Do Your Cabinets Need a Facelift?
One of the simplest and most economical things you can do to give your kitchen a completely fresh new look is to re-face the cabinets and drawers. (It works in bathrooms, too!) This is also known as cabinet re-surfacing.
residential and commercial customers
As you can imagine, your kitchen and bathrooms are the most used rooms in the house. Experts in real estate say that it’s very often the kitchen that sells a house—and that bathrooms follow closely behind.
While it always pays to do your own research, too, it’s generally agreed on that updating the kitchen has a high return on investment when it comes to re-sale value.
At the same time, remodeling the kitchen can be the most expensive part of a larger home renovation project, especially when you decide to remodel other parts of the home, too.
Rather than take on a complete kitchen remodel, for a fraction of the cost of renovating (and far less down-time!), we can reface the cabinets in your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, workshop, and even your garage.
Cabinet refacing allows you to replace your existing cabinet doors, drawer fronts, knobs, handles and hinges with custom manufactured products of your choice. The structure of your cabinets stays the same, while your new cabinet drawers and doors will match the refaced frames.
In just a short time—generally less than a week once the materials arrive—your kitchen or bath will look brand new. You can even upgrade the insides of your cabinets with new drawers and shelves on sliders for softer, smoother operation.
The choices of styles, colors and hardware for refaced cabinets is vast. As long as you like the current layout, choosing cabinet refacing over a complete remodel is a convenient, affordable home improvement option that looks and feels like you spent a lot more than you did.
There are times, however, when cabinet refacing won’t work. If your cabinets were low-budget or even cheap to begin with, it’s usually more economical to replace everything. Sometimes the structure is damaged beyond repair, usually from water, termites, or even a chewing puppy! Metal cabinets almost always need to be replaced—they’re simply too difficult for us to work with.
Another reason to completely replace cabinets here in the tropics is when your cabinets take on odors that cannot be removed—you know what we’re talking about. In these cases, we definitely recommend complete cabinet replacement.
Cabinet Refacing vs All-New Cabinetry
| Features | With A New Kitchen | With Refacing |
| Doors | Yes | Yes |
| Drawer Fronts | Yes | Yes |
| Drawer Boxes | Yes | Yes |
| Countertops | Yes | Yes |
| Hardware | Yes | Yes |
| Veneers | Yes | Yes |
| Valances | Yes | Yes |
| Molding | Yes | Yes |
| Exterior Shelves | Yes | Yes |
| Framework | Yes | Existing |
| Rip out / Construction | Yes | Not Required |
| Permits | Yes | Not Required |
| Costs | Premium | Saves up to 50% |
While cabinet refacing is not as disruptive as replacing cabinets, you can expect a certain amount of disruption from the process.
Technically, you could leave a few items inside the cabinets. But if you are at all concerned about dust or damage, it’s best to remove everything from countertops, cabinets, and drawers while work is being done. A clear, uncluttered work area is always best. And it’s a good idea to plan on not cooking (at least not in the kitchen!) for a few days.
Adding a few extras during a cabinet refacing job is also an option. While we’re resurfacing your cabinets and your kitchen is out of commission anyway, Kauai Handyman Services can put in a new sink and backsplash, new countertops, a kitchen island, or new lighting. Having the floors replaced or refinished at the same time might also be on your wish list.
While you can attempt a cabinet refacing project yourself, most people find the scale of this job to be a bit more than they’re comfortable with. Our team of remodeling professionals can help you with design, ordering, and installation for a finished product that will bring you many years of enjoyment, while also increasing the market value of your home.