How to Refinish Merillat Cabinet Finishes

Remove the doors from your Merillat cabinets with a screwdriver, and take off the hinges and knobs as well.

Put drop cloths over the kitchen counter, and place the doors on top of the drop cloths.

Open the windows for better ventilation. Put on rubber gloves, and wipe down the outside of both the cabinets and doors with non-ammonia stripper using a sponge. This will remove any old paint and grease or other dirt on your Merillat cabinets.

Combine 1 gallon of distilled water with 1 cup of white vinegar. Wipe down the cabinets and doors with the mixture using a sponge to get up the stripper. Then let air dry.

Abrade the doors and outsides of the Merillat cabinets with fine-grit sandpaper to rough the surface. This will remove any of the remaining finish and ready the cabinets and doors for refinishing.

Apply a coat of varnish or paint to the doors and cabinets using a sponge brush. Apply the varnish or paint going in the same direction as the wood grain. Let the varnish or paint dry as long as suggested by the manufacturer.

Brush on a second coat of varnish or paint once the first application has dried, using a clean sponge brush. Apply the second coat in the same manner as the first, going with the wood grain.

Gently sand over the outsides of the Merillat cabinets and over the doors with ultra-fine grit sandpaper to make the finish smooth and even. Then thoroughly wipe them down with a tack cloth to remove any dust.

Apply a coat of wood sealer to the doors and outsides of the cabinets using a clean sponge brush. Let the sealer dry as long as directed by the manufacturer, then buff with a microfiber cloth to finish. You can rehang the doors on your Merillat cabinets thereafter.