Are you in the market for updating your kitchen and giving it a new appearance? Lucky for you there is a cost-effective remedy to replacing your kitchen cabinets completely, reface them! Refacing is a relatively quick and inexpensive alternative to replacing your cabinets. You can achieve a refreshed aesthetic look to your cabinets with minimal disruption to your daily life and to your kitchen.
Your cabinet boxes are usually kept as part of a refacing project, except if you are making any modifications to the kitchen footprint. The current doors, drawer boxes and drawer fronts are then replaced with quality, solid wood material of your choosing, oak, maple or cherry. There are many door styles to choose from and keep in mind that the more ornate the door is, the more it costs. Also, mitered doors also come at an upcharge. Be sure that the door you are choosing is a solid wood door and not just wood around the frame with a veneer in the middle. You will probably be living with the refaced cabinets for quite a few years, and you want to a quality job that will be sure they will hold up.
Real wood veneer is then bonded to your existing cabinet boxes, basically wrapping your old cabinets with new material to make them look like new. The refacing material is received by the contractor in its natural color. If a customer is looking for a custom color or an upgrade finish (stain and or stain & glaze) this can also be done with a reface project, just like custom cabinets. Custom colors can also be an option. This is a huge benefit if you are looking for a specific color or look for your kitchen. Crown Moulding really adds an element of elegance to a refaced kitchen. You might want to spend a bit more for an upgraded crown moulding since it really gives your refaced cabinets an upgraded feel.
Cabinet hardware is an important part of any refacing project. Make sure your contractor is using all-metal hardware for the hinges and especially the drawer box slides. Many homebuilders use the type of hardware that includes plastic brackets. It may be good for their bottom line but it’s not good for your refaced kitchen. The plastic brackets will get brittle and break in time. It’s worth the money upfront to buy all metal drawer slides and make sure they have full-extensions. That way you have full access to your drawers boxes, thus having more space for organizing.
To make your refaced kitchen more user-friendly you might want to consider having roll-out shelves installed. They are a must for any working kitchen. No more crawling on your hands and knees to try to reach your lower cabinets. Will roll-out shelves you can see ALL the items in your pantry. Imagine that would you! No more buying duplicate canned goods just because you weren’t able to see all the products in the cabinets. Many contractors make custom roll-out shelves. They are very strong and durable. Durable enough to handle heavy pots and pans or every day canned goods. Roll-out shelves can definitely make life more enjoyable by making your kitchen more accessible.
There are some articles circulating that cabinet refacing can be a do-it-yourself type project. May if someone has a construction background and experience they could complete a kitchen refacing project. But with the complications of ordering and installing custom doors & drawer fronts and cutting & attaching the veneers pieces, it’s just not recommended for the typical homeowner. You should consider hiring a contactor that specializes in cabinet refacing. It could save you problems and headaches in the future.