When you want cabinets with a new style and different color, cabinet refacing is the ideal choice. You can change the look and feel of your cabinets, all at a fraction of the cost of a full remodel. However, just be careful that the company you choose to handle the cabinet refacing work does not use veneers. Here’s why. 

What are Veneers?

Veneers are manufactured from thin sheets of wood or melamine, which is a type of plastic known as thermofoil. Essentially, either the wood or plastic is attached to particle board and then applied to your cabinets. With wood veneers, glue is used to adhere the veneer to the cabinet. With melamine, heat is used. 

The Problem with Veneers

Since veneers are just a thin covering, you’ll pay the price in terms of beauty and durability. Refacing your cabinets with new, hardwood doors and drawer faces, the way N-Hance® does, will provide the durability a kitchen needs. Our refacing process will stand up to heavy-duty kitchen traffic and ensure a quality finish. 

Veneers, on other hand, are thinner, weaker, and damage easily. For instance, they can start to chip, particularly around the edges and in the corners, which then exposes the underlying particle board. If the underlayment is a different color than the paint color, this will be noticeable and take away from the beauty and appeal of your kitchen cabinets.

Not only are veneers more prone to chipping, but they are also easily susceptible to water damage. Since veneers are attached to the cabinet surface, it’s easy for moisture to get between the actual cabinet and the veneer. Over time, as water seeps in and gets absorbed, bubbles and warping can occur. These problems tend to be hard to fix.

The issues with veneers don’t end there. Veneers can crack as they are exposed to different elements and temperatures, such as hot water or grease. This can cause the veneers to expand at a different rate than the wood underneath. If you have melamine veneers, these won’t expand since they are plastic. But the particleboard underneath will, causing the veneers to crack away from the surface they are attached to.

Even if you don’t see damage on the surface, the particle board underneath can get damaged easily. This is simply because particle board is made from leftover, cheap materials, like wood shavings, and then glued together. The result? They are porous and prone to ripples, cracks, sagging, and more. 

Even if your cabinet veneers are attached to plywood, they can also suffer damage easily, especially when it comes to moisture. While plywood might last longer than particle board, hardwood wins the race and lasts decades. 

Another Reason to Avoid Veneers When Refacing Cabinets?

Beauty. When you’re investing in your home, you want beautiful end results. Veneers will take a hit over time, especially if you have a busy family and a kitchen with a lot of foot traffic. 

If, on the other hand, you opt for a cabinet refacing company that relies on hardwood and remakes your cabinets doors and drawer fronts from scratch, like we do at N-Hance, you’ll wind up with a superior product. 

As the saying goes, “you get what you pay for,” and this holds true for cabinet refacing. Plus, you can still save significantly when compared to a full replacement. 

Ready for Hardwood Cabinet Refacing?

At N-Hance, we use solid hardwood to reface kitchen cabinets, offering a wide variety of styles, colors and finishing techniques to choose from. Not only that, but we cure the coating with our proprietary Lightspeed® system, so your cabinets are rock-hard on the surface. This ensures they don’t crack or peel, regardless of high foot traffic and heavy use in your home.

In addition, N-Hance can provide a selection of custom accessories and hardware, from soft-close drawer glides to knobs, pulls, glass cabinets, crown molding, wine racks, shelves, and dovetail drawer boxes. Your cabinets will look brand new and completely different with help from our team of refacing experts.

Ready to explore the many options for kitchen cabinet colors? Connect with N-Hance® and let us help! Call (855) 642-6230 to set up a FREE consultation.