Cabinets make up a substantial portion of the space in your kitchen or bathroom, so it’s no wonder that they often need updating. But what is the best way to go about this? Replacing or refacing your cabinets will both significantly change the look of your kitchen, but each has different advantages and costs. This article will explore the pros and cons of refacing versus refinishing to help you determine which route is right for your home.
Refinishing is a great choice if you love your cabinet layout and location, but are unhappy with their current color or style. This project involves stripping the doors and drawer fronts of their existing paint or stain to allow them to be stained or painted in your new color of choice. This is a messy job that can require chemical removers or lots of sanding to get the surface ready, but it is an inexpensive way to transform your space.
Before you refinish your cabinets, it’s important to do some prep work. You’ll need to thoroughly clean and degrease all of the surfaces to be refinished, and then sand them down to smooth and prepare them for the new finish. Once the sanding is complete, you’ll need to vacuum and tack rag the areas to remove any residual dust and debris. Then you’re ready to start the painting process!
Once the painting is finished, you’ll need to install new hardware. This is a quick, easy and affordable task, but it can be frustrating to find hardware that fits the existing holes in your cabinetry. If you have the time and patience, you can try to find matching knobs and pulls to match your cabinets, but this is not always an option for those with a tight budget.
Whether you’re refinishing or refacing your cabinets, it’s a good idea to take some time to plan out your kitchen before getting started. Visualizing how you want your space to look can help you decide whether refinishing, refacing or replacing is the best choice for your home.
The type of material that your cabinet boxes are made from will influence what you can do to them via stain or paint, so it’s important to understand what they are before proceeding. If your cabinets are solid wood, then refinishing is a viable option. However, if your cabinets are a manufactured material like medium-density fiberboard (MDF) or laminate, they won’t accept stain and would be better suited to refacing.
If you are unsure which option is best for your cabinets, a cabinet refinishing company in Tampa can be a valuable resource to help you achieve the results you desire in your home.