M INSIGHTHORIZON NEWS
// education insights

Can I resurface my kitchen cabinets

By Zoe Patterson

Refacing cabinets is a quick and easy way to change the look of your kitchen without the mess and expense of a complete remodeling. You simply cover the cabinet face frame with self-sticking wood veneer and the end panels with 1/4-in. plywood. Then replace the old doors and drawer fronts with new ones.

Is it worth it to resurface kitchen cabinets?

Remodeling your kitchen can be expensive, but refacing kitchen cabinets can save you money. The kitchen cabinets are a significant part of your kitchen’s look, and replacing them can take up half of the entire remodeling budget. … The cost to reface kitchen cabinets could prove to be a valuable investment in your home.

What kind of cabinets can be resurfaced?

Wood veneers are the most realistic-looking resurfacing option, because the material is actual, real wood. This allows you to stick with all-wood cabinets while transforming your cabinets to a completely different wood type.

What is the average cost to resurface kitchen cabinets?

What Does Refacing Cost? A professional cabinet refacing for a typical 10-foot-by-12-foot kitchen starts at around $80 to $100 per linear foot for laminate materials only. Expect to pay the same, $80 to $100 per linear foot, for wood veneer materials.

Is it cheaper to refinish cabinets or replace them?

Opting to refinish, rather than replace, kitchen cabinets is more cost-effective, too; Ballard says it can save you up to $5,000. Of course, if your cabinets aren’t wood, refinishing may not be an option.

Why is cabinet refacing so expensive?

Since refacing cabinets involves replacing only the surface of the cabinets with new materials and updating the hardware, it’s cheaper to simply reface them. Replacing cabinets costs more since the entire cabinets are removed and new ones are installed. It requires more labor and material, which means you’ll pay more.

Is it cheaper to refinish or reface kitchen cabinets?

If budget is your main consideration, refinishing is often the cheaper option. Estimates have shown that refinishing cabinets costs about 2/3 the cost of refacing, and refacing costs about 70 to 80 percent the cost of installing replacement cabinets.

What is the difference between cabinet refacing and refinishing?

As mentioned above, when you are refacing your cabinets, you are putting new material on top of the existing cabinet frames and replacing doors and drawer fronts. When refinishing cabinets, all you are doing is changing the finish, or color, of the existing materials.

Is it cheaper to paint or replace kitchen cabinets?

The cost to paint a kitchen is typically 1/3 to ½ the cost of replacing. The paints applied to cabinets are also very durable and will last just as long as new cabinets in most cases. … The only time you really do not want to paint or re-stain your cabinets is when you are tired of the look of the doors and drawers.

What is cabinet refacing?

During refacing, the framework of your cabinets (known as the cabinet box) remains intact. Meanwhile, other elements such as cabinet doors, drawer fronts, hinges and handles, will be replaced. You can also choose to install or replace countertops, tile backsplashes, lighting and more as part of your project.

Article first time published on

Can I put new doors on old cabinets?

Can You Just Replace the Cabinet Doors? You can definitely just replace cabinet doors. If you’re up for a little bit of work with some basic tools, and maybe a spare set of hands to help, you can even do it yourself.

Can you refinish cabinets that are not wood?

Resurfacing kitchen cabinets can transform the appearance of the entire kitchen and is a much more affordable solution than replacing the cabinets. In the industry, it’s known as refacing kitchen cabinets and it can be done to any type of cabinet surface, including fake wood or wood veneer and laminate surfaces.

Can you paint over resurfaced cabinets?

Refacing cabinets in your kitchen or bathroom, and then painting them, is a cost-effective way of giving them a new appearance. … To achieve this, you must use the correct types of paint and prepare the surfaces thoroughly.

How long does cabinet refacing last?

Cabinet refacing can last a lifetime if special care and measures are taken. Under normal kitchen use and conditions, you can expect to enjoy up to 20 years.

What is the difference between refacing and painting cabinets?

What is the difference between cabinet refacing and refinishing? The real difference between painting (or refinishing) and refacing your cabinets is relatively straight forward. Painting your cabinets gives your existing cabinetry a fresh look, whereas refacing them gives your cabinets almost an entirely new look.

How do you make old kitchen cabinets look new?

  1. Try Removable Wallpaper. …
  2. Swap Out Boring Hardware. …
  3. Install Sliding Shelves. …
  4. Get Organized With Drawer Dividers. …
  5. Hang Storage Bars Inside Doors. …
  6. Add Interest With Furniture Legs & Feet. …
  7. Try Open Shelving. …
  8. Add Toe Kick Drawers.

How much does it cost to hire someone to paint kitchen cabinets?

MethodAverage CostPer Square Foot$3 – $10Per Linear Foot$30 – $60Per Drawer$20 – $30Per Door$50 – $100

When should cabinets be refinished?

If your cabinets are damaged or have cosmetic imperfections like scratches, holes, fading stain, or chipping paint, you may want to consider upgrading. If the cabinet doors are truly damaged beyond repair, refacing them may be your only option.

Can you reface kitchen cabinets twice?

The process of refacing kitchen cabinets is fairly standard, which allows cabinets to be refaced again when the times, or your design tastes, have changed.

Is Deglosser better than sanding?

Liquid deglosser can save time and energy by roughing up a surface to ready it for paint or stain via a chemical process versus the elbow grease required for sanding. While deglosser quickly removes paint and stain, it can’t smooth uneven surfaces as sanding can.

Can I Restain my kitchen cabinets without sanding?

Staining old cabinets gives new life to your kitchen. … However, you can also avoid sanding if you wish to re-stain old cabinets that have no major dents or scratches that need intricate repairs. Skipping sanding when staining cabinets cuts down on the time necessary to complete this finishing project.

Is it better to sand or strip wood?

Stripping a finish is faster than sanding to remove it. But more importantly, sanding cuts through stain and patina (the color changes in wood caused by light and oxidation), and it does so unevenly. …

What are partial overlay cabinets?

Partial-overlay cabinet doors are cabinetry designed with ½-inch overlay door and drawer fronts, which leaves 2 inches of the cabinet face frame exposed between the doors, creating a more traditional kitchen look. Partial-overlay cabinet doors are also called standard, traditional or half overlay.

How do I freshen up my kitchen cabinets?

  1. Install Cabinet Hardware. …
  2. Use a Cabinet Shelf Liner. …
  3. Keep Doors & Drawers Closed. …
  4. Avoid Water Exposure. …
  5. Wax Your Cabinets. …
  6. Clean Your Cabinets with Vinegar.

How can I change the look of my cabinet doors?

If your cabinet doors feature raised or recessed panels surrounded by a molding-like frame, you can give the doors an entirely new look by embellishing or replacing the panels. Embellish the panels by covering them with ceramic tile, backsplash sheets that look like stamped tin or with a contrasting color of paint.

How can I reface my kitchen cabinets?

  1. Remove the doors and doors of each cabinet.
  2. Cover the front edges of the cabinets with peel and stick wood veneer.
  3. Hang the new cabinet doors with easy-to-install cup hinges.
  4. Attach the new drawer fronts to the existing drawers.
  5. Replace molding where needed.
  6. Add new hardware to all cabinets.

Can I paint my kitchen cabinets if they are not real wood?

Yes You Can Paint Laminate! What is laminate, you ask? It can basically be any type of furniture, cabinets, or wood-like product that is made by attaching a thin layer of printed plastic (sometimes called Melamine or Thermofoil) to a substrate of plywood or particle board.

How can I tell if my cabinets are laminate or hardwood?

If you feel the surface, hardwood typically has texture and grains, while laminate is hard, glassy, and has a plastic feel to it.