Refacing Wood Cabinets: A Budget-Friendly Kitchen Upgrade

Your kitchen looks like built ages ago. Pulling out all the cabinets though? That is costly, untidy and a big pain. This is a smarter solution: refacing wood cabinets. They say, keep the bones, toss the ugly, that your wallet (and sanity) will appreciate.

It is like a face lift to your kitchen. Just put in new cabinet doors, give them a slap of new veneer or paint and bam, there you go, your old cabinets look as good as new. There is no demolition or insane expenditures with refacing wood cabinets. In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of refacing wood cabinets breaking down all the myths and facts.

Why Bother Refacing Wood Cabinets?

More economical than complete replacement (we mean save money).

Not weeks but days. No dice in a construction site.

As good as new cabinets (and really no one will tell the difference).

Bonus: Dr. Cabinet has its crew that does it across the U.S.A. No speculating, no pressure, and a kitchen that won’t make you blush when your company comes over.

 What is Kitchen Cabinet Refacing?

Imagine the following: You have really good, solid kitchen cabinets but they are dated and seem to be out of your grandma. Refacing wood cabinets is a way of repairing that does not involve the nuclear option (i.e. taking everything out). This is how it happens:

Out with the old, in with the new cabinets: We pull off those old fashioned cabinet doors and drawer fronts, and we plaster on new. Looking to get smooth shaker panels? Cool. Contemporary style? Done.

Skin-deep magic: The boxes on the cabinet are left where they are but we veneer or laminate them–just like gift wrapping only much more gratifying.

Hardware upgrade: Replacing old dusty hinges and knobs is the icing on the cake.

 Refacing vs. Replacing? No Contest.

Cost: It is much cheaper to reface kitchen cabinets.

Time: It is completed not in weeks but days. Don not eat microwave dinners in a month.

Mess: Very few dust, nothing like where is my coffee maker? chaos.

 Bottom line? Refacing wood cabinets is a no brainer when the cabinet boxes are in good condition. Why should people spend more money and endure more before getting the same thing?

 Why Refacing is better than Replacement

Come on, who would want to burn money and live in a construction site when refacing is the option. Here’s why:

Price: Cabinet Refacing Cost

The cost of refacing wood cabinets is a half or a third of new cabinets. It is a difference between 4-9,000 and 12-25,000 to get a full replacement.

What influences price?

Materials: Fancy real wood veneer is more expensive than laminate (but much less expensive than new cabinets)

Kitchen area: The larger the kitchen layout, the more doors/drawers to replaceSaving: There is no saving when it comes to replacing kitchen doors/drawers

Extras: Crown molding or added high quality hardware raises the price

Speed: Your Kitchen will not be a War Zone

 Refacing: 2-5 days and that is it

Replacement: 3-6 weeks of dust, no counters and takeout food

 This will be no demolition:

The countertops you already have remain in place

No fret about breaking walls/floorings

In fact, you are allowed to use your kitchen in the process

Eco Friendly: Less Waste Less Guilt

Keeps very good cabinet boxes out of the landfills

Cuts down the amount of materials used compared to constructing new cabinets

Reduced carbon footprint (fewer places made and shipped)

Bonus Perk:

Refacing wood cabinets saves you the horror of finding out that you have a case of unexpected problems (such as rotten walls or wiring faults) that tend to rear their heads in the case of full replacements.

 The Cabinet Refacing Process- No surprises, Just Results

Have you ever wondered what goes on when a cabinet refacing job is done? No rocket science here, it is just smart, step by step magic that turns your kitchen upside-down, minus the hassles of a complete remodel. And this is the very way we do it:

Step 1: The Game Plan (It Never Works to Wing It)

We will assist you to select your new appearance:

• Classic raised panel to smooth modern slabs door styles
• The Colors and finishes that really suit your own kitchen (goodbye, 90s honey oak)
• Equipment that does not resemble something out of your grandmother junk drawer

Pro Tip: Come with your Pinterest ambitions, and we will make them fit in your existing cabinets.

Step 2: Out With the Old Doors and Drawer Fronts

Our crew to work:

Scraping off those old doors

Pulling out old hinges that more likely than not creak like a haunted house

Replacing the drawer fronts to get everything to match

Fear not, we will not leave your kitchen like a battle field. We take care of all and wash on the way.

