Kitchen cabinet refacing is a popular option for homeowners who want to give new life to their dull, outdated kitchen. The process is fast, taking no more than a few days to complete, and is much more affordable than a full kitchen renovation.
The big decision when you begin considering various kitchen cabinet refacing ideas is whether you are going to do it yourself or hire an outside company to complete the project for you. No matter which way the refacing is done you will be left with a kitchen that looks stylish and inviting, while increasing the value of your home.
Doing It Yourself
It can be less expensive to reface kitchen cabinets yourself, but prepare ahead of time to make sure the job is done properly. The entire process only takes a few basic steps, but this is a project that will take at least some experience with a variety of hand tools and saws, so make sure you know what you’re getting into before you start.
The first thing you’ll want to do is to measure your cabinets and order the cabinet doors and drawer fronts you’ll need from the home improvement retailer of your choice. If you’re unsure of what you need most retailers will be happy to recommend a style that will fit your existing kitchen. In many cases they can even come and measure your kitchen and supply you with whatever materials and tools you need to do the refacing. It will typically take a week or more before the new doors are delivered, so don’t start taking anything apart until you have received all your supplies.
Once you’re ready to start, the first step is to remove the old drawer fronts and doors from the cabinet. The front pieces of the cabinet boxes will then be re-skinned with a new veneer surface. You can decide whether to use self-adhesive veneer, laminate, thermofoil or a newer style of plywood end panels. The store will be able to tell you how much veneer you need, if that is your chosen material. After that is completed the new door and drawer fronts will be ready to put into place. At this point your new kitchen will be almost ready to use. Just install your new cabinet hardware and you’ll be all set.
Hiring a Pro
If you decide to have a professional remodeling company do the refacing job it will still be much less expensive than remodeling the entire kitchen. Furthermore, most companies can get the job done in under a week, so you don’t have to worry about your kitchen being out of commission for an extended period. You will certainly want to go to more than one contractor to get an estimate. If you have any family members or friends who have recently had kitchen work done at their home, find out who they used. If not you can search for small, independent contractors in the yellow pages or your local newspaper, or have the job managed by a retailer like Home Depot. Allowing a prospective contractor to visit your home to offer their own solutions for your kitchen cabinet refinishing project will give you an idea about whether or not this is someone you will be comfortable dealing with.
Once you find a company you like you can sit back and relax knowing you will soon have a kitchen you can be proud to show off to friends and family.
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