Varnishing water damaged wood

[Nkp90]

Hi all just wanted to ask what the process would be to bring these cabinets back up?

The water damaged pieces would I need to sand down evenly all round and then apply or can I apply on top as is..

The slightly faded cabinets can I just apply straight on?

Basically I'm looking to sell the house soo minimal expense, just needs to look okay for a while

 

[Bingy man]

Hello and welcome, whatever you leave and varnish over you will see through the varnish. Hard to tell from pictures but what are the cabinets made of ( real wood, melamine, etc) this tbh will dictate what finish you can apply to them ( if any)

 

[Nkp90]

Ah I see, I'll try sand down the damaged/ discoloured edges I believe those bottom parts handles are real wood, the boards / panels are mdf / chipboard

 

[Bingy man]

You maybe able to simply clean up any melamine surfaces with a domestic cleaner like mr muscle , elbow grease etc- just try it in an out of site area 1st .if not then you could try painting them with a multi surface paint..

 

[Nkp90]

What Colour would you say this is deep mahogany or rosewood?..

 

[Bingy man]

Difficult to say from the photo but my money would be on not be on mahogany, is it real wood? Sand a little back on an inside face of a small door . See what you have , it sort of looks like that ( imo ) awful ronseal paint and grain..

 

[Nkp90]

Thanks this kitchen was fitted back in the late 90s so is a bit out of date, but just a little tidy up to help it along, I'll have a look I tried some old walnut varnish but it's too dark so I'll have a look at mahogany and yes the handles are real wood

 

[Jameshow]

I'd mask up the white panel and stain with coloured varnish / wood stain.

 

[Bingy man]

As it’s real wood a sand down and a clear satin or mat varnish could also work.. I’d also use masking tape to cover/ protect the plain parts of the door . It’s a pain but having ruined hours of work once I’d remove the tape as soon as you have finished varnishing/ staining. Don’t let the varnish dry over the tape