An orbital sander abrades a surface without creating deep scratches.
Bathroom vanities of the 1950s ranged from porcelain sinks on metal legs to curvy wooden cabinets with tile countertops and colored porcelain sinks. Before you decide to rip out or dramatically change your vanity, have it appraised by a retro renovation expert. Older vanities in good shape are coming back into vogue and may be worth saving or selling. If your vanity is just dated and ugly, you can update the vanity using a mix of renovation techniques.
Instructions
1. Remove everything from the vanity. Vacuum, scrub and dry the inside and outside of the vanity. Cut away existing caulk around the sink using a utility knife. Strip off old shelf paper and make any repairs to inside shelves or cabinet surfaces. Bondo works well as a filler for larger holes and it can be sanded after it dries.
2. Remove the door hardware and knobs, hinges and any decorative items. Place the doors and drawers in a garage or similar location for sanding and refinishing. Remove or tape over faucets. Use many pieces of overlapping painter's tape to tape around curves.
3. Sand the tile counter using an orbital sander to abrade the surface of the tiles if you need to change the tile color. Sand the sink at the same time if it is any color other than white. It is important to abrade the surface so the primer will adhere to the ceramic or porcelain surface. Go over the grout lines carefully. If you need to regrout, now is the time.
4. Sand the vanity cabinet faces. Fill and patch all holes, including those for hinges and hardware. Use wood fill or Bondo and allow the product to dry before sanding the area smooth. Vacuum all the vanity surfaces to remove all traces of grit and sanding dust.
5. Tape plastic sheeting to the wall above the vanity and over the adjacent walls, floors and fixtures. When you use spray paint it gets everywhere, so cover as much as possible. Use 1/8-inch grout tape to cover grout lines to make your new paint look authentic. Use plastic sheeting and tape off the wood part of the vanity.
6. Spray epoxy primer over the ceramic tile and porcelain sink. Allow the primer to dry for eight hours. Tape off and cover the sink with plastic. Paint the ceramic tile counter using a stone pattern spray paint. These are usually epoxy based. This type of paint throws a speckled pattern that looks like stone. Allow the paint to dry for eight hours.
7. Cover and tape off the countertop. Tape around the edge of the sink. The faucets should already be covered. Spray paint the sink a bright white epoxy paint. Build up the paint in several thin layers for the best finish. Allow an hour between each coat. By painting the tile and sink different colors, the finished appearance will be more updated than just white on white. Remove the tape and covering from the counter top and sink. Spray a clear coat finish over the entire countertop and sink. Spray several thin coats and allow each coat to dry for four hours.
8. Prime the wood cabinet with a good wood primer. Go to where the cabinet doors and drawers are waiting. Remove any applied or surface trim moldings. Fill, sand and prime the doors and drawers. Allow the primer to dry for four hours. Select a cabinet color from one of the colors in the tile stone-flecked paint. This can range from off-white to espresso brown. Paint the cabinet faces, doors and drawers using a foam roller and brush.
9. Clean up the hinges or buy identical hinges in a new finish. Select door and drawer hardware in a new metal finish. Screw the hinges to the cabinet and doors. Drill and screw the hardware on the doors and drawers.
Tags: doors drawers, abrade surface, Allow primer, cabinet doors, cabinet faces, ceramic tile
