FOXmls.com Logo
BUILT ON TRUST
Memberships Since 1995
(buy, sell rent, rebates)
 
sitemap

Refacing Your Kitchen Cabinets: The Options and Costs

Published: January 3, 2012
Want to reface your kitchen cabinets? Smart decision. It’s more cost-effective and takes less time than a full remodel. Here are options and costs.

Refacing Cabinets
Refacing your kitchen cabinets includes covering the exposed frames with a thin veneer of real wood or plastic laminate. Doors and drawer fronts are replaced to match or complement the new veneer. New hinges, knobs, pulls, and molding complete the transformation.


Kitchen cabinet refacing pros


  • It’s about half the cost of a total cabinet replacement. You’ll also save the time, cost, and hassle of tearing out your old cabinets.
  • You can continue to use your kitchen during refacing.
  • You’ll give your kitchen a new look in a week or less.


Kitchen cabinet refacing cons


  • Pricey options, such as expensive replacement hardware and exotic veneers, can drive up the cost of refacing and reduce savings.
  • Refacing materials can’t fix an inefficient layout.


What are your refacing options?

Your choices for the finished look of your cabinets is virtually limitless. Veneers are available in a wide variety of colors, patterns, textures, grains, and more, which you can mix or match to get a relatively low-cost kitchen facelift.
  • Rigid thermofoil (RTF) doors, which feature a durable plastic coating over fiberboard, are an affordable alternative to wood or laminate doors.
  • Plastic laminates come in hundreds of colors and patterns, are durable and moisture-resistant, and are reasonably priced. You can pick matching or contrasting laminates for your doors and drawer fronts.
  • Real wood veneers include many standard species, such as oak, cherry, and maple, and you also can choose from an array of stain colors. Wood veneers are the most expensive option. Wood must be carefully sealed to protect against moisture.
Further customize and update the look of your cabinets with new kitchen cabinet hardware.

What does refacing cost?

A professional cabinet refacing for a typical 10-by-12-foot kitchen starts at around $1,000 to $3,000 for laminate. Expect to pay $2,500 to $6,000 for real wood veneer. Costs can rise to $7,000 to $9,000 or more for a large project with high-quality wood veneer.

Finishing the project with new hardware (pulls, knobs, hinges) runs $2 to $4 per piece, up to $20 to $50 each for high-end hardware.

In comparison, completely replacing old kitchen cabinets with new cabinets starts at $4,000 to $5,000 and up for stock cabinets; $8,000 to $10,000 for semi-custom cabinets; $16,000 to $20,000 and up for custom-made cabinetry.

Can my cabinets be refaced?

Refacing is feasible if your existing cabinet boxes are structurally sound and in good condition. Cabinets with water damage, warping, and broken frames are poor candidates. Particleboard cabinetry sometimes requires fasteners, in addition to adhesives, to ensure that the veneer is secure.

What’s involved

A professional installer will come to your house to measure your cabinets and determine the amount of veneer required, the correct sizes and quantities for door and drawer fronts, and how much hardware is needed. Newly ordered doors and drawer fronts may take 1 to 2 weeks for delivery.

When all the materials are in hand, your installer removes old cabinet door and drawer fronts, and prepares the surface of the cabinet boxes by washing the exteriors with a degreaser and lightly sanding the finish. Any significant flaws in the surface are repaired or filled to ensure a smooth, secure fit for the new veneer.

The installer applies veneer to the cabinet faces and any exposed cabinet ends, then mounts the new doors, drawer fronts, and hardware. The process typically takes 2 to 4 days.

Can I do kitchen cabinet refacing myself?

Detailed instructions and adhesive-backed veneers make cabinet refacing a feasible do-it-yourself project.
If you have extra time, patience, the necessary veneering tools, and a knack for precision, you can save money by tackling kitchen cabinet refacing on your own.

If you opt to do your own kitchen cabinet refacing, you’ll spend about $200 to $500 on average for materials. Specialized tools (rollers, blades, irons) add $5 to $60 to the cost.

No comments: