Refacing your kitchen cabinets is an excellent and cost-effective way to give your kitchen a brand new look without undergoing a full remodel. Not only does it give your kitchen an updated and fresh appearance, but it also comes with a significantly lower price tag than a full renovation. However, it’s important to be careful when you are choosing a company to handle the refacing work. It’s crucial to steer clear of companies that use veneers, and here’s why:
What are Veneers?
First off, you should know what exactly veneers are. Veneers are actually 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 the particle board and then applied to your cabinets.
The Problem with Veneers
Because they are just a thin covering applied to the surface of the cabinets, one of the main drawbacks of using veneers for cabinet refacing is that they are not as durable as other materials. Often, they are prone to chipping and damage, especially around the edges and corners. This can lead to an unsightly appearance and can take away from the overall beauty of your kitchen. When you reface your cabinets with new, hardwood doors and drawer faces, as N-Hance of Central Coast does, it will provide the durability that every kitchen needs. Our cabinet refacing process is made to stand up to heavy-duty kitchen traffic and ensure a quality finish.
Not only are veneers prone to chipping, but water damage is another common issue. As veneers are simply a thin covering attached to the surface of the cabinets, it’s easy for moisture to get between the veneer and the cabinet, leading to warping and bubbles. These issues can be difficult to fix and can compromise the overall appearance and durability of your cabinets.
Unfortunately, the issues with veneers don’t end there. Veneers often 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.
And even if you don’t initially see any 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 before they are then glued together. This results in them being 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 boards, hardwood wins the race and lasts decades.
Tempted by the Cost of Veneers?
When you compare costs side by side, it’s easy to become tempted by the cheap cost of veneers. Don’t be! When you are investing in your home, you want beautiful end results, and while veneers will look nice in the beginning, they will take a hit over time, especially if you have a busy family and a kitchen with a lot of foot traffic.
They may seem cheap upfront, but can end up looking worse than your original cabinets. If, on the other hand, you decide to choose a cabinet refacing company that relies on hardwood and remakes your cabinet doors and drawer fronts from scratch, as we do at N-Hance of Central Coast, 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 you are comparing it to completing a full replacement.
Ready for a Better Choice?
Helping you create your dream kitchen and ensuring that it will last is one of our most important goals here at N-Hance of Central Coast. That’s why we use solid hardwood to reface kitchen cabinets, offering a wide variety of styles, colors, and finishing techniques for you to choose from. Not only that, but we cure the coating with our proprietary Lightspeed® Nano system, so your cabinets are rock-hard on the surface. This ensures that they won’t crack or peel, regardless of how high foot traffic or heavy use is in your home.
In addition, N-Hance of Central Coast 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.
Want a quality look at a fraction of the cost of a traditional remodel? The cabinet refacing team at N-Hance of Central Coast can deliver! Call us today to set up a FREE consultation!