Cabinet Doors

There are several reasons you might want to replace your kitchen cabinet doors.

1. COST By replacing only your kitchen doors you will save a tremendous amount over actual cabinet replacement. Brand new cabinets will start at several thousand dollars, even for a low grade import style cabinet.

2. INCONVENIENCE The turmoil cased by an entire kitchen remodel. A kitchen cabinet remodeling project will create a lot of dust as well as displace all of your items that are in the cabinets.

By simply replacing the cabinet doors you avoid a lot of the hassle of cabinet replacement. Most complete kitchen remodeling projects will require the aid of a contractor since there may be plumbing, wiring, and drywall repair to name a few.

3. DO IT YOURSELF Depending on your skill level and the tools you may have, you can do the entire kitchen cabinet re-dooring process yourself. There is a great deal of satisfaction in completely changing the look of your kitchen cabinets and knowing you did it yourself.

4. CHOICE Another advantage of replacing your cabinet doors is that you have a large selection of door styles available. The selection is greater than what is available if you were doing a complete cabinet replacement. By replacing the cabinet doors you can get the exact look you want regardless of what is offered by your local cabinet dealer.

The options for door styles include:

•Recessed panel

•Raised panel

•Curved panel

•Beadboard panel

•Flat slab

Raised panel cabinet doors are defined as typically being built in 5 pieces. 4 pieces of wood for the frame of the cabinet door, and the 5th piece being the raised panel itself. Raised panel cabinet doors have been around for centuries.

Long before the strength of modern woodworking adhesives, wood doors for cabinetry were assembled with no glue at all, usually the joints were either doweled, or mortise and tenon methods were used, to hold them together.

Historically this “raising” of the cabinet door panel was done by hand usually with a hand plane, sometimes very crudely just to get the panels edges to fit into the grooves of the door frame.

Recessed Panel actually evolved from raised panel doors. Some early craftsmen placed the back side (flat side) of the raised panel door, out to the showing face of the cabinet, leaving the planed raised panel edge on the inside of the cabinet where no one would see it.

This flat panel was recessed behind the plane of the door frame, and some people liked that look. And so the Recessed Panel Door was born.

When plywood was introduced (in the 1930s), recessed panel doors became easier to make and were often used by builders because they were cheaper to produce than the raised panel doors.

In particular, the Amish people of Pennsylvania were known for their simple lifestyles. The recessed panel door became the dominant style of this region and became widely known as the "Shaker Door".

More Options

The combinations of raised panel cabinet doors are virtually endless. Doors can be produced as a rectangular raised panel door, as well as with an arch or cathedral arch at the top. Raised panel doors can be made in just about any wood, as well as composite materials such as MDF.

These panels can also be made into wainscoting or cabinet end panels, to give your cabinets a consistent appearance. There are additional combinations such as multi-panel cabinet doors, as well as single and multi-panel applied moulding raised panel cabinet doors.

Beadboard center panels were designed by connecting several slim boards together, with a beveled edge being machined along one edge of each board, creating the "bead". This style (like the Recessed Panel Doors) lends itself to Early American, Colonial, or Country motifs. While the raised panel was general used in more traditional or formal settings.

Drawer fronts can also be produced in a raised panel design. One thing to keep in mind that raised panel drawer fronts will have to be tall or high (vertical dimension) enough to allow a full panel without losing the center flat portion of the raised panel.

Typically this minimum height is 6" to allow for a aesthetically pleasing front as well as providing a large enough flat area in the center of the panel to place a handle or knob.

Finishing Options

Wood veneer - Many people will decide to use wood veneer not only for cabinet doors, but also for the sides of your cabinet box. You can then stain them to match each other.

Wood veneer is a thin piece of solid wood that is typically applied to plywood or particleboard with glue to give it strength (don't try this at home).

It cost less than solid wood, its uniform in finish and its grain very consistent. Using wood veneer on doors provides a constant dimension by minimizing its shrinking and expansion in climate changes which ultimately eliminates cracking and splitting. This is more of a problem with solid woods.

Stain -A great way to enhance, and add color to natural wood cabinets.

Paint - If you decide to paint your doors, you have an array of colors to choose from. Painting also allows you to be creative and make unique effects.

It can be made to look smooth, glossy (I don't recommend glossy for kitchens because of the glare), or tools can be used to give it a special texture. Keep in mind, however, that paint will eventually reveal hairline cracks at the joints of solid wood doors. These cracks are formed when the wood expands and contracts.

Plastic Laminate - Plastic laminate is another great way to decorate your cabinets. It is available in all kinds of colors, patterns, and textures.

Many prefer to use plastic laminate because it is very resilient, stain-resistant, and easy to clean. Plastic laminates can be decorated with a stainless steel, or other metal finishes. It should be obvious, but I'll mention it anyway - laminate can only be applied to flat surfaces.

Polyester - Polyester can be used on cabinets, in a similar way as paint. However, it is definitely more expensive than paint and requires much more time and effort to achieve your desired results.

It can be either glossy or matte finish. The final results are often appreciated more so than paint finish because polyester fills the pores of the door giving it a solid look and feel.

Stainless Steel - Stainless steel can bring a very sleek look to your kitchen. Stainless steel is resistant to corrosion and staining.

It is low maintenance and relatively inexpensive, but it does show fingerprints and scratches. The metal covers an inner core material which prevents it from sounding to clangy. It is also available in several colors.

Glass - cabinets with glass can be ribbed or etched with a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal angle. Some prefer that the glass be ribbed or etched so that it hides what is behind the cabinet door. You also have the option of making the glass clear or colored.

If you're not sure which of these will look best, look at MANY magazines and internet photos to determine what you like. I hope this page has given you a few ideas that will help you make your decisions about the doors on your kitchen cabinets.

If you have a question or comment about cabinet doors, contact me here.

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