Refacing or Replacing Kitchen Cabinets

Does your kitchen need makeover? Do you consider refacing or replacing old cabinets? Both methods can make your kitchen look great, it’s up to you to decide what’s optimal for you and your needs.

Refacing is commonly quicker and cheaper and many people consider it first. It makes sense, but only if your current kitchen cabinets are of high quality. In general, the process consists of installing new drawer fronts and cabinet doors. Exposed face frames of cabinets are covered with matching plastic veneer or wood. Depending on the size of the kitchen, refacing project usually take couple of days.

As we said, it does make sense if kitchen cabinets are of solid frames and the drawers and doors contain reinforced corners and closed backs. You can also paint current cupboards if the wood their are made of is of high quality. However, refacing is not recommended for every kitchen, because it can not solve the problem of lousy kitchen layout. If your kitchen is nonfunctional, refacing will be just a waste of money. The refacing cost depends on the kitchen size, chosen materials and included options.

In case you need to completely replace kitchen cabinets, the cheapest options are stock cabinets. Sometimes they really fit well and nowadays they are available in different sizes, shapes, materials and colors. Maple, cherry, birch and oak solid hardwood cupboards are more expensive than veneer and laminate finished solutions. For much more money, you can get custom cabinets if you don’t find stock products of your choice. It’s very important to buy cabinets with high-end mechanical hardware and hinges. Cheap ones should be avoided, because they might function improperly or break, so you will most likely have to replace them. Before making final decision, compare overall costs with more vendors and check out online kitchen cabinets and their prices.