I don’t know about where you live, but here in southern California, cabinet re-facing is big business. Witness the number of cabinet companies promoting the process including even mega stores like Sears and Home Depot. The primary reason? Huge profits. This huge markup attracts a certain type of sales person. You know the type I’m referring to; the ones who won’t come out unless both homeowners are there, has a special deal if you can decide today without thinking it over and who you can’t get out of your house without getting nasty. The lure of quick easy money generally draws the wrong type of person.  If you’re looking for someone who cares about your well being prepare to be disappointed if this is the route you choose. Of course this is a generalization and there are always exceptions.       

Let’s start by discussing just what re-facing entails. The term re-facing covers more than one scope of work. Generally speaking it involves replacing the doors and drawer fronts and covering the remaining exposed exterior with a thin veneer that is glued to the old cabinetry. More expensive re-facing projects involve new drawer boxes, new drawer glides, pull outs where possible and a few other modifications that can be done without removing the cabinet structure.

Here’s the problem. Unless the kitchen is relatively new (less than 8 years old), and the builder or designer laid the kitchen out thoughtfully, most of what is wrong with kitchen is structural/functional and not just cosmetic/aesthetic.

If you have a newer kitchen with pullouts, a lazy susan and adjustable shelves and you simply want a new look, re-facing may make sense for you provided you can find someone to do it for a reasonable price and with at least a 10 year warranty in the event the veneer stars peeling off like old wallpaper. However you should give the matter a good deal of thought. I get at least three calls a month asking if a granite or quartz countertop can be removed without breaking it. Very rarely I answer. When I ask why, they say they had their cabinets re-faced or re-finished a year or two ago and now are very disappointed. Unfortunately, they spent a good deal of money on their countertop and can’t bear or justify trashing it. As the man said, “I feel your pain”.

Frequently, when I visit someone’s home to evaluate their kitchen and gather the information necessary to provide design ideas, they begin by telling me they are happy with the layout. I sense that they are reluctant to appear vulnerable to sales pressure and take them at their word. As the conversation continues and they relax, I inquire about an inaccessible corner and tiny drawer bank and listen as they tell me how much they dislike them and several other things about the layout they were happy with a few minutes earlier.

The truth is most homes and certainly tract homes were built to provide living space in areas where people wanted to live. It was not necessary to design and install kitchens with anything more than a basic layout. Very little regard was given to functionality. Consequently, it is very easy to modify and drastically improve a typical kitchen without having to resort to major structural changes.

If a kitchen or bath remodel is in your future do yourself a favor and interview several qualified kitchen and bath specialists before deciding to reface rather than replace your cabinets. The cost isn’t always that much more and you almost always get so much more for your money.

If the extra cost is a burden then wait another year or so to get something you will appreciate and enjoy for years to come. It’s a significant investment. Make it a smart one.

I hope your remodel is a success, David Allen (Preferred Cabinets)