One of the questions that homeowners frequently ask N-Hance® technicians is whether or not homeowners should reface cabinets.
While more expensive than refinishing, restaining, or painting your cabinets, refacing delivers a more transformative appearance. It’s also significantly cheaper — roughly half the cost — of replacing your cabinets completely. This makes refacing an ideal choice for many kitchen remodeling projects.
That said, there are situations where it doesn’t make sense to reface cabinets. In these situations, refacing may be overly costly. It could result in lower-quality cabinets. And it could ultimately impact the value of your home.
So let’s take a look at when it’s a good idea to replace your cabinet doors, and when it’s not such a great idea to reface cabinets.
When to Reface Cabinets or Replace Cabinet Doors
Today, refacing is one of the most popular ways to update the look of kitchen cabinets. And if you’re faced with one of the following situations, it makes a lot of sense to reface cabinets.
When You Don’t Like Your Current Door Style
The style of your cabinet doors can define the look of your kitchen. So if you don’t particularly like your current door style, refacing might be your best option. Refacing your cabinets or replacing your cabinet doors will allow you to choose a style that fits your personal aesthetic.
When You’re Replacing Damaged Cabinet Doors
On cabinet doors, certain types of light to moderate damage can be fixed or masked by a qualified refinisher. But if one or more of your cabinet doors have suffered severe damage — like water damage, deep cracks, or termite damage — they need to be replaced.
When You’re Upgrading the Door Material
If your existing cabinet doors are made from low-quality materials, refacing gives you the chance to upgrade. Instead of sticking with cheap, thermofoil cabinetry, you can reface cabinets and make the switch to wood veneer, or even solid hardwood doors.
When You’re Increasing the Value of Your Home
Your kitchen is one of your home’s most valuable rooms, and your cabinets play a big part in that value. If you reface cabinets in the right materials, style, and color, you can significantly increase the value of your home.
When Not to Reface Cabinets or Replace Cabinet Doors
On the other hand, here are the situations where you don’t want to reface cabinets or replace your cabinet doors.
When a New Coat of Finish or Paint Would Suffice
When your kitchen cabinets look dingy and outdated, refacing might seem like the obvious solution. But in many cases, you don’t actually need to reface cabinets to refresh their appearance. Refinishing, restaining, or painting your cabinets can transform the look of your cabinets without changing their style. What’s more, these options cost a fraction of what you’d pay to reface cabinets.
When You’re Downgrading the Door Material
One of the biggest mistakes that we see when homeowners reface cabinets is a downgrade of materials. On too many projects, high-quality hardwood doors end up in a nearby landfill. They’re then replaced by MDF doors with thermofoil veneers. These doors might look great when first installed. But after a few years of wear and tear, their lack of quality starts to show through.
When You’re Lowering the Value of Your Home
Many homeowners don’t realize how much they can lower the value of their home by refacing cabinets with the wrong methods or materials. But if you’re swapping out high-quality materials for low-quality ones, refacing your cabinets with an unpopular style of door, or permanently damaging your cabinet boxes by applying cheap veneers, the resale value of your house will suffer.
Getting ready to reface cabinets in your kitchen? Call (855) 642-6230 today to contact your local N-Hance for a FREE estimate on our cabinet door replacement service.