Cabinets - Replace or Reface?

A common desire of homeowners, and an excellent way to raise the value of your home, is to upgrade the kitchen. Possible changes to the kitchen include increasing the amount of counter space, installing better quality cabinets, upgrading the look of the kitchen with stainless steel appliance and adding a shiny new range-hood. Almost any home renovation project potentially involves intimidating or demanding moments, but you can make the entire process easier by investing time in planning and research. A little tip here: if your remodeling project requires the skills of a few trades people it is advisable to hire an architect or designer early on in the process, their services are worth their weight in gold.

A major portion of your kitchen remodeling budget will have to be allocated for kitchen cabinets. Before you decide to upgrade your cabinets you should consider the options available. Cabinetry can be updated in one of two ways: Replacement of entire units or refacing existing cabinets.

• Providing the opportunity to improve the traffic, work patterns and storage space in your floor-plan
• Being able to replace worn out old cabinets with new, more durable, cabinets with attractive and easy to clean interiors
• Solid wood face frames, not veneer applied to the surface
• The option of enhancing the beauty of the kitchen by adding specialty cabinets such as a wine rack or display cabinet
• Warranties will be provided on the entire cabinet, not just the doors and drawers

The major negative of replacing cabinetry is the cost. Generally a complete remodel runs, on average, twice as much as a high-end refacing job. Be wary if you are advised by contractors that new cabinets can be installed for about the same price as refacing existing cabinets: the quotation for new cabinets may not include additional costs for handles, molding, installation, sales tax and delivery charges.

Refacing Cabinets

"Refacing" is a general term for a process of replacing doors and drawer fronts. It includes the placement of a veneer on the existing cabinet frames to match the new doors and drawer fronts, and is a cost effective way to upgrade your kitchen. It is also possible to replace entire drawers and add drawer glide systems and other interior functional features.

Another major consideration when deciding between replacing and refacing cabinets is the fact that the majority of cabinets built 20 or 30 years ago are sturdier than modular pre-built cabinets available in stores today. So if you have older cabinetry, you might want to explore the possibility of refacing your cabinets rather than purchasing new ones.

Also consider the big picture: has your house appreciated in value over the last 5 years, what is the main reason for you to upgrade your cabinetry, how long do you plan to stay in your current house, what percentage of your remodeling budget do you plan to spend on cabinets, etc.

Next, consider the Pros and Cons of refacing your cabinets and drawers.

Pros

• Costs less than cabinet replacement
• Fresh, new look for your cabinets
• Less messy and disruptive to home life, as opposed to a full-scale remodeling job which may put the kitchen off-limits for some or all of the remodeling time
• Interior features may be added to drawers and cabinets to increase functionality
• The average refacing project consists of putting in a new cabinet door and drawer fronts, and will only take a few days.
• Cost-efficient way to create a more pleasant or up-to-date environment

Cons and Cautions

• Existing traffic, workspace and storage problems have not been improved
• No opportunity to enhance the kitchen with specialty cabinets like dish or wine rack, etc.
• Interior of cabinet remains the same; so does interior maintenance
• Most product warranties are only valid for the new products so entire cabinet won't be under warrantee.

Certain conditions rule out refacing. These include existing cabinets that are beginning to fall apart or aren't well built to begin with and larger structural issues, like floors that have settled resulting in misaligned cabinets

If you have now decided that you would like to further explore the possibility of refacing your kitchen, you should consider what sort of surface finish you would like. Usually there are three basic finish options: plastic laminate, rigid thermofoils and wood veneer. The finish you choose will impact on the cost of your project, the durability of the final product and the esthetic appeal of the finished work.

Learn more about plastic laminate, rigid thermofoils (RTF) and wood veneer finishes.