At N-Hance®, we’re conscious of the environmental impact of our classic cabinet refinishing process.
When done right, refinishing is one of the eco-friendliest ways to maintain the beauty and integrity of wooden cabinets. Unfortunately, many homeowners choose to reface or replace their cabinets when refinishing would accomplish the job just as well.
Even when homeowners choose to refinish their cabinets, the wrong refinishing service can impact the environment. Certain refinishing methods can be dangerous for the environment. Worse yet, they can threaten the health of people and pets.
For our classic cabinet refinishing service, we wanted an eco-friendly way to refinish hardwood cabinets. This service gives you an affordable, non-intrusive, eco-friendly alternative to refacing or replacing your cabinets. Even better, our classic cabinet refinishing service uses water-based finishes and requires zero sanding. That makes it much safer for people and the planet compared to traditional refinishing.
Conserve Resources with Cabinet Refinishing
Even the most durable and long-lasting cabinet finish will show signs of wear over time. When that happens, you have four basic options:
- Refinish your cabinets
- Reface your cabinets
- Replace your cabinets
- Do nothing
Of these, option #1 is typically the greenest choice, helping conserve the planet’s natural resources. Here’s why…
Refinishing vs. Refacing/Replacing
Unless your cabinets are badly damaged, refacing or replacing them means you’re throwing away perfectly good doors and/or shells. While the finish might be worn or damaged, that doesn’t mean the underlying wood is in poor shape. In fact, wood cabinets can last for several decades if they’re refinished on a routine schedule.
Not only will you be throwing out perfect good cabinets, but you’ll need to replace them with new ones. Many of the materials used in modern cabinets are harvested through environmentally damaging practices. Then there’s the impact of transportation, processing, and manufacturing.
On top of the eco-footprint of refacing or replacing your cabinets, you’ll want to think about the impact on your wallet. Refacing/replacing cabinets can cost double or triple the amount of cabinet refinishing!
Refinishing vs. Doing Nothing
At first glance, doing nothing might seem like a greener option than refinishing your cabinets. And in the short-term, that’s usually true. But in the long run, doing nothing is usually worse for the environment than refinishing your cabinets.
That’s because you need to maintain your cabinets’ finish if you want your cabinets to last. If you do nothing, the finish will degrade even further. Eventually, this will expose the wood underneath. When that happens, the wood itself will suffer damage.
In the end, restoring damaged hardwood will be more expensive and resource-intensive than simply refinishing your cabinets. And that’s only if you restore the hardwood before it suffers serious damage. If not, you may be forced to completely replace your cabinets.
Traditional Refinishing or Classic Cabinet Refinishing?
N-Hance classic cabinet refinishing service is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional refinishing methods, which have a number of environmental drawbacks. Here’s a quick look at how these two types of refinishing stack up.
Traditional Refinishing
Traditional cabinet refinishing means stripping, sanding, restaining, refinishing, and sealing the wood. This process uses a number of chemicals, many of which contain VOCs (volatile organic compounds). When these chemicals are used, the VOCs break down and release toxic fumes into the air. Pollution from these products has been linked with a range of negative environmental outcomes.
Worse yet, prolonged exposure to these fumes can result in serious illness in human beings. This risk is increased by wood dust from sanding your cabinets. Both VOCs and wood dust have been linked with acute and chronic respiratory illness.
Classic Cabinet Refinishing
Our classic cabinet refinishing process is ideal if you want a more eco-friendly and family-friendly approach to cabinet refinishing.
For starters, our process requires zero solvents and zero sanding. This eliminates two of the worst types of air pollution linked with traditional refinishing. When it comes time to refinish and seal your cabinets, we use water-based polyurethane products. These produce a tiny fraction of the VOCs found in traditional finishes and sealants.
With classic cabinet refinishing services from N-Hance, you won’t need to worry about polluting the air in and outside your home. That’s great news for the environment, and it’s even better news for you and your family!
Call (855) 642-6230 to learn more about the eco-friendly benefits of classic cabinet refinishing and request a FREE estimate from your local N-Hance!