 Step 3: The Big Transformation With New Cabinets, New Doors

That is when the actual magic ensues:

Real wood veneer or hard laminate provides a new face to cabinet boxes

Your gleaming new doors go in (finally, no more embarrassing your guests with your kitchen)

All is straightened out (since bent cabinets are the worst)

Step 4: The Cake Icing/ Crown Molding and New Cabinet Color

We put in the finishing touches, which are all:

• That custom, high end whole new look- crown molding
• New stain or paint so it all could appear as one.
• The current hardware that really performs flawlessly

The most interesting thing is that: You can get what appear to be brand new cabinets without:

The ridiculously high price of replacement in full

Years of building mayhem

That what was that? panic

 Most kitchens are completed in 3-5 days start to finish that means you can quit eating microwave dinners and enjoy your new area.

 Cabinet Refacing, Replacement and Refinishing: Which is the best option?

 Let us end the confusion, there are actually three main options when it comes to updating your current cabinets. And here is the low-down on both:

1. Cabinet Refacing (The Intelligent Middle Way)

Best used on: Houses that have good cabinet boxes that require a makeover

✓ Pros:

• Is 50-70 percent less expensive than whole replacement
• It can be done in days, not weeks
• Little disruption (no demolition dust all over)
• Appears even better than new cabinets

✗ Cons:

• Tied to your present kitchen plan
• Not the best way to go when your cabinet boxes are broken

2. Full Cabinets Replacement (The Nuclear Option)

Ideal to: Overhaul of an entire kitchen or when the cabinets are in shambles

✓ Pros:

• Just take any layout or style you desire
• Chance to remodel your entire kitchen

✗ Cons:

• Price: 12 000-25 000+ (ouch)
• Time 3-6 weeks (bye-bye kitchen)
• Enormous building debris (dust all over)
• Frequently uncovers undisclosed issue (bad walls, obsolete wiring)

3. Refinishing (The cheap Band-Aid)

Most suitable to: Short term repairs or rentals

✓ Pros:

• Budget (you get what you pay)
• DIYable when you are handy

✗ Cons:

• It only lasts 2-5 years before redoing is necessary
• Bit of prep work (sanding, stripping, painting) that takes weeks
• Restricted to paint (cannot vary wood species and style)

 The Key Point:

• In case your cabinet boxes are in good condition → The obvious choice would be refacing
• In case you would like to redesign your kitchen in a totally new way → Replacement (but have your wallet ready)
• In case you need to sell the house soon, or are on a very shoestring budget → Refinishing may work

 Refacing costs half the price of new cabinets, looks 90 percent as good and has 10 percent of the aggravation.

 Maintaining your Refaced Cabinets to Look Fresh

Your new facelifted cabinets are fantastic- we need to keep them that way! The low maintenance care routine that really works is as follows:

 Daily/Weekly Attention:

• Use a damp microfiber cloth (not streaky)
• With sticky spots, apply a drop of a mild dish soap to warm water

 AVOID these as the plague:

• Hard cleaners (Windex, bleach, etc.)
• Abrasive sponges (they will mar the finish)
• Oil based polishes (they only attract dust)

 Damage Control:

• Scratch? Stain pens of the same color are magic fixers
• Chips will occur, save some touch-up paint on your project
• Loose hinge? By tightening it now, you will avoid more serious problems in the future

 Pro Survivalist Tips:

• Install cabinet liners as shelves protection against spills and scratches
• Put soft-close mechanisms in, where you have not already done so, because slamming doors wears them out
• Check and re-tighten hardware after 6 months (those drawer pulls come loose after a while)

Calling In the Pros:

• Swelling or peeling by water (swelling or peeling)
• Large scratches which cannot be repaired by touch-up
• Edge veneer lifting

You treat them right, and you will have refaced cabinets that look this good in 10-15 years and possibly more!

 Wrap-Up: Your Dream Kitchen No Horror Renovation

Be honest, you do not want your kitchen to resemble a time capsule of the 90s. You should not have to either:

Bleed your assets

Spend weeks on a construction site

Chew on a low-priced paint job that cracks after one year

 Refacing wood cabinets is just right:

Appears like new (your friends will tell you that you have completely remodeled it)

It costs thousands less than replacement (and that is a vacation you can actually have)

Completed in days, and not weeks or months of microwave dinner eating 30

The great thing is? It is not a scam that is too good to be true. We have changed hundreds of kitchens just like yours and we can show you.

 Do not continue looking at those old-fashioned cabinets, and start experiencing your kitchen once again. To have a free consultation, call Dr. Cabinet at [PHONE] or visit our website. In days, our best cabinet refacing technicians will have your kitchen looking like it is on the cover of a magazine, with no drama, no surprises, just fantastic outcomes.

Cabinet Refacing FAQS: Questions Answered

Still unsure? Send photos of your cabinets to [PHONE] our experts will be honest with you on whether refacing will be an option to you.