Refinish Your old Kitchen Cabinets?
Refinishing your old kitchen cabinets may seem like a good idea, but in most cases the cabinets have suffered damage such as imbedded grease that has soaked into the wood, dings, dents & scratches that will still show after the refinishing process has been performed.
Most importantly, refinishing cabinet boxes and cabinet doors takes a lot of time and very hard work. There. One important thing to note is that stains, shellacs, Polyurethanes & varnishes are very toxic and can cause serious harm if not applied in a well ventilated area preferably with open windows and fans operating overnight.
First, the cabinet frames, sides & doors need to be thoroughly sanded to take the old finish to expose the bare wood. Second, the stain needs to be applied either by spray or by wiping. The stain may need to be applied a few times to get the color you desire. You may need to apply a sealer. Lastly, you will need to apply the clear coat that will help to protect your new finish from everyday usage.
Yes, this is a cheaper than replacing or refacing your kitchen cabinets, but in the end, your cabinets will still look old. After all, Refinishing does not change your door style or allow for new concealed hinges to be installed. You may be able to change the stain color, but that is probably all you will get accomplished. After a few cleanings, the finish will start to wear and maybe peel off since grease had probably soaked into the wood over the years and is dislodging the new sealer you recently applied.
While you can painstakingly refinish your own kitchen cabinets for a few hundred dollars, you will probably be happier with the final product if you have a professional handle the task. The real dilemma concerning cabinet refinishing is the fact that it will cost between $2,500 to $7,500 for a professional to do the work. For that much money, why not reface them?
Cabinet Refacing is the best choice!
Kitchen Cabinet Refacing is the most affordable way to get a kitchen that looks like new, but costs 50% as much as a total new cabinet remodeling project. Cabinet refacing means that your old doors and drawer fronts will be thrown in the trash and your existing cabinet boxes will get a new facing or “skin” applied to cover the old exterior. New doors and drawer fronts will then be installed that match the color of the newly refaced cabinets, thus changing the entire exterior of your cabinets.
In most cases, concealed hinges will now be installed giving your cabinets a cleaner and more modern look. Since new doors will be custom made, you can now select a new door style such as Arched Raised Panel, Square Raised Panel, Cathedral Raised Panel, Slab, Shaker, Beadboard and many other colors and style in your choice of thermo foil or solid wood. To top off your cabinet refacing project, new mouldings are usually installed to really make the whole project come together and look complete.
Cabinet refacing is probably the best option, although this assumes that you are for the most part happy with your cabinet layout. If a complete layout change is desired, you may find yourself in a situation where you have no choice but to bite the bullet and buy new cabinets. The average kitchen cabinet refacing cost is comparable to having a professional paint your cabinets, which is why cabinet refacing is in most cases the most cost effective way to add value and beauty to your home. with the look of a total renovation.