I found the link under RE: Best Advice Recieved on This forum. Near the very end, also another DIY gel stain person was linked. Csquared, I got an email I think was from you, but it said I couldn't answer because your email is private. Ditto when I tried to email through your name here. With apologies for the length of this, I'm just gonna paste the whole bit here for you. You are welcome to this writeup I did a while back. A couple people tried it and reported all went well. You just need time, maybe $50 in supplies, and patience. No skill. Here's more than you need to know: My cabinets are frameless, good condition and good layout. But the finish had gone orange and ugly, with the oak graining too busy for me. Cabinets are 18 years old, very poorly finished oak veneered slab doors. Plain with no crevices. They didn't even take the doors off to finish them!!! No stain or finish on the hinge side edges. Cheezey, huh? I looked into changing out cabinets, but that was way too much money, since my layout was OK. Painting didn't seem right because the doors were plain slabs. I considered new doors but that still meant a lot of money. For a few years I tried to figure a way to add molding toward a mission look, but the rounded door edges made that impossible. Then trolling in a kitchen emporium showroom this last year I noticed dark wood slab doors, kind like mine, but darker. That was the answer. First I tried Minwax Polyshades. Dicey product. Hard to brush on neatly, then gummy, then seemed to leave a sticky tacky residue. I did a thread on the Woodworking Furum "Evil Polyshades to the Rescue" which elicited a lot of conflicting "expert" opinions and arguments that one must strip to bare wood. (Thread may still be around as that Forum moves slow.) I properly stripped acres of woodwork in an old Victorian when I was young and stupid. Never again! Jennifer-in-clyde (in the same boat) and I stumbled around on that woodworking thread to get to this method. SHOPPING LIST: -electric screwdriver or screw drill bits -mineral spirits to clean the years of gunk off the cabinet -miracle cloths (optional) -fine sandpaper -box-o-disposable gloves from walgreens or the like -old socks or rags for wiping on coats -disposable small plastic bowls or plates, and plastic spoons or forks for stirring/dipping (optional) -General Finishes water base Expresso stain (pretty thick, but not quite a gel) This one may not even be a needed step if the Java gets it dark enough. -General Finishes Java gel stain (poly based) -General Finishes clear top coat (poly based) -old sheets or plastic sheeting or newspaper Rockler woodworking stores are a good place to find the General Finish products. Or some larger hardware stores. Quart of each was more than enough for my 60 doors and drawer fronts and goes for $12-14 at Rockler. There are smaller sizes if your project is small. SETUP AND PLANNING: You will need a place to work and leave wet doors to dry overnight - I set up 2 spaces, garagefor sanding/cleaning and basement for staining/sealing. Use newpaper or plastic to protect the surface and floor. Figure out how you will prop doors to dry. Plan blocks of 20-30-minutes for sanding/cleaning bundles of, say, 6 doors at a time. Then just 10 minute sessions to wipe on coats. The coats will need to dry for about 24 hours, so figure that each section of the kitchen will be doorless for 4 or 5 days. Divide the job up into manageable chunks. PREPARATION: Take off doors and drawer fronts. Use screw drill bits on an electric drill if you don't have an electric srewdriver. Remove all the hardware. *Mark alike things so you know what goes back where.* Clean the doors thoroughly. Not with TSP but with something pretty strong and scrub well. There's years of grease there. Sand LIGHTLY, just a scuffing really. Just enough to break the finish and give it some tooth, no more than a minute a door. A miracle cloth is good for getting most of the dust off. Then wipe well with mineral spirits to clean and get the last of the gunk off. . STAINING: In order, we're gonna put on: -General Finishes Expresso water based stain (1-2 coats) - optional -General Finishes Java gel stain (couple coats) -General Finishes Clear urethene gel topcoat in satin (couple coats) But first put on work clothes, tie up your hair (Tom, you may skip this step, LOL) and pop your phone into a baggie nearby (you know it will ring). Glove up. *First do a trial on the back of a door and check if Java coats alone suffice. If the Java alone is to your liking, just skip the Expresso and return it.* Open and stir up the Expresso stain, then spoon some into a plastic bowl. Close the tin so it doesn't get contaminated. Slide a sock over your hand, grab a gob of Expresso and smear it on. Wipe off the excess. Let it dry well - overnight is good. It will lighten as it dries, but then darken again with any other coat or sealer. A second coat can end up with a deeper tone at the end - though it might seem like the second coat is just dissolving the first. YMMV. Repeat with Java gel. This is thicker and poly based (*not water cleanup!*= messier). Color is a rich dark reddish brown. Wait for the second coat to judge if the color is deep enough for you. I wanted a very deep dark color, like melted dark chocolate. So I went pretty heavy on these layers. *I did not sand between coats*. Repeat with clear gel top coat. This will give you the strength you need in a kitchen. Do the same process with the cabinet sides, face and toekick area. Might need to divide that up also, and stagger the work: doors/cabinets/doors/ etc. NOTE: The cloth or socks used for the gels are very flammable! Collect and store them in a bucket of water as you go and then dispose of them all properly. FINISHING AND REASSEMBLY: I suggest you put the doors back up after one clear coat, then you can check everything over and darken an area with more Java if needed, followed by a clear coat. When it all looks right, go over it all again with another clear gel coat. Or two. Install your hardware. The feel of the finish should be wonderful, really smooth and satiny. Color deep and rich - way nicer than that faded, beat 80's oak color. FINAL THOUGHTS: Definitely experiment first with the back of a door or drawer front to be sure it is the look you want. Yes, this takes a couple days to coat, dry, recoat, dry, etc but you may discover that the Java alone does the trick and this will save you A LOT of work. Front end patience is worth it. This is a pretty easy project to do. Hard to screw it up. The worst is the prep - relative to that, smearing on the coats is cake. I had over 60 pieces (big kitchen) AND island sides and book shelves, etc and I admit I lost steam partway through. Had to push myself through the last of it. But it was worth it. Folks think I got all new cabinets - it looks that good. Now the finish will not be as durable as factory finish - go at it with a Brillo pad and you WILL abrade it. But it has held up pretty well. And after a year of pretty heavy use, I've just had a few nicks, easily repaired. I added smashing hardware, raised my passthrough, resurfaced the Corian (also simple but messy and tedious) and replaced the DW and sink. It looks gorgeous to me and I really enjoy the space - how it sits all quiet, clean and serene, then gets all crazy with the food and folks du jour. I couldn't be happier, especially that I didn't have to work another year just to pay for the update!! Link to cabinets in progress: http://photobucket.com/albums/b45/celticm00n/kitchen%20cosmetic%20update%20project/kitchen%20during/ Link to almost finished cabinet pix: http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b45/celticm00n/kitchen%20cosmetic%20update%20project/finished%20bit%20by%20bit/?start=20 Good luck with your project!! Feel free to ask me any questions as you go. And let me know if you try it and how it turns out.

