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 Wood Dale & nearby Itasca, Elk Grove Village
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Wood Dale, IL
Keep your solid wood cabinets in Wood Dale and give them a new stain and a hard clear finish, with the grain still showing.
- Serving Wood Dale ZIP 60191
- A new look without tearing the kitchen out
- Clean, protected work area every day
Wood cabinet problems we refinish in Wood Dale
We refinish and re-stain wood kitchen cabinets in Wood Dale: 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
Veneer can only take a light sanding. We identify which parts are veneered at the visit and plan the stripping method around them.
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.
Scratches, dings and worn edges
Most nicks and gouges disappear in the sanding; deeper ones are filled and tinted to match the grain so they do not show under the new finish.
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.
Sticky or gummy finish
When doors still feel sticky after cleaning, the coating itself has failed. Stripping and refinishing is the only lasting fix.
Dark water stains near the sink
Water that sat on the cabinet floor or door edges leaves dark staining. Treating it, re-staining and sealing hides most of it; badly swollen parts get replaced.
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.
What we do on the job
- Protection and setupFloors, counters and appliances are covered and the work area is sealed off with plastic before any stripping starts.
- Stripping the old finishOld varnish, lacquer or paint is removed with strippers suited to the coating and the wood.
- Sample door and color approvalYou sign off on a finished sample door before we stain the rest of the kitchen.
- Stain or tonerThe approved color goes on by wiping or spraying, depending on the wood and the stain type.
- Sealer and clear topcoatDoors get a sealer and multiple sprayed clear coats, sanded lightly between coats.
- Face frames on siteThe cabinet boxes stay in your kitchen and are finished on site with ventilation running.
- 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
Gel stainA thick stain that sits on the surface, good for going darker and for blotch-prone maple or birch.
Waterborne polyurethane topcoatA clear finish that stays clear instead of yellowing, with low odor while we work.
Wood bleach for spot correctionOxalic acid and two-part wood bleach lighten water marks or stubborn color before the new stain.
Toners and glazesTinted clear coats that shift the color of the whole surface, used to correct red or orange tones.
Oil-based and water-based wood stainsPenetrating stains color the wood itself and suit oak and other open-grain species.
Before and after: kitchens near Wood Dale
Before
After
DetailA Wood Dale 1950s ranch: before and after
This one is a 1950s ranch in Wood Dale. What we started with: 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. After: wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a deep espresso-brown stain, grain still showing. The job covered sample door and color approval, face frames on site, plus reinstall and hardware.
Before
AfterAn Itasca 1990s two-story colonial: before and after
A 1990s two-story colonial near Nordic Park, a typical kitchen for Itasca. 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. Finished kitchen: wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a deep espresso-brown stain, grain still showing. Work included sample door and color approval, face frames on site, plus reinstall and hardware.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Itasca →
Before
AfterCabinet Refinishing & Staining in a 1950s ranch, Elk Grove Village
This one is a 1950s ranch in Elk Grove Village. 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. The result: wood cabinets stripped and refinished in a natural light oak tone, grain still showing. The job covered sample door and color approval, sealer and clear topcoat, plus reinstall and hardware.
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining in Elk Grove Village →
Before
AfterKitchen Cabinet Painting in a postwar bi-level, Wood Dale
The same doors sprayed in powder blue, new satin brass pulls; counters and floor stayed as they were.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting in Wood Dale →
Before
AfterCabinet Refacing in a 1950s ranch, Wood Dale
What changed: new five-piece shaker doors in forest green on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and unlacquered brass knobs and cup pulls.
Cabinet Refacing in Wood Dale →Day by day
- 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 Wood Dale homeowners
Can you re-stain 1960s 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.
How long does cabinet refinishing take?
Plan on roughly a week or two. Stripping and drying time between coats set the pace, and we schedule the frames so you keep cooking.
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.
Can you restain cabinets the same color?
Yes. Keeping the current tone lets us focus on repairs and a durable new topcoat.
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.
Wood Dale contractor registration: do kitchen contractors need it?
All contractors (general, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, roofing, etc.) must register with the City before a permit is issued. Requires Certificate of Insurance ($2,000,000 public liability) naming the City, state license/IDPH registration if applicable. We take care of that before work starts.
Do I need a permit for cabinet refinishing in Wood Dale?
It depends on the scope. Wood Dale's rule in short: A permit is required for any alteration or repair of a building. We handle the permit when one is needed with Community Development Department.
Do you work in my part of Wood Dale?
Yes. Our crews work across Wood Dale — ZIP 60191 — and nearby Itasca, Elk Grove Village, Addison.
Working in Wood Dale
- A lot of Wood Dale kitchens date from the 1960s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Wood Dale homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- We know how Community Development Department handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
ZIP 60191
Cabinet Refinishing & Staining nearby
Other kitchen services in Wood Dale
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.