Does Kitchen Cabinet Refacing Hold Up?

You’ve heard of kitchen cabinet refacing but you’re just not sure whether that’s the remodeling road you want to take. After all, that’s not really a legitimate remodel, right? It won’t look new cabinets, correct? And you won’t save that much money, will you?

If you take some time to research kitchen cabinet refacing, you may find that all your opinions of the process are mostly misconceptions. Refacing DOES look great, and you’ll save a ton of money in contrast to doing a complete gut job and replacing all your cabinets.

But, you still want to know, does kitchen cabinet refacing hold up? Five years from now, will you be sorry you chose to do this?

The truth is that refaced cabinets can last for a long, long time…but you need to make sure the conditions are right before you go ahead with the project. Here’s what you need to consider.

1. Check out the current condition of your cabinets. It doesn’t matter if your cabinets are old or not-so-old. If you haven’t taken diligent care of them, they might not be candidates for refacing.

• The “boxes” (the part that hangs on the wall or sits on the floor) must be in good condition and should be made of smooth plywood or MDF panels. They should be free of chips, splits, gouges, or anything else that could compromise their sturdiness or appearance.
• The face frames should be of excellent quality hardware to best hold the new doors you’ll be selecting.
• Any internal hardware should be in good conditions. For example, if drawer tracks don’t function correctly or if cabinets are missing interior shelves or if shelves are cracked or damaged, it might be best to consider new cabinets instead of cabinet refacing.

2. Hire a reputable refacing company. You can determine this in a number of ways including doing a little internet research, looking at reviews, and asking for references. A good cabinet refacing company should:

• Be able to correctly determine whether your existing cabinets are in good enough shape to manage refacing.
• Should be able to assist you in choosing materials that fit not only your style but also your budget. There should be no pressure to purchase products that are above your means.
• Have access to a wide variety of products of varied materials, styles, and colors. Because the world of refacing is huge, you should have an enormous selection from which to choose.
• Employ highly trained workers that can do your job quickly and correctly the first time with no need to come back and make major fixes.
• Should offer an excellent warranty so that you can rest assured that the money you’ve spent on the project is protected.

3. Learn how to properly care for your cabinet refacing project when all is done. Even if the work was exemplary, how you maintain your new cabinets makes a difference as to how long they’ll hold up.

• Inquire as to what kind of products you should use to keep your new cabinet doors and drawer fronts clean and looking good as new. Ask how to manage grease and other kinds of stains that could potentially ruin your cabinets.
• Be careful when cooking. Heat, water, and smoke can all wreak havoc with your kitchen cabinets so keep your range fan on and avoid being near the cabinets with hot, steaming foods.
• Keep sharp items and other objects that could harm your cabinets away from them. Cabinet refacing is strong but, just like any cabinets, it won’t stand up to knife gouges or anything else that could make scratches and nicks.

When you start with the right conditions, hire a reputable company, and take diligent care of your cabinets, kitchen cabinet refacing can be the right choice for you. If you have a limited budget and are satisfied with your current cabinet/kitchen layout, you could save thousands of dollars by choosing kitchen cabinet refacing over a total remodel.

At KCR, we’ve been experts in kitchen cabinet refacing for more than three decades and can assist you in determining whether refacing could work for your home. We offer a no-obligation consultation, and our experts will take the time to discuss the pros and cons of refacing with you so that you can make an educated decision about the process. For more details, visit us at https://kitchencabinetrefacing.com/.