Cabinet refacing is an excellent home renovation project that can provide an updated look at a fraction of the cost of remodeling or renovating. Kitchen upgrades are often a sound investment, and refacing involves less demolition and construction — letting homeowners experiment with a new style without breaking the bank or disrupting their lives.
This guide explains everything you need to know about cabinet refacing, including a step-by-step guide for completion.
What Is Cabinet Refacing?
Refacing kitchen cabinets is an innovative way to give a space a stunning new look while saving time and money. Replacing elements like hardware, drawer fronts, doors and other visible parts leaves the existing cabinetry intact — a cost-effective solution that still results in a noticeable improvement.
- Boosting home value: A fresh look can transform a space, making it more attractive or functional. Homeowners looking to sell soon can use this project to enhance their kitchen’s aesthetics and boost their home’s value without undergoing an extensive construction project.
- Embracing new styles: People looking to refine a theme or experiment with new options can enjoy many style and finish options, including paints, glazes and stains.
- Saving time and money: Refacing is more budget-friendly and less time-consuming than rebuilding or installing cabinetry. This process allows homeowners to upgrade their space while saving thousands of dollars and avoiding a disruptive remodel or renovation.
- Supporting sustainability: Reusing cabinet boxes reduces waste and is more environmentally friendly than doing a complete replacement. Refacing existing cabinet doors and drawer fronts lets people get the look they want with less waste.
Overview of How to Refinish Cabinets Yourself
Conestoga Wood Specialties does not do construction or installation projects. Instead, our team crafts high-quality components for professional contractors. We allow homeowners to keep their current cabinet door and drawer fronts and resurface them with durable, genuine wood veneers — a stylish upgrade custom-built to fit existing cabinetry. By following steps like these, you can use our refacing products to achieve a fresh, new look.
- Measure existing elements: First, measure the current cabinetry to verify the correct sizes of elements. Record the door opening width and height, end panel width and drawer opening width. These measurements will also determine the amount of overlay. You can find the door size by doubling the overlay distance and adding it to the opening size.
- Determine door material and style: Refacing allows homeowners to embrace multiple new looks. However, the cabinet door material will impact the project cost. Decide whether to stain or paint existing wood, apply veneer or use another material to achieve the desired appearance.
- Prepare the cabinets: Empty the cabinets before reinstalling components. Unscrew all hinges to remove cabinet doors and drawer fronts. Use a damp rag with an appropriate solution to clean the end panels and face frames. If using veneers, scuff all surfaces to ensure a secure bond to the adhesive. Always clean up dust or debris before moving to the next step.
- Install end panels: Measure and cut the end panel to fit flush against the frame. Attach the end panels by securing with construction adhesive.
- Add the new material: Kitchen cabinet paint can be transformative. Prime all the doors and drawers before applying paint to ensure effective paint preparation. One coat of primer and paint is often adequate for a long-lasting finish, but bolder finishes may require additional coats.
- Apply veneer if necessary: Choose a high-quality veneer to create a wood look without investing in new materials. Veneer doors are more budget-friendly than solid cabinet wood material and come in various grain patterns and colors. The use of a laminate cutter can create to create correctly sized veneer strips. Apply the veneer by carefully aligning it and pressing down on the surface. Smooth with an applicator tool.
- Replace the doors and drawers: Secure all cabinet doors and drawers. Replace the moulding if necessary, and add new hardware to complete the new look. At this stage, you can embrace convenient storage options and drawer upgrades. Cabinet pull-outs can transform a space into an organized oasis, allowing you to store pots and pans, display spices and cooking essentials or hide trash cans.
Materials Necessary to Resurface Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet refacing involves accurate measuring, cutting and safe tool use. Depending on the new material type and preferred application method, people looking to complete a do-it-yourself refacing project may need additional tools.
Generally, DIY cabinet refacing requires:
- Tape measure
- Laminate cutter
- Pencil and paper
- Screwdriver
- Drill and drill bits
- File
- Finishing nails
- Sandpaper or other scuffing material
- Veneer edge trimmer
- Primer and paint
- Circular saw
- Veneer applicator tool
- Rags
- Cleaning solution or denatured alcohol
- Gloves, goggles and hearing protection
Tips for Refacing Kitchen Cabinet Doors and Drawers
Though homeowners and contractors can complete refacing by themselves, this process takes extreme precision. A professional remodeler can deliver high-quality results and guide the material and style selection processes.
Remember these tips for how to reface kitchen cabinets.
- Repainting is a savvy way to keep costs low while changing a kitchen’s look.
- Wood veneer appears luxurious, but requires lots of attention to detail.
- Consider refacing when cabinet doors and drawers start showing wear and tear.
- Request a professional treatment option for a long-lasting and unique finish.
- Limit kitchen use during the refacing process.
- Allow cabinet doors and drawers to dry after cleaning and before applying new finishes or paint.
- Enhance the new look by updating hardware like handles, knobs and hinges.
Enhance Kitchen Cabinetry Products With Conestoga Wood Specialties
Conestoga Wood Specialties is your leading kitchen and bath industry product provider, with a 60-year commitment to dependability and quality. Our team delivers exceptional materials on time more than 99% of the time.
We keep our fingers on the pulse of new trends and innovations to transform spaces and meet high demands. Using state-of-the-art processes and equipment alongside outstanding craftsmanship empowers us to embrace new ideas and create custom designs that bring client visions to life.
Our team has the experience to help you choose the ideal options for enhanced aesthetics, comfort and durability. Trust our professionals to advise you on refacing cabinet doors and drawers. Contractors can connect with us to learn how we can transform a space with beautiful cabinetry products.
