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Refacing Kitchen Cabinets? Lots of ?'s

15 years ago

Hello all, i just purchased my first house and want to renovate a few things before moving in. First thing is first the roof, i have enlisted the help of 8 buddies to help me do the work :P and next we want to move into the kitchen. The house was built in 1969 and i dont think there has been a single update in the kitchen since, old nasty counter tops, ugly looking cabinets, sink is a funky color ect... Well i guess my biggest thing with the kitchen is the cabinets, i was curious what goes into refacing them? Just new door fronts and and all new drawers and just sand and restain the actual frames? I am pretty confused about the whole process and would like to DIY the entire thing. I helped my buddy sand and spray his custom solid oak cabinets so i can sand and spray the stain on in my garage but need to get as much info as i can. Anything that will help would be appreciated! thanks!!

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Comments (3)

cocontom
15 years ago
If you just reface the cabinets, it will be probably 80% of the cost of getting new ones- I would just go with Ikea or the ready to install from another big box (we have Ikea, and one of our friends just put the big box cabs in- they look considerably better than I expected), they're considerably less work than restaining and will probably cost about the same in the long run.
diydevon
15 years ago
we had 1970's dark dark cabinets with large gold hardware - oh it was awful. the cabinets themselves though were in very good shape and we are on a budget, so we sanded (which was a pain in the butt and made horrible mess)primed and paintd, bought new silver hardware and spray painted the existing hinges silver - I couldnt be happier! we have a brand new kitchen cabinets now and it cost us a tenth of what actual new ones would.

BEFORE (this pic was taken before we actually bought the house)

After (still have to add the backsplash as well as our new island- we are anticiapting being done with those things within the next 2 weeks. new flooring is also on the agenda, but not til later this summer)
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It's going to be awfully tight for an island. And it's a barrier island between the refrigerator and sink. Plus, there's no source of water on it, so I'm afraid you will still prep in that tiny little spot between the sink and the range. I would rather see you put the fridge on the end with the cabinet and counter in between it and the oven. That will get it nearer those who trek into the kitchen for snacks. Then shorten up the island so that it isn't in front of the fridge. Even a counter depth one is 30" deep, and you will be creating a pinch point in front of it. With the island shortened and the fridge moved down, adding a prep sink would be optional. You will still be twisting back and forth between the island and sink a lot, which isn't the greatest for your back, and you would have to have the cleanup and prep zones sharing the sink. At least the DW is on the correct side of the sink for that! As far as refacing goes, well, what you have is pretty nice looking actually. How easy it can be to reface depends on the age of what you have and what condition it's in, as well as how much DIY you plan here. If you can't DIY a good deal of this, then getting new cabinets will probably be cheaper. You can always paint what's there for sure. That's well withing most people's skill level if they just take it slow and follow the right steps. Cream cabinets and dark counters is currently quite popular. What look would you like to have for the kitchen?
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$1750 is a hack. Not a Pro. It’s not even half of what a good job should cost. 7-9K is average, from someone that knows what they are doing spraying a conversion varnish. Lacquer is a 10 minute finish for cabinets because it does not hold up to moisture. House paint belongs on houses, not cabinets. It won’t be durable enough. Read about the KCMA testing that all cabinet manufacturers undergo for a factory finish. That is the kind of durability that you are giving up. For chips, runs, and drips, and bugs and dust. https://www.kcma.org/certifications/ansi-kcma-certification DEMAND a finished door sample to do your own testing. You will end up in the same boat as these people. The tide has turned on white cabinets. Wood cabinets are coming back strong. And those are ahead of the game. When white cabinets are the new avocado green, you’ll wish you had your old wood ones back.
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get fridge panels and trim in a cherry with stain as close as you can-it is achievable....the cabinet itself can be a void door cabinet and use it as a cubbyhole for baskets/a piece of pottery/etc. the interior in cherry and with stain selection close, and items resting inside makes any slight difference irrelevant. Not worth monkeying around any more than that. The side panels and trim are the more relevant things as your fridge is now chosen and will be a long term thing. that will be a nice look when fridge is encased.
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If you are thinking of replacing countertops, then getting RTA (Ready to assemble cabinets) is an economical solution. Get painted cabinets with wood or solid MDF doors. Try local cabinet companies. They often will assemble for you. They are approximately 35% less than Lowes & Home Depot. Get extra touch up paint to do touch ups. The factory painted cabinets finish is more durable then a paint job. That's what my rental clients use.
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celticmoon
15 years ago
What you are describing is a little different from refacing. Refacing usually means new doors and drawer fronts, then covering all the rest with a thin veneer to match. That is where the tedious cutting and finish work comes in. Done right, it looks all new, but can be expensive. It can be done DIY if you are parient and confident re: cutting and gluing veneer.

If your buddy's custom oak cabinets were new, that is very different from what you are dealing with. You would have to get the existing finish completely off yours before spraying with stain, AND you would have to match somehow the color on the new wood doors to that on the old wood cases (some woods change color over time). The stripping is an awful job and color matching can be dicey. You are looking at a lot of work.

Easiest and least expensive fix would be to clean and prep well, paint them and replace the hardware. Or you could darken the stain with gel coats (see nearby thread). Either could be enough to tide you over indefinitely. Next up in cost would be paint/gel but also replace the doors and drawer fronts. But before going to that expense, consider whether the cabinets are worth pouring that kind of money into. Doors are the major part of cabinet cost.

And as was said, IKEA is a great way to go if you are looking at replacement cabinets. Though it sounds like your plate is pretty full...

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