Thinking of Remodeling Your Kitchen? Consider Cabinet Refacing and Save Big
If your kitchen is looking tired but you're not ready for a full-scale renovation, cabinet refacing may be the perfect solution. Refacing lets you update the look of your existing cabinets for half the cost of new ones, with a faster timeline and less disruption too. Here's what you need to know about this affordable and eco-friendly kitchen upgrade option.
Slash Your Kitchen Remodel Budget by Refacing Cabinets
A full kitchen remodel with all new cabinetry can easily cost $15,000-30,000 or more. But refacing your current cabinets offers big savings, with typical costs ranging from $4,000-12,000 depending on factors like:
- Labor costs for installation
- Number of cabinets being refaced
- Door styles and materials selected
- Hardware upgrades
Since you're keeping your existing cabinet boxes, you avoid demolition and rebuild costs. New doors, drawer fronts and hardware transform the look without breaking the bank.
The Refacing Process: Efficient and Minimally Disruptive
Refacing keeps your essential cabinet structure intact while replacing all visible surfaces. The steps include:
- Removing existing doors, drawer fronts, and hardware
- Prepping and painting cabinet boxes
- Installing upgraded doors, drawers and hardware
With an experienced contractor, the process typically takes 5-7 days. Since current cabinets stay put, it's much less invasive than a full remodel. Some companies even reface cabinets offsite to minimize kitchen disruption.
Customize Your Kitchen with New Cabinet Doors and Finishes
While keeping existing cabinet boxes, refacing lets you completely change the style of your kitchen. Just look at options like:
- Shaker, flat panel, recessed panel, or glass cabinet doors
- Staining, painting or laminating finishes
- Sleek modern metal or classic brass hardware
You can select door styles unavailable as stock cabinetry. Though more limited than installing a fresh new layout, refacing still allows creativity in design.
How Refacing Compares to Refinishing Cabinets
Refinishing means repainting or re-staining existing cabinet boxes without replacing doors and drawers. Refacing swaps out visible surfaces for a new look. Many projects combine both:
- Refinishing: Altering color and finish of cabinet boxes.
- Refacing: Installing updated doors, hardware and drawer fronts.
Refinishing alone has less impact, but doesn't upgrade style details like door profiles. Together, they enable an economical kitchen update.
Is Refacing the Right Choice for Your Kitchen?
Considerations for whether refacing your current kitchen cabinets is suitable:
- Condition of existing cabinet boxes - are they structurally sound?
- Desired layout changes - need for relocated cabinets or appliances?
- Quality of original construction - solid wood vs. particle board boxes?
If your cabinets are damaged, poor quality or you want significant layout changes, new cabinets may be the better investment. Speak with contractors about your goals.
An Eco-Friendly Kitchen Cabinet Makeover
Replacing kitchen components like cabinets generates huge waste - up to 61 pounds per square foot. Refacing keeps existing cabinet boxes out of landfills. With fewer materials required, it also has a smaller carbon footprint than an entire cabinet replacement.
DIY or Hire a Pro? Your Refacing Options
Is refacing kitchen cabinets a DIY project? With good carpentry skills, removing doors/drawers and repainting boxes is doable. Installing upgraded components takes more precision. Consider combining DIY and hired help to save costs. When outsourcing the work, check qualifications and refacing experience specifically.
If your kitchen layout is sound but the cabinets feel dated, refacing provides an affordable facelift. For half the price of new cabinets or less, you can update the look and style. Next steps are to get contractor quotes and explore design options within your budget. With some smart planning, you can refresh your kitchen without breaking the bank through refacing your existing cabinetry.