OK Alex...your time to shine

[ParadigmDawg]

Now I am paranoid on the cabinets, she wants them really dark and I think I hired the right guy. Here is his link, all the nice houses around here use him.
http://www.bobbymcwilliams.com/

I bought an LG fridge and I dislike it. My best friend is the national sales manager for GE so I can get all their stuff at cost if I need to.

I did. I just wanted to be sure you hadn't decided against it. If it were me, I would definitely stain the cabinets. And I'd go much darker. I had super light cabinets, tried staining them, actually had someone try and do it and it turned out terrible.

I had to replace all my doors and have someone put stained veneer over the existing boxes. $7,000 later, it looks great.

Hire a cabinet guy specifically if you do stain and go with a mahogany color. That's what I would do. It will look great with the stainless appliances you are planning on getting.

Also, GE Profile are very good, as are LG. I bought LG, but I think I probably could have gotten away much cheaper on the refrigerator...

 

[greggp2]

Ask him for some before and after pics of cabinets he's either stained or faux finished. I'm sure he's probably pretty good, but if your wife wants to go dark and he is staining, he will have to really sand your existing cabinets well in order to get the lacquer finish off. He may want to glaze them and that can work too, although the glaze can scratch fairly easily over time...

If you can get GE at cost, then I'd definitely go that route. Unfortunately you probably can't do the no payments no interest thing...

You should have had me call best deal cables for your 4% discount for referring me ...

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Yep, I have about 6k open on a HD card, I can get GE stuff at cost through my friend but it's a hassle and cash up front.

Home Depot or Lowes. No Interest No Payments... I have another 10k to go on my balance. I send them $1,000 a month... I figure I'll have a nice baloon payment though come August....

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Interesting, he actually called me today and said he would rather glaze them. What is that?

Ask him for some before and after pics of cabinets he's either stained or faux finished. I'm sure he's probably pretty good, but if your wife wants to go dark and he is staining, he will have to really sand your existing cabinets well in order to get the lacquer finish off. He may want to glaze them and that can work too, although the glaze can scratch fairly easily over time...

If you can get GE at cost, then I'd definitely go that route. Unfortunately you probably can't do the no payments no interest thing...

You should have had me call best deal cables for your 4% discount for referring me ...

 

[greggp2]

He will put paint on them as an undercoat and then a glaze on them to harden and antique them. It will look nice. A good Faux finisher can emulate wood really well using this technique. But, if you rub something hard up against it, it can scratch the finish. Probably easier than staining. Although staining is dicey.. Have him do a sample for you first and be sure you are happy with the look and durability of it before he starts...

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I kind of want to do that white antique look everyone is going with now.

He will put paint on them as an undercoat and then a glaze on them to harden and antique them. It will look nice. A good Faux finisher can emulate wood really well using this technique. But, if you rub something hard up against it, it can scratch the finish. Probably easier than staining. Although staining is dicey.. Have him do a sample for you first and be sure you are happy with the look and durability of it before he starts...

 

[greggp2]

I'm sure that will look nice, but I'm partial to darker cabinets. I like the rich look they provide. I'm an old world meditteranean kind of guy. The thing I like about it, is it never goes out of style.

 

[Alex2507]

Interesting, he actually called me today and said he would rather glaze them. What is that?

Google:

Glazing: An Overview from Wood Digest's Finishing

It'll take you to a Sherwin Williams PDF that I don't quite know how to link. I use to know more about it but got interested in wires instead.

I really like Sherwin Williams.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Crap...this is too hard and it sounds like it could end up bad.

I am buying Sigs....

Google:

Glazing: An Overview from Wood Digest's Finishing

It'll take you to a Sherwin Williams PDF that I don't quite know how to link. I use to know more about it but got interested in wires instead.

I really like Sherwin Williams.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Can they do glazing in dark colors?

Alex, if you would move to Texas, I could probably support your business.

 

[Alex2507]

I saw an episode of This Old House where Norm Abrams did some glazing and I read a book called Understanding Wood Finishes. I didn't read the article I found for you. Like I said, I have moved on to wires. That stuff is for fun. It's no good as work. It's like fishing. You can't be paid to enjoy it and you would never do it if you didn't feel like it.

I kind of want to do that white antique look everyone is going with now.

I think that's a pickle finish.

 

[Davemcc]

Even though it's not an election year, I'm going to cast a vote for dark stained cabinets. Faux antique finishes look exactly what the name implies, i.e. fake. IMHO, it's better to put on a nice stain and let the finish develop it's patina naturally over time. That will always have more warmth and character than a faux anything.

 

[greggp2]

Dave,

I'm with you. Staining is a far better long term solution over glazing. Staining cabinets though is very difficult and requires a cabinet maker, not a painter/finisher IMO. I tried having a GC who claimed he could successfully stain my cabinets stain them and it turned out to be a $1,500 waste of money.

I had to get a professional cabinet maker to come in, replace all the doors, re-veneer the boxes and stain them. Now it looks fantastic, but it cost me $7,000 on top of the $1,500 I threw out.

Greg, before you do anything, get samples and make sure you and your wife are 100% satisfied before anyone starts. Staining will be a lot more work than the faux finishing. Each cabinet must be taken off, sanded down and then stained.

Fauxing will look nice too, but not last as long. I live in S. Florida and due to hurricane codes, have to have metal front doors. My finisher fauxed my metal white doors to look like wood. Sure a woodpecker would probably be fooled from a few feet away, but once I lightly brushed my keys up against the door when leaving the house and the finished scratched. Luckily I had some glaze and was able to cover it up, but as Dave said, staining is definitely the way to go if it can be done....

While you want your Sigs, I think your house would look a lot nicer with darker cabinets. Those light cabinets just don't do it for me... But we are all different, and ultimately, you must decide what you like...

 

[greggp2]

BTW, is this how you guys got your posting ratings so high? Talking about non-audio stuff? I may have to make it over to this forum more often. If I could only write an auto script that will post for me while I sleep... Hmmmm...

 

[Adam]

BTW, is this how you guys got your posting ratings so high? Talking about non-audio stuff?

Heck, I haven't talked about audio stuff since mid-2007.

 

[greggp2]

Heck, I haven't talked about audio stuff since mid-2007.

LMAO

 

[greggp2]

Adam, quick question. Yes Dawg, I'm hi-jacking your remodeling thread for a min.

 

[greggp2]

What's your opinion on using my Emo XPA-2 to power my B&W 802's and an Arcam AVR350 to power my center, which is an HTM1 and my surrounds?

There has been much debate and suggestion that I need the same Amp for all 3 up front. Being the speakers are different and the HTM1 isn't as power hungry as my 802's, will I really notice an audible difference, providing I calibrate?

 

[Rickster71]

Yep, I have about 6k open on a HD card, I can get GE stuff at cost through my friend but it's a hassle and cash up front.

Hey Greg, regarding the HD card.
I got a notice in the mail last week, said they are increasing the interest rates, and the rate on unpaid balances.
Double check the card terms before going that route.

Another reason to avoid the depot or lowes; manufactures make special models for them.
If you check the model numbers they will be slightly different. They are a cheapened version of the original model.

The GE at cost, sounds like the way to go.

 

[greggp2]

I saw an episode of This Old House where Norm Abrams did some glazing and I read a book called Understanding Wood Finishes. I didn't read the article I found for you. Like I said, I have moved on to wires. That stuff is for fun. It's no good as work. It's like fishing. You can't be paid to enjoy it and you would never do it if you didn't feel like it.



I think that's a pickle finish.

By the way, Alex, what's up with the Monkey Avatar?