Are your kitchen cabinets past their use-by-date? Or have they still got life left in them? Instead of tearing down your cabinets and installing new ones, it may be possible to extend their use simply by adding a new lick of paint or replacing the cabinet doors. This is likely to be cheaper than replacing them, but may not always be the sensible option if they are no longer practical. Below are some tips on how to decide whether to repaint, reface or replace your kitchen cabinets.
Repaint
If the finish on your kitchen cabinets is damaged or blemished, but the cabinets themselves are structurally healthy, a new paint job may be all that is needed to get your cabinets looking beautiful again. Repainting your cabinets could help to cover up stains or brighten up cabinets that have faded in the sun. It could also be a chance to change the color of your cabinets if you don’t like their current color or simply crave a change.
You may be able to paint the cabinets yourself to save money. However, to guarantee a high quality finish, it may be better to hire professional cabinet painters. Take the time to explore different paints and colors.
Reface
Refacing a cabinet means replacing the cabinet doors or drawer fronts. This could be worth considering if the front of your cabinets are structurally damaged (which could include scratches, chips or water damage), but the sides are not. It could also be an opportunity to explore different styled cabinet handles and drawer pulls – which could help to make your cabinets feel brand new.
New doors and drawer faces will need to be designed and built to fit your existing cabinets. You can build them yourself or hire a carpenter to do this for you. When it comes to replacing drawer fronts, replacing the entire drawer might be easier in some cases.
Replace
Replacing the entire cabinets is worthwhile if there is significant structural damage such as cracks, warping, scratches, scorch marks or water damage. It could also be worth replacing your cabinets if they’re not the right shape and size – tiny cabinets might be worth upgrading to larger cabinets that extend to the ceiling if you want to be able to store as much food and kitchenware in them as possible. If you don’t like the style – and this extends beyond the cabinet doors – you may also want to consider replacing your cabinets. For example, distressed dark wooden cabinets may not be to everyone’s liking.
When replacing kitchen cabinets, work with professional carpenters and cabinet installers who will be able to build them to a high quality and install them safely and precisely. Unless you have a lot of woodworking experience, building and installing cabinets yourself is likely to be too ambitious a task. Letting the pros take over ensures that your cabinets will be able to hold the weight of their contents, as well as making sure they are completely level and at the right height.
