If you want to give your kitchen cabinets a new look without the expense of a full remodel, cabinet door replacement can be a great option. Cabinet door replacement can refresh the look of your kitchen without that expensive price tag of a full remodel. However, it’s important to note that there is a big difference between replacing your cabinet doors with a new door, and using a veneer.
What is a cabinet veneer?
A cabinet veneer is a sort of mask for your cabinets. Typically, the veneers are made from thin sheets of wood or melamine, which is a type of plastic known as thermofoil. Essentially, the wood or plastic is placed on a particle board which is subsequently placed on top of your cabinet door. Although a little cheaper than a brand new door, there’s a lot of drawbacks to using veneers.
So what’s the problem?
The main problem when choosing to use a veneer instead of replacing your cabinet door is durability. Think about it. A veneer is really thin so naturally they are more prone to chipping and damage, especially around the edges and corners. Those chips will build up over time leading to a diminished appearance of your cabinets and your kitchen as a whole. Replacing your existing cabinet doors with new, hardwood doors and drawer faces, the way N-Hance® does, will provide the durability a kitchen needs. Our cabinet door replacement process has been proven durable against the wear and tear any kitchen will experience over time.
An additional durability issue with veneers is water and moisture. It’s easy for moisture to settle between the veneer itself and the actual cabinet it’s attempting to mask. This will lead to warping and bubbling. These issues can be difficult to fix andwill probably leave you wishing you just replaced the cabinet doors in the first place.
The veneer issues certainly don’t just end there. Cracks are also common as the veneers 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.
All of this damage is what you see on the surface, but believe it or not there’s also plenty of damage that can occur behind the scenes so to speak. We’re talking about the particle board slowly falling apart unseen by the naked eye. This is simply because particle board is made from leftover, cheap materials, like wood shavings, and then glued together. That makes the board porous and prone to ripples, cracks, sagging, and more. Even if your cabinet veneers are attached to a stronger plywood, they can also suffer damage easily, especially when it comes to moisture. While plywood might last a little bit longer than the standard particle board, hardwood is still going to win the durability competition 10/10 times.
But veneers are so cheap!
They are, but that doesn’t mean they’re the most bang for your buck. The durability issues can certainly contribute to additional costs that may even end up making them more expensive in the long run. Plus, if you’re looking to do this as a way to add some value back into your home for resell, they aren’t going to give you as much as a good cabinet door replacement.
As the saying goes, “you get what you pay for,” and this is definitely true when it comparing using a veneer and replacing your cabinet doors with N-Hance Wood Refinishing of Greenville. Plus, you can still save significantly when compared to a full cabinet or kitchen remodel.
Use the N-Hance Service
As the cabinet makeover experts of Spartanburg, Asheville, and Greenville, we know how to effectively replace cabinet doors. We offer a wide variety of cabinet door styles, colors and finishing techniques to make sure you get exactly what you want. Not only that, but we’re also fast as we cure the coating of your new cabinet doors with our proprietary Lightspeed® Nano system. When we’re done, your cabinets will be rock-hard on the surface. This means you don’t need to worry about cracks or peels, regardless of high traffic and heavy use in your home.
In addition, our team here at 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. You’ll get the full look of brand new cabinets, and all you really did was focus on the doors and drawer fronts. What more could you ask for?
If you’re ready to replace your cabinet doors, then our team is ready to deliver! Call in the team here at N-HAnce Wood Refinishing of Greenville at 864-558-1000 to set up a FREE consultation.