Refacing Cabinets

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Refacing cabinets often makes better sense than replacing them. When contemplating a kitchen renovation, most homeowners are inclined to rip out the old cabinets and install new ones in their place. This could result in spending a good deal of money unnecessarily.

The overall question that needs answering is whether or not you're happy with the kitchen layout as it is. If you're considering the change because the cabinets are banged up, scratched and scuffed on the outside, because the hardware isn't working well, because you want better access to the insides of the cabinets, or because you want to go higher (to the ceiling),- in other words, if you don't have to move any of the cabinets - then you really don't need to replace them.

If your layout isn't satisfactory, you want to create more counter space, or more storage capacity, or you want to relocate major components of the kitchen, then you have to get a new layout, and new cabinets. Depending on the size of the kitchen and the cabinet manufacturer, this could cost more than $10,000 over the cost of refacing cabinets.

Most cabinet manufacturers will tell you that cabinetry built 30 years ago was made with better materials and greater care than the cabinets made today (generally speaking). Therefore, if the layout isn't changing, it would be foolish to remove old, custom-built cabinets just to replace them with particle-board boxes covered with fake wood-grain fronts. This is not only a waste of money, but a waste of good craftsmanship as well.

There are several "hidden costs" when ordering new cabinets. These include delivery charges and sales taxes, and the labor and carting costs associated with removing and discarding the old cabinets. The installation of new cabinets, will normally add a few thousand dollars to the costs.

Installers will charge approximately $75 per linear foot to install kitchen cabinets. Finally, there is the cost of patching the walls and floors where the new doesn't cover the lines created by the old.

When refacing cabinets, the exterior material you choose can be a laminate (the cheapest alternative), a vinyl clad surface (also called RTF (rigid thermo foil)), or real wood. Let's confine our thoughts to real wood, because the other two make me nauseous (although the RTF is "kid proof", it just looks too much like plastic for my taste).

Most refacing specialists will offer 5 or 6 species of wood, including oak, maple, cherry, hickory, birch and mahogany. Each of these can be finished in a variety of stains to give the homeowner the desired look. The doors and drawer fronts will be solid wood, and a 1/16" thick veneer will be applied to the fronts and sides of the cabinets, so all the exposed surfaces will match.

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Well, that takes care of the scratched, scuffed, banged up issue. If the hardware isn't working well, it can all be replaced by a carpenter in less than a day. Better access can be provided by adding accessories to the interiors of the cabinets (pull-outs, racks, lazy susans, etc.).

Finally, if the cabinets are 7 ft high and you want to go higher, boxes can be added to the tops of the cabinets before the doors and veneers are installed. Of course, the more you do, the more you will spend. But refacing cabinets in the average-sized kitchen will run between $5,000 and $8,000.

Many refacing companies (especially those on the internet) will sell kits for die hard do-it-yourselfers. You will need to set aside a good chunk of time, and you should have a little natural talent if you intend to take this job on by yourself. Once all the pieces are cut and stained, it's possible to complete the installation over a weekend.

The homeowner is asked to take detailed measurements, and select the desired finish. The company will send the material, all numbered by location, and the homeowner has to fit the hardware and complete the installation. Getting the hinges properly adjusted might take some doing, but none of this is impossible. You just need conviction, persistence, and patience.

If you have a question, contact me about refacing cabinets by clicking here.

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