Cabinets are the most prominent design component when it comes to renovating or remodeling a kitchen. Apart from adding to its aesthetic appeal, they help keep a kitchen organized by holding all the equipment and utensils. Therefore, their color, style, material, and layout are of utmost importance.
However, the cost of installing new cabinetry can set the bill for your kitchen renovation project through the roof. Checking out cheap cabinets is a great option for those trying to reduce the renovation bill. Renovating a house can be really expensive if you don’t look around for ways to save money. Fortunately, you can cut this amount by refacing instead of buying an entirely new set.
What Is Cabinet Refacing?
Refacing is a budget-friendly way of transforming the outlook of a kitchen with relatively less effort. This project involves; changing the cabinet’s door or drawer fronts, painting kitchen cabinets with a new color, replacing the hardware, and finally, a layer of protective coating. Typically, such projects’ time duration ranges between two to three days, depending on the contractor and the kitchen’s requirements.
There is no one standard formula for kitchen remodeling, as every kitchen is unique in its functionality and design.
But what are some factors that help to decide if the cabinets are eligible for refacing?
1. Functionality
You might feel intrigued to recycle the old cabinetry due to their elegant design and the amount of money you can save by keeping them. But if they fail to do the job by not matching your needs, it is time to change them.
You can only achieve your dream kitchen by striking the right balance of aesthetics and practicality. For example, if you have to struggle with the storage space in your kitchen due to the poor layout of cabinets, then a paint job cannot fix this. These things might seem insignificant at times but will end up frustrating you, thus compromising your cooking quality.
2. Water Damage
Next, it is time to check the insides for any signs of damage caused by moisture, such as:
- Mold has invaded their interiors.
- The wood has started changing the colors.
- The doors cannot close properly as the wood has swollen due to water.
- Misalignments caused by the water.
The damage control for these lies beyond the scope of resurfacing and indicates an emergency response. These are very common in the cabinets under or near the sink due to water seeping in. Bacterial growth from excessive moisture is a health hazard in the kitchen and needs immediate attention.
3. Misalignment With The Kitchen Design
Kitchens increase your property value and if it’s design is all messed up, good luck finding a valuable return for your home. Regardless of how good of a condition your cabinets are in, if they do not align with the rest of the design theme, it is time to bid them farewell. You do not want a Scandinavian style kitchen with black or bright colored cabinets. Moreover, if you want a rustic or farmhouse style kitchen, then open shelves will probably be a smarter choice. Don’t worry! You can always sell the old ones for some cash.
4. Tips for Painting Cabinets
Now that you are all clear on whether your cabinets need a repair or replacement, here are a few simple things to consider before starting:
Understanding the material— Because every material requires a different technique and paint formula, it is essential to figure out this information for your cabinets. For Example, plastic laminates are more tricky to handle than wood laminates. So, we suggest consulting an expert or conducting thorough research before buying the paint.
Colour-— They are the focal point of every kitchen and help make or break its visual appeal. Ensure that it aligns perfectly with the rest of the color palette as you do not want them to look out of place. Be extra cautious in this regard as you will have to look at them for the next 20-25 years.
We get it, you want to update your kitchen while keeping the cost minimum! But don’t skip the consultation phase before hiring someone for the job because a small mistake can cost you a great deal of time and money.