A kitchen can be the heart of a home with the right look and use of space. It doesn’t simply have to be a place to make meals and store food. It can be a place where families congregate and enjoy the act of cooking.
This is only possible with a well-thought out, beautiful kitchen and the wrong cabinets can play a big part. Cabinets need to be functional, spacious and attractive.
When the cabinets get older or are in need of work, it is time for some kitchen cabinet renovation. The question is, which is the best approach for cabinet renovation? It is a replacement, refacing, or refinishing?
The most obvious option for consumers is cabinet replacement, even though it may not be the best idea.
The first thought for many homeowners in need of an upgrade on their cabinets is a complete replacement. Rip them all out and start again with brand new, contemporary options. This complete refit maybe the only option for old kitchens or those having a major overhaul in layout and design.
The first issue here is time. This is a long, time-consuming process because the old ones need to come on before the new ones can go up.
New cabinet options may also require a need for adjustments to electrics and plumbing, especially if appliances need to move. Also, the kitchen is likely to be off-limits for a while when contractors are dealing with the problems.
The other problem is that this is costly, as you aren’t replacing one bad door but the whole set. This is, therefore, the best option for those that want a complete change and have few issues with costs.
Some full-scale kitchen renovations can cost as much as $50,000. This is a ballpark figure that varies based on the expense of features, additional extras and the size of the kitchen. It is important to plan and budget well, as many homeowners spend more than they had anticipated.
In the end, this is the best way to get exactly what we require a whole new kitchen design. Still, there are other, cheaper alternatives for those dealing with cabinet renovations.
Refacing offers a middle ground in cabinet renovation with a new look at a lower cost, but it too has its pros and cons.
Refacing is the first alternative to consider here. If the cabinets look old and in need of love because of damage to the doors, this could help. Cabinet refacing works on the door, while leaving the cabinet itself intact. This means less time spent working in the kitchen, less money, and less labor.
With refacing, each surface gets carefully upgraded. The cheapest option is to have a new laminate finish over the top. This regenerates the room at a fraction of the cost of the refit.
Consumers can spend less than $5000 for laminates, making them more attractive financially than new cabinets. However, there are issues with quality, as the laminate isn’t always that durable. It can peel and tarnish with wear. It can also make old cabinets look cheaper in the long run.
In the end, a flat laminate look may not be all that much better than old, worn hardwood.
It all depends on the desired look. The better alternative is a whole new door, or perhaps a wood veneer. A wood veneer is usually of better quality than laminate. However, it can still chip and warp, so it is not perfect by any means.
A new door means a solid new structure that changes the look, without replacing the entire cabinet. While this includes comparatively more work, there is hardly any time needed to change it over and minimal disruption.
The use of solid wooden doors and veneers typically cost somewhere between $10,000 and $15,000. Again, this is significantly cheaper than the over-budget labor-intensive refit.
Finally, there is the option of cabinet refinishing.
Refinishing was once overlooked as an alternative form of cabinet renovation. It used to be pretty time-consuming, hard work and made too much of mess. Therefore, many homeowners still assume that their best course of action is to reface the cabinets or replace them entirely. A lot has changed.
New methods and options mean it is quicker, cleaner and easier for all concerned. It is quicker because workers do not need to remove the doors to get the job done properly. Therefore, it only takes a few days. It is cleaner due to new materials and processes in the restoration process.
The restoration work involved is pretty simple. Experts will work with the surface available to repair damage and bring new life to a current cabinet.
Workers start by cleaning and de-greasing the wooden surfaces to bring out the grain and wood beneath. They can then patch them up, add a simple finish and that’s it. This is a cabinet restoration makeover attempt, rather than an act of giving up.
This works well in the right kitchen, but there are limitations to what they can achieve. On a related note, restorers warn consumers not to try and cover the problem with paint only. Bad DIY paint jobs stand out and often peel and wear away. It is a quick fix that doesn’t help.
There are choices available here in cabinet renovation depending on a consumer’s budget, requirements, and taste.
A cabinet restoration effort in a kitchen doesn’t have to come down to a complete refit and destruction of units. There is the chance that the bare bones of the cabinets are fine and worth saving. That is why is it so helpful to have these three options of refacing, replacing or refinishing.
There are definite pros and cons to each option, and the final choice comes down to cost as much as the last look. Those looking for a cheap fix on existing doors can go for the budget refinishing job or a new veneer.
Those with money to burn and a desire for something modern can stick with the big budget refit.
