Kitchen cabinets are a crucial component of every kitchen because they not only improve the room’s decor but also offer useful storage space for equipment. Cabinets, however, may begin to look antiquated, worn out, or simply not match your current style preferences with time. When this occurs, you might think about replacing your cabinets to restore the newness and freshness of your kitchen, but why tear out perfectly good cabinets? Refinishing and refacing cabinets are two popular methods of modernizing them while saving money. We’ll look at how these two approaches vary in this piece.
Cabinet Refinishing
The procedure of sanding down the previous finish on the cabinets, fixing any flaws, and then adding a new finish is known as cabinet refinishing. If you want to change the color or finish of your cabinets but don’t want to replace them completely, this approach is a perfect choice. The procedure involves:
- Removing the hardware and cabinet doors
- Degreasing and removing the old finish and smoothing out any flaws by sanding the cabinet surfaces
- Using a primer and the new finish, which is by staining or painting the cabinets with low VOC paint
- A final step may include giving the cabinets a shielding coat to safeguard the fresh finish
Refinishing cabinets is less invasive and generally less expensive than cabinet refacing. It’s also a fantastic choice for cabinets that still have decent structural integrity but need a facelift.
Cabinet Refacing
In a more extensive process known as cabinet refacing, the cabinet doors and drawer fronts are changed entirely, and the other cabinet surfaces are covered with a veneer, laminate or coating. The procedure usually entails:
- Taking off the drawer fronts and cabinet doors
- Cabinet surfaces should be prepared for the veneer or laminate material
- Updating the cabinet surfaces with fresh veneer or laminate
- installing fresh drawer fronts and cabinet doors with new hardware
If you want to radically alter the appearance of your cabinets without incurring the cost and difficulty of a full cabinet replacement, cabinet refacing is a fantastic alternative. Since you can add features like pull-out shelves, new hardware, and more, it’s also a wonderful choice if you want to change the design or functioning of your cabinets.
Which Alternative Is Best for You?
Your goals, your budget, and the state of your cabinets will ultimately determine whether you should reface or refinish your cabinets. Refinishing is probably your best choice if you’re satisfied with the design and functionality of your cabinets and they’re still structurally sound. Refacing, however, can be a preferable option if you want to entirely alter the appearance and feel of your cabinets or add new features.
Changing your kitchen cabinets with refacing or cabinet refinishing is a fantastic alternative. While cabinet refacing is a more labor-intensive and expensive operation, it also offers more customization options than cabinet refinishing. Whatever choice you select, changing your cabinets can significantly alter the way your kitchen looks and feels for a much lower price.