General Finishes Gel Stain

General Finishes Gel Stain is a great way to update the look of your kitchen cabinets. The Gel Stain is a very thick and resists runs and drips so you can easy stain existing cabinetry.  Gel stain can easily go on top of existing top coats so there is no need to completely strip old finishes. A quart will cover 125 square feet.

The following materials will be needed to refinish cabinetry

• A cleaning product (such as General Finishes Furniture Cleaner or TSP)
• A Green Scotch Brite pad
• 400 grit sandpaper or 220 grit foam sanding pad
• Non-sticky tac cloth to remove dust from sanding or water dampened rag
• (2) Foam brushes
• (2) Poly Brushes
• Blue Shop Towels
• Painters Tape
• Gel Stain of preferred color
• A top coat (such as General Finishes High Performance Water-Based Top Coat)

How to apply Gel Stain to kitchen cabinets using a dry brush technique:

Start by removing any hardware and taping off any glass. To ensure a good bond of the new Gel Stain finish you will need to use a non-greasy furniture cleaner and a green Scotch Brite pad to thoroughly clean all areas to be stained.  Be sure to really scrub high use areas where oil from hands accumulates over time.  Once all the surfaces have been cleaned, allow everything to dry for 1 to 2 hours. Once dry use 400 grit sandpaper or a 220 grit sanding pad to scuff all areas to be stained. A light scuff is all that is needed. This further cleans the area and scores the top coat to better take the finish. After scuff sanding clean the dust off of the surface with a non-sticky tac cloth or water damped rag. The glossier the original finish the more important the scuff sanding is. If you want the wood grain to show through the Gel Stain you will have to completely remove any old finish before applying new stain. Once the areas to be stained are dust free and dry (if a damp rag was used) stir the contents of the Gel Stain thoroughly to ensure even distribution of color pigments and apply a thick coat of Gel Stain. Be sure to start in the center and work your way out and follow the direction of the grain with the brush strokes. Once the area is covered with Gel Stain use a clean, natural bristle brush that is slightly dampened with mineral spirits and brush away any excess stain. Periodically, wipe clean the brush with a shop towel dampened with mineral spirits.  After removing the excess stain you can use a second bristle brush to further feather the new stain. Let the first coat dry for 24 to 48 hours before applying a second coat of stain, if the first coat is lighter in color than you would like. General Finish’s recommends that the use of their High Performance Top Coat (Flat) be used to seal in the stain.  Only apply the High Performance Top Coat after the Gel Stain has dried for at least 72 hours to be sure that the Gel Stain is completely dry.

• Other tips
  • Always seal in gel stain color with a topcoat
  • Dry time to touch: 4-6 hours
  • Dry time to recoat with stain: 24-48 hours
  • Dry time to apply oil based topcoat: 24-48 hours
  • Dry time to apply water based topcoat: 72 hours
  • Dry time for light use: 7-10 days
  • Cure time: 21-30 days