Kitchen Cabinetry - Replace, Reface or Renovate

Your cabinets are the first things that will date your kitchen.  They are also the single item that will eat-up the majority of your kitchen-remodeling budget.  Kitchen cabinets are also one of the most important parts of the kitchen.  They create style, set the atmosphere for the home, and provide storage.  Sadly, they can also quickly date your kitchen. 

There are countless reasons why homeowners renovate their kitchens and why kitchen remodeling is the number one home improvement homeowners undertake.  Many homeowners expect a higher return on their investment when they remodel their kitchen once they sale.  Others on the other hand are simply looking to update the look of their kitchen.  If you're remodeling your kitchen to sell your house, then you need to check with a local real estate agent so that you will understand what type of improvements you need to make, how much it will cost you and how much you should expect to get back on your investment.  Remember, the trick is to get back as much money as you put into your remodel.

One area of your remodel project where you can trim cost is to refinish or reface your kitchen cabinets instead of replacing them especially if your kitchen cabinets are in good shape.  However, if your cabinets are falling apart or not built properly in the first place, then it would be best, to simply replace them.  You should also replace dented or rusted metal cabinets or cabinets that are not constructed soundly.   

Refinishing Kitchen Cabinets:

The most economical solution is to refinish your kitchen cabinets especially for anyone who doesn’t want to spend a lot of money or time on a major kitchen remodel, especially when your cabinets are in good condition.  The total cost for repainting or refinishing your kitchen cabinets depends solely on the price of paint or stain that and method you used.  For instance, solid wood and plywood cabinets can be stripped and stained or repainted, therefore, they are the least expensive to refinish.  Metal cabinets, laminate or melamine cabinets are more expensive to refinish, as they require special paint and techniques to refinish. 

When refinishing kitchen cabinets, your fist step is to remove all hardware, doors, and drawer fronts from the base cabinets.  Depending on the condition of your cabinets, you may have to do a little sanding and patching especially if you replace or upgrade your hardware.  Your next step is to clean thoroughly all dirt and grease from the cabinets.  This is a very important step, because if you do not properly clean your cabinets, the paint you apply will not adhere properly.  We strongly recommend that you use a sprayed-on finish so that you will receive the best uniform coverage without any brush marks.  However, if you do use a brush on paint, make sure that you purchase a top grade paintbrush.  Make sure that you allow sufficient amount of time for the paint to dry, before you apply the second coat of paint or glazing.  In addition, wait at least 24 hours before reassembling your kitchen cabinets so that your doors and drawers do not stick.    

Refacing:

Refacing is an option if you are happy with the existing layout of your kitchen cabinets, but want to upgrade the look of your cabinets to a new style.  Cabinet refacing is an affordable option to remodeling that gives you custom looking kitchen cabinets at an affordable price. 

Refacing involves covering the cabinets’ front and side panels as well as any other exposed surfaces with new veneer, then replacing the doors and drawer fronts.  Possibly the biggest disadvantage of   refacing is the amount of time it takes.  Many refacing jobs take several days. 

Replacing:

Cabinet replacement is the most costly form of kitchen remodel.  When doing a kitchen remodel that includes cabinet replacement, the bulk of your expense goes into the cabinets.  Kitchen cabinet replacement is recommended if you are planning to install heavy countertops and your current kitchen cabinets will not support the weight. 

When replacing your cabinets, you have two options, with the least expensive being to use stock or modular cabinets.  You can purchase these kitchen cabinets from a home improvement store.  However, make sure that you carefully examine how they are made, the quality of materials used, the finish, interior accessories, door and drawer construction, and finally the quality of hardware.  If you decide to install the cabinets yourself, make sure to plan your layout carefully and take good measurements and that your floors are level.  In addition, be aware that with stock cabinets some of the features available with custom-made cabinets may not be available.  This leads to your second options of purchasing custom-made kitchen cabinets.  With custom cabinets, you can select the best quality of materials, options, interior accessories, and hardware.  

The price of custom-made kitchen cabinets depends on the quality of the materials you select for your cabinets.  Before you order new replacement kitchen cabinets, make sure that it is the right decision for your budget.  There are several drawbacks to complete kitchen cabinet replacement, with the first being that it is very time consuming, leaving you without the use of our kitchen.  Another drawback is that custom kitchen cabinets replacement is not a recommended do-it-yourself project to build or to install, unless however, you happen to be a cabinetmaker. 

When considering kitchen cabinet replacement, if you hire a cabinetmaker, make sure that you ask what styles are offer, as well as the finishes, accessories and special features available.  In addition, keep in mind that not all craftsman cabinetmakers are the same, therefore, make sure that you check references and ask to view kitchens they have built and installed.  Remember with custom-made cabinets, the price you agree upon may change if you decide to make changes to your plans.  Therefore, make sure you know what you want before you sign the contract.

Hardware:

You can change the look of your kitchen by changing the color of wall paint or by simply by adding or changing the pulls, knobs and handles on the cabinets.  Kitchen cabinet hardware is available in a wide variety of styles, and a wide variety of prices ranging from less than a dollar to well over several dollars apiece.