What Is Cabinet Refacing? A Complete Guide for Homeowners
One of the most popular places to start a home improvement project is kitchen remodeling. Cabinet refacing is an easy way to give your kitchen a facelift and save money in the process. What is cabinet refacing, and how is it different from cabinet refinishing and replacement? In this complete guide, we’ll give you an overview of kitchen cabinet refacing.
What Is Cabinet Refacing?
Cabinet refacing is a cost-effective way to give your kitchen a new look without a complete overhaul. Rather than tearing out your existing cabinet boxes, installers leave them in place, only installing new doors and drawer fronts. The result is that your cabinets look brand new for a fraction of the cost of replacing them.
How Does Cabinet Refacing Work?
While cabinet refacing is less labor-intensive than replacing cabinets, it requires more specialized cabinetry skills. Here’s a brief look at how cabinets are refaced from start to finish:
Step 1: Evaluation and Planning
First, a technician needs to check the cabinet boxes to make sure they’re in good condition. Refacing is only a viable option if the cabinet boxes don’t show signs of wear or damage. The technician will also take precise measurements of the cabinet boxes. Once they confirm the stability of the current cabinets, the homeowner chooses a door style for their new cabinet doors.
Many remodeling companies offer custom cabinet refacing options to tailor the new cabinet fronts to your exact specifications. Custom options include finishes, wood types, new hardware, and drawer pulls. Keep in mind that with refacing, you can’t change the shape or size of the cabinets since your cabinet boxes stay in place.
Step 2: Door and Hardware Removal
Once you choose your design options for your cabinets, installers will remove the old cabinet doors and cabinet hardware. This exposes the fronts of your cabinet boxes so installers can resurface them evenly.
Step 3: Resurfacing Cabinet Boxes and Installing New Doors
After removing the cabinet doors, installers give the cabinet box fronts a thorough cleaning. They then apply a ¼” thick wood veneer to give the surface a brand-new look. Once the wood veneer is in place, installers mount the new high-quality doors and hardware. The wood veneer matches the new doors and hardware to give the cabinet makeover a cohesive style.
Step 4: Finishing Touches and Cleanup
Once the cabinet doors are in place, the installation team adjusts them to make sure everything is even and level. After a walkthrough to ensure customer satisfaction, they clean the worksite and clear out their equipment, concluding the cabinet refacing process.
Refacing vs Refinishing: What’s the Difference?
As with refacing, cabinet refinishing involves leaving the existing cabinet boxes. However, refinishing also reuses the cabinet doors. Installers remove your old cabinet doors and sand down the existing paint or finish. They then apply a new finish, restoring the cabinet doors to look new.
While refinishing is another way to give your cabinets a new look without replacing them, the options are more limited than with a refacing project. Refacing allows you to choose a completely new door style while refinishing only allows you to change the color of the doors.
Is It Worth It to Reface Cabinets?
Refacing is not only a cost-effective alternative to replacement, but it can also add to your home’s resale value. Your kitchen is one of the highest-traffic areas of your home, and your cabinets are the most noticeable part of the kitchen, so you should enjoy looking at them. By reusing your existing cabinet boxes, you can update the look of your kitchen without the cost of a full replacement.
Benefits of Cabinet Refacing
Refacing your kitchen cabinets offers a few advantages over other kitchen remodeling projects:
- Cost-effective: Refacing can give your kitchen the look of new cabinets for a much lower cost than replacing them.
- Fast turnaround time: Refacing also involves much less labor than replacing, making it a faster remodeling project.
- Custom options: Choose from a variety of cabinet colors, door styles, knobs, and more.
- Eco-friendly: Reusing your cabinet boxes reduces material waste and has a lower impact on the environment.
Get a Free Quote on Cabinet Refacing Services
Cabinet refacing is a great way to revitalize your kitchen design without breaking the bank. As long as your cabinet boxes aren’t warped or cracked, they can still provide you with years of use. Instead of discarding them, installers will apply a wood veneer to make your cabinets look brand new.
Reborn Cabinets is a home remodeling company with over 50 years of experience. We offer the best in kitchen and bath remodeling. Contact Reborn Cabinets today to schedule your in-home consultation and get a free quote on cabinet refacing.
