It can be tricky to match stain, grain and finish on doors
Q. I have natural stained wood kitchen cabinets which are beautiful. The door on one got broken and needs to be replaced. What is the best procedure for trying to match its finish to the old ones?
A. Stained natural wood kitchen cabinet doors are very attractive and not difficult to repair, but replacing one can be a different story. The problem is not just matching the tint of the stain and the grain of the wood, but also the gloss of the finish. Once the stain and wood are matched, it often is best to put a clear topcoat on all the doors.
The first step to matching a new cabinet door is finding the same shape and edge or decorative detail. Styles of kitchen cabinets change almost as often as clothing styles, so if the cabinets are quite old, you may have a difficult time matching the style.
A custom millwork shop can duplicate the style of your old doors, but this is an expensive process. If you feel it is important to get an exact match, you might find it is less expensive to replace all the doors on that cabinet than to have a custom one made.
You must also determine the type of wood used for the cabinet doors. The type of wood impacts the appearance of the grain, how well it accepts stain, its final color, and the surface finish. A custom cabinet maker should be able to identify the wood type for you.
It will help to know the approximate manufacture date of the cabinets because certain woods were popular at various time periods. This date may also help you to find an identical or, at least, and acceptably similar style.
When you order the new cabinet door, also order some extra pieces of raw wood. These will be used to test samples of stain. Since various woods accept stain differently, sometimes even pieces of the same specie, make sure to test it on several pieces before attempting to stain the door.
Take the old cabinet door to a major paint store where the salespeople really know paint and stains. Sand the sample pieces of wood with fine-grit sandpaper to create a surface somewhat similar to the new cabinet door and take them along. Some paint stores will allow you to dab some stains on the test sample pieces to get an approximate match.
Once you have this match, purchase that stain and one lighter and one darker in the same color range. Select penetrating stains for the first attempt. These stains bring out the grain and give the wood a more natural appearance. Pigment stains just coat the surface similar to paint, but sometimes they can provide the best color match.
Select the stain which you felt matched the best and brush it evenly on a test sample. After about one minute, rub it off. If it is too light or too dark, mix in a little of the other stains you bought and try again until you get a match. Use this mixture to stain the new door.
Finish the door with a clear topcoat. Make sure to follow the instructions for the wait time between each coat. Waiting too long between them may cause a weak bond between the coats.
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