Cabinet Refacing Basics

Refacing your cabinets is a great way to make your kitchen look new when it just isn't reasonable to put in entirely new cabinets. It's relatively affordable, yet gives your kitchen an entirely new look.

Now, refacing your cabinets isn't going to change anything but the appearance of your kitchen. If there are workflow problems, this won't help you at all. However, if you're simply after a beautiful kitchen, this is a great solution.

Refacing can also mean that you can add just a touch of funtionality to your cabinets. Newer doors may have add-on features that you'll find quite useful.

When you reface, it isn't just the doors you have to worry about. Typically, there's a veneer to be placed so that the rest of the cabinet matches the new doors. You probably don't want the old cabinets showing through, after all!

Sometimes, however, you can change the interiors at the same time as you reface. Not very much, however, as you're still limited by what the old cabinet was capable of. Drawer glides, for example, can fairly easily be replaced, which is an excellent idea if your drawers aren't working as smoothly as they used to.

Now, if you're thinking about a complete remodel in a few years for your kitchen, refacing is probably not the option you want. There's very little point to replacing the cabinet doors now and then replacing the entire cabinet, door and all, in a few years. If you think you're going to want to tear out your entire kitchen in just a few years, you might want to consider looking at what a simple paint job can do. That option is generally the best one for a short term change.

Make sure you price out what refacing will really cost you. If you're doing it because it's cheaper, do ask for an estimate of what a full remodel would cost as well. There really isn't a good in-between level from refacing to replacing cabinets, as new cabinets won't fit your old countertop and may not work with your old flooring either.