five-piece shaker doors in soft white on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and satin brass pulls.
Cabinet Refacing in Glenview →How your cabinet refinishing goes
- Visit and wood checkWe confirm the cabinets are real wood, find any veneer, and look at how the finish is failing.
- 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 coatColor first, then several clear layers for a hard, smooth finish.
- Reinstall and walk-throughWe rehang, align, touch up and check every door and drawer with you.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining questions from Glenview homeowners
Can you re-stain 2000s 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.
Is it worth refinishing kitchen cabinets?
It is worth it when the cabinets are well built and only the finish is tired. If the boxes are damaged or the layout does not work, new cabinets make more sense.
Refinishing or refacing: which is right?
Refinishing keeps your doors and changes their finish. Refacing replaces doors and covers the frames. If you like your door style, refinish.
How long does cabinet refinishing take?
Most kitchens take a week or more. Darker re-stains move faster; full stripping to bare wood takes longer.
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 I need a Glenview-registered contractor for cabinet refinishing?
General and demolition contractors register with the Village: $50 fee, $25,000 bond, certificate of insurance and workers comp proof. Unlisted contractor types need no registration. We take care of that before work starts.
Do I need a permit for cabinet refinishing in Glenview?
It depends on the scope. Glenview's rule in short: Permit required for remodeling/altering a structure, changing the number or location of plumbing fixtures or piping, and new electrical work. We handle the permit when one is needed with Community Development, Inspectional Services Division (Development Center).
Do you work in my part of Glenview?
Yes. Our crews work across Glenview, including The Park, The Glen, The Grove — ZIP 60025, 60026, 60062 — and nearby Northbrook, Park Ridge, Des Plaines.
Working in Glenview
- A lot of Glenview kitchens date from the 2000s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Glenview homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- We know how Community Development, Inspectional Services Division (Development Center) handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
The ParkThe GlenThe Grove
ZIP 60025ZIP 60026ZIP 60062
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining nearby
Other kitchen services in Glenview
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.