Should I Paint Or Reface My Kitchen Cabinets?

Your kitchen cabinets take up a lot of real estate in your kitchen, so if they’re showing their age, they can start to drag down the look and value of the whole room. Are you considering painting or refacing your kitchen cabinets? There are pros and cons to each.

While we all dream of doing the big kitchen renovation, if that’s not in the cards, focusing on your cabinetry may be a good project to tackle to update your kitchen. It’s also a better option for a limited budget. The big question I hear a lot is: should I be replacing my cabinets entirely, or can I get away with painting or refacing them? Should I reface or replace my kitchen cabinets?

Painting Versus Refacing Your Cabinets

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The big difference between painting and refacing your cabinets is pretty simple. Painting your existing cabinets freshens up the existing look of your kitchen cabinetry while refacing them gives it a new look almost entirely.

Either way, both choices give you a less expensive option in lieu of doing a full replacement, which is great for any homeowner on a budget. The cost of replacing kitchen cabinets is much higher than painting or refacing.

While painting tends to be the cheaper of the two, painted cabinets build up grease and dust more easily than refaced cabinets, so they’ll require more maintenance, unless you use a speciality company.

You don’t want outdated or damaged cabinets to ruin the look of your kitchen or bathroom. Replacing your cabinets is one way to add an instant update, but you could also reface them instead. The better option depends on your budget and the layout or condition of the existing cabinets.

 

What Is Cabinet Refacing?

Cabinet refacing means replacing the cabinet skin panels to do an easy kitchen or bathroom remodel. The process involves removing your drawer fronts and cabinet doors and applying a new veneer on surfaces of your cabinets. When it comes to refacing, you would also be replacing the hardware, drawer pulls and hinges.

 

When To Reface Your Cabinets

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Refacing your cabinets means replacing all the front-facing parts of the existing cabinet boxes (doors, drawers, wood veneering) – but leaving the rest in place. You keep the existing cabinetry, but still give it a new look that can change the look of your existing kitchen dramatically. You’re looking at a drastically reduced cost to reface your cabinets instead of a full replacement.

 

Because you’re only replacing front-facing hardware, you’re not disturbing any plumbing or wires that run through the kitchen. And remember, plumbing and wiring are not DIY tasks.

 

Pro Tip: The framework of the cabinets needs to be in good condition to be refaced – if their integrity is compromised (such as the cabinet walls feeling soft, or the cabinet box is too old to drill new holes), you’re looking at a replacement instead.

 

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Pros And Cons Of Refacing Kitchen Cabinets 

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The Pros Of Refacing Kitchen Cabinets

Remodeling your kitchen is not a cheap project, but refacing your kitchen cabinets can save you money. Here are the advantages of refacing your kitchen cabinets:

• Cost-effective makeover solution
• No changes to layout required
• Fairly quick and simple process

 

The Cons of Refacing Kitchen Cabinets

If you are refacing vs replacing your kitchen cabinets, you will not be able to make any layout changes to your current kitchen.

• The costs to reface cabinets can add up, when you take into consideration new hinges, hardware, drawer pulls etc
• DIYers can make a mess of the cabinets if they don’t have the skills, experience or the right products

 

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When To Replace Your Cabinets

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Good quality cabinets should last you decades. So if you can save money and get a similar effect from replacing, why wouldn’t you keep the old ones?

If your kitchen will see a lot of wear and tear over the years, your cabinets might take a beating. Most cabinets are made from wood, and so water damage is a concern, especially if you’ve sprung a leak. If the wood is starting to warp, showing signs of mold, or no longer open or close properly, you’ll want to think about replacing them soon.

If you’re happy with your kitchen’s layout, you can get away with refacing the cabinets. What if you’re doing a bigger renovation? Knocking down walls or adding more space in the kitchen might mean having to move around your cabinets. In that case, you may find it more valuable to have the old cabinets ripped out, and replaced with new ones.

Think about the rest of your kitchen – what sections of the kitchen are due to be replaced next? Before you replace the cabinetry, think about what other pieces will need to be swapped out in the next five or ten years. Think long-term and make sure that your new cabinets will match any updated appliances or countertops in the future.

If you’re happy with your kitchen’s layout, you can get away with refacing the cabinets.

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Now, if you decide to replace your cabinets, but they’re still in decent shape, donate them to the Habitat ReStore. It may seem like we throw out all the kitchen cabinets when we do demos on our shows, but we do donate as many materials as possible.

 

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