Redoing your kitchen can be quite a daunting task. Dreaming about brand-new cabinets might have you all worked up, but if your budget is tight, you might try refacing instead of replacing them.
This article will talk about the pros and cons of replacing versus refacing and how you can make the most of your kitchen.
Refacing Pros and Cons
While you might be dreaming about all-new, efficient cabinets for your kitchen, your wallet might be dreading it. Simply refacing might be your best bet since it is significantly cheaper to re-paint or varnish your cabinets.
Buying all-new materials can run up a serious bill. In comparison, a couple of gallons of paint or a gallon of decent varnish may end up costing you less than a hundred dollars. If you’re trying to save up, this could be the answer. You also avoid demolishing your entire kitchen, which is an added cost of its own.
However, refacing your cabinets can be just as time-consuming and pricey of a task as putting in new ones. With all the sanding, polishing, priming, varnishing, and replacing rails, handles, and hinges, you may end up with a price tag just as high or higher than all new cabinets.
On the other hand, your cabinets might not be fit for refacing. Sanding and polishing may not suit some cabinetry material, where they may strip or fall apart. Cabinets with rotting or water-damaged wood are also not good candidates for refacing.
Replacing Pros and Cons
Replacing your cabinets may be necessary if you can’t reface the old ones. It also might be the right choice for you if your budget allows and you can’t resist the sleek new styles of cabinets available. Here are some pros and cons to replacing your kitchen cabinets.
For one, brand-new cabinets come with updated designs and brand-new materials. This fact alone is an excellent incentive for many to chose to replace the entire kitchen rather than refurbishing the old.
By purchasing brand new cabinets, you avoid the labor-intensive process of sanding and polishing every inch of the old cabinets. Depending on the cabinets you pick, you might not need to sand down and polish your new cabinets unless you purchase unfinished cabinetry. Most cabinets today come ready-made without the need for any finishing.
Taking out those old cabinets to make room for the new can be quite a chore, though. You might have to watch out for structural elements, and your kitchen may be out of business for days or weeks, depending on how fast you can get the job done.
The best thing you can do when redoing your kitchen is plan, plan, plan. Some manufacturers require weeks or even months to manufacture and deliver your cabinetry. In which case, it is best not to touch your old kitchen until the new cabinetry has arrived and checks out. If you choose the RTA (ready to assemble) cabinets, those are readily available and can be put together and installed in a day or two.
Replacing your cabinets could be expensive, but refacing could end up costing you just as much or very close to having purchased brand new cabinetry. Always have both options worked out before beginning the project.
In Conclusion:
Everything considered, your prices for replacing and refacing cabinets will vary depending on the job’s facts and details. Replacing is generally more expensive and offers such benefits as new, modern materials and sturdy wood. Refacing old cabinets can be cheaper; however, you may not be happy with the result, and if your wood is old or damaged, you may not be able to do it at all.
