Cabinet Refurbishment Cost Compared to New Replacement Cabinets

Cabinet relining can be done in both residential and commercial settings. All cabinets can be faced (wood, laminate, thermofoil, even MDF). Worn and outdated cabinets can be easily transformed into cherry, maple, hickory, pecan, and alder cabinets in a variety of styles and door finishes including paint, enamel, and distressed finishes. Cabinet remodeling will transform any outdated kitchen into a modern, custom kitchen at half the cost of new cabinets.

The renovation process involves replacing old doors and drawer fronts with fully overlapping doors and drawer fronts for an updated, modern look. Four-light and six-light doors are also available to accommodate glass inserts. In some cases, special glass, such as stained glass, can be reused in new doors. Cabinet boxes typically stay in place, which is eco-friendly and preserves existing countertops. Home and business owners often have expensive granite or solid surface countertops that they want to keep. However, keeping existing countertops is often not an option when installing new replacement cabinets.

During the cabinet veneer process, a matching genuine wood veneer is applied to the outer cabinet frames. Wood veneer is very expensive and has been used in the production of fine wood furniture and musical instruments for hundreds of years and will last for many years. To ensure proper adhesion of the wainscoting, the cabinet frames are thoroughly cleaned and abraded and a commercial water-based adhesive is applied to both surfaces, the wainscoting and the cabinet frames. Ask your repair contractor to use an environmentally friendly, low-VOC, water-based adhesive to reduce odor and fire hazards associated with solvent-based adhesives. As a final step in the veneer process, the edges of the three-quarter-inch cabinet’s interior frame are painted with a coordinating commercial paint to seal the edges of the wood veneer and provide a professional appearance; make sure your siding contractor includes this important step.

Since cabinet frames are the least attractive part of cabinets, it is important to use fully overlapping doors and drawer fronts when refreshing. Overlap affects the amount of cabinet frame that is visible after the new doors and drawer fronts are installed. Full Overlay means very little of the cabinet frame is visible around each door and drawer fronts (one-quarter to three-eighths of an inch compared to two inches with standard overlay doors and drawer fronts), creating a consistent, modern look for refinished cabinets. In addition, the exposed end panels, including the oversized refrigerator, island and peninsula panels, are covered with matching quarter-inch flat wood paneling or full three-quarter-inch solid wood overlay accent panels for a custom, upscale look.

Most of the features available on new cabinets are also available on the cabinet veneer. Concealed soft-close hinges, replacement drawer boxes and pull-out trays with full-extension soft-close glides, pivoting blind corners and full-extension soft-close waste bins are just a few of the many features available in cabinet lining. To further customize your renovation project, solid wood trim, including upper crown molding, valances (lower crown molding), corbels, table legs, and trim board, can be added to the renovation project. The following are many of the standard features included in cabinet refinishing projects:

1) Full veneer, solid wood doors and drawer fronts (if possible, avoid less expensive standard thermofoil and vinyl doors and drawer fronts)
2) Concealed soft close door hinges
3) Matching genuine wood veneer for cabinet frames
4) Quarter-inch wood end panels and matching kick plates
5) Matching solid wood trim including decorative base trim for exposed lower panels
6) New cabinet hardware (knobs, handles, and pulls)
7) Commercial silicone bumpers to protect new doors and drawer fronts
8) Removing old doors, drawer fronts and trim

As an added benefit, some US cabinet manufacturers also offer replacement doors, drawer fronts and trim, as well as new cabinets, allowing home and business owners to add new cabinets to their renovation project. A new utility or pantry unit, a new pull-out bin unit, a new all-drawer unit, or even all new 42-inch upper wall cabinets can all be easily added to the renovation project. New cabinets are usually installed during the five day renovation process. Best of all, your friends will think you spent thousands more than you did!