should I update my 1996 laminate counters & paint/stain cabinets

13 years ago

before I put house on the market? I am in chester cty PA and have a 4bd colonial on over an acre. I have painted every room and the only 2 suggestions of the appraiser that came through yesterday was to put tile down in hall bath (sheet linoleum now)which is inexpensive and I can do myself. her other suggestion to 'step it up' is to replace the almond laminate counters. they are a little scratched up but not in bad shape. the cabinets are light oak and all wood, very good quality but very outdated looking. in reading on some other forums I thought about either painting them white or staining them dark, java colored. i dont think that putting granite with the cabients as they look now will 'go'. going to try to upload a few pics of what it looks like now. thanks for any suggestions! ok can't figure out how to add a picture :(

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Comments (12)

OttawaGardener
13 years ago
This question seems to come up a lot!

Personally, I'd do it, especially since your appraiser has suggested it. I think you'll find you can't stain the cupboards...or at least, you can't without totally stripping off the existing finish. Painting is easy if you are already an experienced painter (which it sounds like you are). Check out the kitchen and remodeling forums for the how-to on this. (I did it with my outdated and worn oak cupboards and although it took 2 coats of primer over lightly sanded cupboards, and 3-4 coats of a cream-coloured satin paint, it was well worth it!)
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kats_meow
13 years ago
If you can paint the cabinets so that they look nice then, yes, I would go with the granite. On the other hand, I definitely wouldn't put granite on the old oak cabinets. People who care about the granite won't like it being put on dated cabinets. I would probably be more inclined to paint them white rather than stain them dark but might depend on how the kitchen looks overall.
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I don't usually weigh in on discussions like this, because mostly the finer points of decor are lost on me. In my world, kitchens are mostly about utility: how well can I cook there? And the first thing I thought when I saw that countertop was something utilitarian: "If I were changing the disc on my food mill and laid the hardware down on that counter, how would I ever find it again?" What's great about that counter is that you could cook on it for weeks and not bother to wipe it down. It would never look dirty. In all fairness, from a distance it actually looks kind of nice. And I agree that a more rational neutral backsplash would be a vast improvement, especially from that same distance. The idea of a black or very dark backsplash makes me feel slightly claustrophobic, but whatever. Up close, IMO busy just brushes the surface. I didn't know Mother Nature ever made granite like that, but if she did, she's probably down at her local pub right now, weeping quietly and muttering "I'm so, so sorry" again and again over her third bourbon. As for the backsplash itself, I just have no words beyond "wow." I think it might even surpass the 1970s fake brick on the backsplash in one of my rental houses. You are NOT out of your mind, IMO. Follow your instincts. PS - you needn't apologize for your English. It's way better than that of many native English speakers on the net. I wish I could write in other languages as well as you write in English.
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I"ve been staining wood a very long time. Don't tell me gel stains don't penetrate and that you should do 4 coats. you are not supposed to do 4 coats. gel stains do get lightly absorbed into the wood with also sitting on the surface. But It's not nail polish christinero. GF has enough pigments to 'stain' the wood w/one coat. putting on additional coats results in a tacky, gummy finish, and could also result in cabinets w/a poor finish, especially for a kitchen. this is from GF website on applying gel stain: Optional: apply a second coat to deepen the color. Apply no more than 2 coats https://generalfinishes.com/wood-finishes-retail/oil-based-wood-stains-sealers/oil-based-gel-stains I have worked w/ GF stains on many, many wood projects. one coat is fine. Like I said, if you want a darker color, then go with a darker shade. there is no need to do 4 coats! good lord. why create more work for yourself? Gel stains act more like a paint and tend to hide the grain of the wood. I would never use a gel stain on a beautiful piece of walnut, tiger oak or bridseye maple. it would cover the beautiful wood details. If you want to use 3-4 coats of a gel stain, then you might as well use an espresso paint. you will get similar results with a lot less work. you will need at least 3 coats of a clear top coat after the stain dries. please read the above link for the complete how-to's in staining your cabs. especially this part Preparation for Projects with an Existing Finish and Christinero,,,,,there are dyes, stains and gels. all three penetrate, but at different levels. gels are the lightest and don't bring out the depth of the wood grain like the stain or even the dye would. (I've used all three). but gel stains still penetrate. gels have a heavier ratio of pigments and tend to give off more even looking coloring.
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Lighting and storage first. If you really work on purging stuff you do not need there might be enough storage to remove all that stuff from the counter . If you no experience with painting cabinets then you either need a pro (expensive) or leave them alone IMO nothing looks worse than a poor painting job of cabinets. a counter depth fridge would make the space feel larger . If you post pics of the whole space and surrounding space you might get some ideas for extra storage. I see now the DR you have room in there for a buffet which could give you lots of needed storage and once those counters are empty the whole space will look better. I agree a better wall color and also just a new track light with 5 heads and LED bulbs in 4000K will brighten up that kitchen. Use a track that has GU10 bulbs and just exchange them after for the LEDs
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There are MANY good ideas for you here! When I first viewed your pictures, I felt that the room was very monochromatic; it is variations on brown and beige. So, I would choose a new backsplash with a WOW factor that includes some dramatic color. It appears that you have under-cabinet lighting, so it would really make a gorgeous backsplash stand out. Consider a vivid blue or bright red accent color, or a variety of product in one of these colorways. Then, I would address the pantry and the other walls. I would choose a deeper shade of paint and paint all the white on the pantry wall in that color, possibly the same as the bright color in the backsplash. Then, the paint on the other walls needs to be addressed. I would stay far away from anything with yellow in it, and choose something like Sherwin Williams Popular Gray, that has some beige and gray in it, but not the yellow tones. The drywall around the pantry could be popular gray, too, or a darker hue than Popular Gray Then, I would contact someone that does electrostatic painting, and have the appliances painted, unless you want to get new stainless ones. See if you can get a stainless look from the paint, and save some $$$. I had appliances painted, and never looked back. I also would either replace the tile floor, or i that is not an option, get some dramatic rugs that will add your colors and tie the floor in with the backsplash. I would also consider getting an updated dining set that doesn't have so much brown.
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calliope
13 years ago
Would just replacing the doors and drawer fronts be an option? A high quality oak cabinet really doesn't go out of style and all the wear and the dated look is on the fronts.
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Billl
13 years ago
If you had to prioritize between selling as fast as possible and making as much money as possible, what would you pick?

