The main goal during kitchen remodeling is to change the appearance of the cabinet. Cabinets that are in good structure and shape are demolished and replaced because the homeowner is bored of the look. This is the same as getting rid of a good car just because you do not like the color of the car. In a lot of situations, you can change the look of the kitchen by a process known as refacing. The process of kitchen cabinet refacing St. Louis by Fresh Faced Cabinets gives a lot of advantages of cabinet replacement but at a minimum cost.
What Is Cabinet Refacing?
Cabinet refacing is a replacement of the cabinet in replacing the drawers and doors fronts and applying a new veneer over the old existing surface of the body of the cabinets. The Hardware – the handles, hinges, and drawer pulls are also replaced during refacing.
How Refacing Works?
Many companies specialize in cabinet refacing. Skilled DIYers can also do cabinet refacing by purchasing a veneer kit containing the wood veneers and application materials, then special ordering cabinet doors and drawer fronts.
The process follows the same order either way –
- Cabinet doors and drawers are removed and the drawer fronts are removed.
- The front of the cabinet boxes is covered with natural wood or veneer or RTF (rigid thermofoil) a melamine based product.
- The cabinet sides are skinned with wood veneer.
- New door hinges are added if required. Hinges in good condition can be reused.
- New drawer fronts and doors are installed.
- New handles, drawer pulls and other fixtures are installed. Existing hardware can be reused if it is in good shape.
- Optional accessories like glass panels, lighting, or storage accessories are installed.
Evaluating Cabinets For Refacing
All the cabinets are not a good candidate for refacing. It does not mean that old cabinets are bad candidates, as in many cases older cabinet boxes have sturdy construction than new factory manufactured boxes and will accept new veneers and doors very successfully. Good cabinets have these elements –
- Sturdy box construction of plywood or MDF panels is smooth and in good condition. New veneers need smooth solid surfaces in order to stick properly.
- Good hardwood face frames accept veneers and solidly anchor new doors.
- If the drawers do not run smoothly or the cabinets are lacking in shelves or storage accessories, the cost of refacing may not be worth it.
Costs
It costs less to refresh cabinets than to replace the kitchen with custom cabinets, but you should not rush to cabinet refacing on the assumption that it is a cheap alternative to new cabinets. Normally refacing performed by an installation specialist costs about 50% of the cost of a new custom cabinet installation and 70 to 80% of the cost of installing a stock cabinet which is purchased off the shell from home improvement centers.
The professional refacing cost for a 10 by 12-foot kitchen begins at $1000 – $3000 for laminate veneers but it can go as high as $2500 – $6000 for real wood veneers. Hardware can cost an additional $2 – $50 per piece, depending on how luxurious you want to be. Before starting, remember to check best kitchen sinks 2021 designs to get more ideas for your bathroom.
Conclusion
Refacing the cabinets can be a good, cost-effective option for kitchen remodeling if the older cabinets are well constructed and in good shape and a radically different look is desired. It is a good choice where the old cabinet works well as it is. But if the existing cabinet has structural problems or the hardware is in poor condition or internal storage features are lacking, you may better install all new cabinets.
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