I am remodeling my kitchen and bought ready to finish oak cabinets. I already stained them black/ebony and let it dry for a few days. I applied three coats. Well, I varnished it and it’s turning white in spots and bubbling in spots too. Please tell me what to do so I don’t have 150 bucks down the drain.
A couple possible causes; the 3 coats of stain reacting with the varnish or high humidity during varnishing. Most likely a combination of the two. Cheap varnish will also cause problems. Stain should only be applied as one coat. If the color intensity isn't enough then a different stain should be used, gel stain or wood dye. Always test a stain on a scrape piece of wood before committing to an entire project.
You need to carefully sand the white areas to remove the affected varnish. Re-varnish to seal. If there are too many areas then a full strip and refinish will be needed.