Updated houses tend to sell faster, but you may not get your money back from any major upgrades. Painting is a cheap option that will pay off if you have the skills. Granite? Usually not.
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weedyacres
13 years ago
You can replace the laminate countertops with some nice-looking pre-fab laminate slabs from the big box stores for a few hundred dollars. I'd definitely do that over granite, which will tend to look like lipstick on a pig.

Some people do actually like oak, and others won't mind it, so if there are no scratches on them and you can clean them so they sparkle, update the hardware and put new laminate down, that may be the biggest bang for your buck. A lot depends on what your competition looks like, of course. If, to compete, you feel you do need to do more than make them shine, then I think painting or staining would be a good idea if you can make it look nice. The choice of light vs. dark depends on the lighting in your room. If you can post photos we can vote.
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onlygirlsmom
13 years ago
You could be talking about my kitchen :) About a year ago, I took all off our oak cabinets down and refinished them and changed out the hardware. It was a PITA but they look a TON better. I'm still undecided on the counters (also an almond laminate). If we did redo them we'd do another laminate -granite just doesn't make sense in our market.
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writersblock (9b/10a)
13 years ago
I'm with weedy. It's surprising how attractive the current prefab laminate countertops are now at places like HD.
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ncrealestateguy
13 years ago
It really all comes down to what your competition has, and then being comperable or one step above.
Bill's statement above is good too.
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gmp3
13 years ago
I have painted and gel stained cabinets java. The gel stain is amazing and much easier than painting. You do not need to remove the old finish and the finished cabinets look brand new, You should get General Finishes gel stain in Java not minwax. Look on the kitchen forum for instructions by Celticmoon. Java stained cabinets, new hardware (try eBay for hardware) and light granite look laminate or Santa Cecilia or similar granite would be beautiful.
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sheilajoyce_gw
13 years ago
I saw a new kit advertised in my SILs "Handyman" magazine that is supposed to be at Lowe's and HD. It is a 2 or 3 step kit that easily renews the finish without all the painting and stripping. Check it out. It had a good review in the blurb.
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Happyladi
13 years ago
What brand of gel stains are people using?
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gmp3
13 years ago
General Finishes in Java don't try the mInwax variety. Minwax tends to dissolve the previous coat. Look on the kitchen forum for instructions.
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should I update my 1996 laminate counters & paint/stain cabinets

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OttawaGardener

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