Bathroom and Kitchen Cabinet Refacing Options

The most important thing to remember once you have decided to do a bathroom and kitchen cabinet refacing project is that the process does require some time and patience to get the job done right.  The faster alternative is replacing the cabinets entirely and if that is out of your current budget then cabinet resurfacing is definitely the option for you.  To reface kitchen cabinets, for instance, it will cost you only a fraction of the cost of new cabinets but the job is not small and you will have to live with the mess and inconvenience for a little while.  Having the right tools, materials, and knowledge could save you and your family a considerable amount of money, time, and aggravation in the process.

There are a couple of different ways you can go about doing a bathroom and kitchen cabinet resurfacing project.  One option is to remove all of the doors and drawer faces, sand them down, and refinish them yourself in a new stain or paint color.  Another option is to throw away all your old cabinet and drawer fronts and replace them with new fronts that are available for purchase with various styles, materials, colors, and finishes.  You can purchase already made fronts at cabinetry stores or they can custom ordered if you prefer.  At the same time, you are also going to have to decide if you are going to keep and refinish the existing hardware or replace them with new ones.  Cabinet hardware can also be purchased at cabinetry or hardware stores but the best place to find them cheap is the internet. 

Refinishing any style, type, and size cabinets yourself will take a lot of hard work but can always instill the help of some friends or family members to get the job done a little faster.  On the other hand, replacing the fronts of the cabinets is much easier and faster but that is only if you have taken the right measurements of your existing cabinets and molding.  Once you have the measurements the rest is actually quite enjoyable.  Visit a local cabinetry store to order the new cabinet faces of your choice.  Don’t forget to choose molding that matches the new cabinets as well.  You can also order cabinet faces online at a reasonable discount.  Be sure to shop around and always double check your measurements before making a final purchase.  The last thing you want is materials that do not fit and a delay in getting new ones that do fit.

Regardless if you are working on a small project like a bathroom or tackling a much larger job like the kitchen, knowing the materials you are going to need is crucial in getting the job done right without having to keep stopping for additional supplies.  When refinishing the cabinets yourself you will need cleaning, sanding, and staining supplies.  Always begin by completely cleaning all of your cabinets inside and out.  Then remove the cabinet and drawer faces so you can have better access to them.  Sand them well and apply a new finish or paint color.  Some materials are more difficult to change the existing type of finish so you may have to apply the same finish but maybe in a darker stain.  Other materials cannot be refinished so you will need to be sure your type of cabinets can be changed.  Most materials can however, be painted if that is what you prefer.

The cost of replacing your existing cabinet fronts and trimming or molding is going to be more expensive because you are purchasing finished work. You will have to weigh all of your options and calculate how much you have to spend on this project before deciding on a method. Keep in mind, that bathroom and kitchen cabinet refacing is still less expensive than replacing them completely and you are basically recycling your existing material rather than placing perfectly good material in a landfill somewhere.

A kitchen cabinet refacing cost is of course going to be more than a bathroom refacing project. The amount of cabinetry in a kitchen will also directly affect your final cost of cabinet refacing. If you are doing the work yourself then most of your cabinet refacing costs will be directly from the purchase of materials and supplies. If you are hiring some one to do the job for you then you will likely be paying way more for the project and it may be cheaper to go ahead and replace the cabinetry completely.

There are many options and alternatives to getting the cabinetry of your dreams. The choice will boil down to how much time, labor, and money you wish to spend on the project.