You will find more examples on Pinterest btydrvn! If the adjoining room has a painted floor in a diamond pattern it will look more intentional. Nobody will know this is a new floor that has been added. Right now it looks very obvious as the wood is quite different and I don’t think any amount of stain will make it match!

SJ McCarthy, I do have photos of the cracking and rising floor boards. And of the spotty finish, streaks, and drips. The boards have sat untouched and unfinished in our AC home for the last nine months, and within days of the oil and water applications the cracking and rising occurred. It’s been less than ten days since the floor has been finished. The guy who did the work was the owner of a highly rated flooring refinishing company in my area. We agreed to use a water-based finish which is on my contract as Poloplaz 1k water-based floor finish with a matte sheen. When he arrive he talked me into using an oil-based product instead, stating that it would keep the natural color as it is, but also preserve the wood. I apologize for repeating myself here -- I was so fearful of the oil yellowing the white oak which I stated many times to him, but he assured me if it did yellow it wouldn’t be for fifteen to twenty years. He said he would be using a clear, natural, expensive oil-based polyurethane finish that was newly opened. I'm not sure of the brand but I do have a photo of the yellow oil drip down the side of one of the white panels around the stairs. The next day after the oil application he added the matte flat water-based finish and I absolutely know what product he used because after the second coat was applied I followed him out to his truck voicing my concerns about the color/finish of the floor and he showed me the container… Bona Traffic HD extra matte. That’s when he blamed the product for the streaky look of the finish. He said he doesn’t like using this Bona product for quality reasons but because I insisted on a matte finish he didn’t have a choice. He said he could use a different product but it would leave a shine and not have the matte look I wanted. Thankfully the guy did not apply the 'natural poly' over the factory finished Shaw floors. My contract with him states that he would apply it over the entire dining area, and I was charged for it, but at the last minute the decision to not do it was made. The guy is not affiliated with my general contractor because I wanted to hire a flooring ‘professional’ who truly understood hardwood floor finishes. I was incredibly anxious and very select about what I wanted in the finish and it took me a while to find and then trust someone. Unfortunately I paid him in full. Contractors, here at least, are allowed to have a lien against your home if you withhold payment and because I'm not familiar with what that truly means legally for me, as the homeowner, I paid. Thank you for your information regarding an inspector from NWFA -- it's a great idea and I will most certainly make a few phone calls. Recent research has informed me that an oil-based polyurethane needs to cure for at least two weeks to 60 days before adding a water-based finish, do you know if that statement is true? And if so then the pro not waiting for the curing time before applying the water-based finish likely and knowingly voided the warranty on the Bona product -- he's been in business a long time so he would know. Also, is a natural polyurethane the same as an oil-based polyurethane? I'm just making sure I understand everything before speaking with an inspector. Thank you so very much for your advice and time, SJ McCarthy, I really appreciate all of your help.

OK...first things first. Water based finishes (not oil modified = cheaper) do NOT amber over time. White oak has a history of TANNIN PULL when water based finishes have been used. White Oak tannin pull = light yellow+ green tints. The 'guy' who left his wood 'natural' used an oil based finish. I guarantee it. In the wood flooring industry the word 'natural' means "no stain + oil based finish". That is the 'natural look' of wood that 98.97% of wood professionals BELIEVE to be 'natural'. What you are describing is, in the wood industry, referred to as 'raw'. Which would work PERFECTLY with your wood flooring. Sadly, the words you used (not your fault...just the way you described raw looking wood as natural) are not the words used in the wood industry. The issue is the YELLOW. The 'ambering' is coming from oil based (aka. solvent based finishes that STINK to high-heaven) products. A full-on water based finish will NEVER amber. A WOOD WORKER will know this. A painter will not. Lacquer is a way of saying oil based. Oil based turns orange all by itself. The painter, by saying 'lacquer' is saying 'oil based' will not turn yellow. Which is completely false. Sorry but it is the truth (assuming the lacquer is an oil based finish). In short, you can have this redone by using a wood professional who KNOWS what the look is that you are after. They will need to know you WANT water based finishes (not oil, not oil modified) used. You WANT a sealant used to PREVENT tannin pull on white oak. You will pay for all of these high-end products and the cost of the redo. It is entirely possible to get this done using a wood working or a WOOD flooring professional (flooring guys HATE stairs...as in HATE being to soft a word...). My question becomes: why is a painter refinishing stairs? It is considered WELL outside their job description (despite their protests to the contrary!).