Refacing Kitchen Cabinets 101
Are your kitchen cabinets looking a little shabby (not shabby chic old, worn out shabby)? Whether you are getting ready to sell your home or you simply want to improve it for your own enjoyment, refacing old, ugly kitchen cabinets is a good place to start.
Refacing cabinets is the process of covering the exposed frames with a thin veneer of plastic laminate or real wood. Then you can add new doors/drawer fronts to match or complement the new veneer. Complete the process by adding new hinges, handles, and molding.
There are some pros and cons to refacing:
Pros:
- Costs significantly less than replacing cabinets
- Requires less time than replacing
- You don't have the added hassle of having to tear out old cabinets
- Kitchen is still useable while refacing
- It's a "green" option because you won't be adding old cabinets to a landfill
Cons:
- You can't fix a bad kitchen design with refacing
- There are a lot of expensive options for veneers and hardware to tempt you and you may end up spending almost as much as you would replacing cabinets
As you can see, the pros outweigh the cons!
So, what are your options for refacing? The choices are nearly limitless! You can find veneers is a wide variety of colors, patterns, grains, textures, etc. You can mix and match them to come up with a unique look to match your vision. Thermofoil Doors are durable and an affordable alternative to wood or laminate doors. Plastic laminates are also very durable and offer tons of options for colors and patterns. They are reasonably priced as well. Real wood is going to be more expensive, and will need to be carefully sealed to protect against moisture, but offer quality and beauty with woods such as oak, cherry, and maple and a wonderful array of stain colors. Laminate Cabinets vs Wood Cabinets
It's important to know that refacing is feasible only if your existing cabinet boxes are in good shape structurally. If your cabinets have water damage, warping, or broken frames, they are not a good candidate for refacing.
Whether you decide to do it yourself or you hire someone to reface your cabinets, it is a relatively affordable way to give your kitchen a whole new look!
If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in the Huntsville area, let professional Realtor Mike Manosky help you with all your real estate needs! Give him a call today at 256-508-0211!
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