Sometimes all it takes to liven up your kitchen is to restore your cabinets. And no, that doesn’t mean completely replace them. There is a much more affordable option that can help you breathe new life into your kitchen.
Coating your cabinets with a topcoat or lacquer can instantly transform them. A new coat of lacquer can protect your cabinets and help you totally reimagine your kitchen. Take a look at the best lacquer for kitchen cabinets.
General Finishes High Performance Water Based Topcoat
Editors’ Choice: 4.8 out of 5.0 stars
A top coat for kitchen cabinets should help protect the wood, stain and paint from damage. And this General Finishes polyurethane topcoat offers great protection. It even has a UV stabilizer for cabinets that get a lot of sun in the daytime.
This is a great clear coat for cabinets because it can help protect the paint pigments or stain pigments that adorn your cabinet wood – effectively keeping them beautiful for longer.
Varathane Water-Based Ultimate Polyurethane Gloss Finish
Editors’ Choice: 4.8 out of 5.0 stars
If you are looking to make more of a statement with your cabinets, this Verathane finish will do the trick. It imparts a clean, polished understated sheen to your kitchen cabinets and it is extremely easy to apply.
All you have to do is use a clean cloth or paper towel and wipe this finish onto the wood of your cabinet. One container is good enough for about 125 square feet of coverage. And the coat is resistant to scratches so it can be used for sealing painted kitchen cabinets.
General Finishes Arm-R-Seal Oil Based Topcoat
Editors’ Choice: 4.7 out of 5.0 stars
When the most durable finish for kitchen cabinets is what you’re after, this General Finishes oil based topcoat sealer is for you. It uses a very durable urethane resin that can be applied in multiple coats for ultimate finish protection.
It imparts a beautiful glossy finish to sealed woods and is great to protect stained cabinets as well. And it’s also very easy to apply. You can use a clean cloth to dab the finish on or foam brush. It is available in 1 gallon containers.
Minwaxc Polycrylic Water Based Protective Finishes
Editors’ Choice: 4.7 out of 5.0 stars
This is a great clear gloss finish. And since it’s a water based finish it can be used on woods that have been treated with water based stains. It also looks very handsome on lighter woods like ash, maple and birch.
This would be a great finish to use if you want to protect your cabinet wood but don’t want to discolor or distort the natural color and grain pattern of the wood itself. It adds a subtle yet livelier gloss to cabinets and protects them from yellowing.
INSL-X CC550109A-01 Cabinet Coat Enamel
Editors’ Choice: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars
This next topcoat product is technically a paint. But if you are looking for a protective coating for painted kitchen cabinets, this would be a good, affordable option. It imparts a satin sheen to wood surfaces in a white hue.
This is a great product to use over raw wood or even crown molding and trim. It’s a very durable coat that is resistant to chipping and staining. Plus, you can use this to paint over varnished or polyurethane treated surfaces without using a primer.
Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish Water Based
Editors’ Choice: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars
This water based Minwax finish is similar to the 4th entry on our list, which was also a Minwax product but this one imparts a clear semi-gloss finish to kitchen cabinets. But it’s still water based so it can be used over water based stains.
You can get this product in a variety of sizes as well depending on your needs. There’s a small half pint container, 2 packs, 3 packs, 4 packs and 5 packs. There is also very little odor left with this finish once you are finished.
Rust-Oleum 327864 American Accents Spray Paint
Editors’ Choice: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars
And lastly, if you want to make finishing your kitchen cabinets as easy as possible, grab a can of this stuff. This Rust-Oleum finish applies the same way as spray paint but it is a gloss clear finish that you can use on any surface.
It also has a UV protective agent so your wood won’t yellow and the color won’t dull in direct sunlight. One can of this spray on clear gloss finish is good for about 12 square feet and you can even use it on the hardware of your cabinets.
Lacquer for Kitchen Cabinets Buying Guide
When you are looking for the best lacquer for kitchen cabinets, you are looking for a highly subjective product. You need to take into consideration the finish you want, any existing paint or stain and the type of wood your cabinets are made of. Keep the following in mind:
Stains
You shouldn’t mix different types of stains and finishes. The general rule thumb is that you should match water based stains with water based finishes and oil based stains with oil based finishes. This will ensure proper adhesion and an even finish.
Paints
If your cabinets are painted, you may need to prep the surface before you apply a lacquer or finish. This may include scraping and sanding the paint off.
The Finish
Be aware that the classification of the finish will affect the look of the coat. Clear and semi-gloss tend to impart a glassy look to wood while matte and satin will cloud the color and the grain more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is lacquer good for kitchen cabinets?
A: Yes. It dries quickly and works very well as a protective topcoat.
Q: How much does it cost to lacquer cabinets?
A: If you hire a contractor, it can cost between $1,700 and $4,000 on average.
Q: Which is better, lacquer or varnish?
A: Lacquer is usually the better choice because it offers a harder protective layer and it typically lasts longer than varnish.
Final Advice
Refinishing your kitchen cabinets can be a very rewarding and money-saving project. But it pays to be ultra-aware of the products you are using and the materials you are working with which is why we composed this list featuring the best lacquer for kitchen cabinets.
Keep in mind whether you want the natural beauty of the wood to shine through or if you want to change up the color. Then, take a look through the high-quality products on our list.
