| Foothill Cabinetworks, providing quality cabinet refacing, kitchen, and bath remodel for San Diego
Cabinet refacing is the process of renewing existing cabinets by removing old doors and and drawer fronts and then installing new doors, drawer fronts and moldings.
There are a number of combinations of materials that can be used to accomplish this task successfully. They can be categorized by cost, complexity, personal preference and quality of the finished product. Outlined below are a number of possibilities, starting from the least expensive options and moving up.
1.) Painting all of the exteriors of the cabinets, doors and drawer fronts. This is generally not really considered refacing, but is the least expensive possibility for changing the appearance of the exteriors of cabinets. Of course, there is a wide range of possibilities, depending on the quality of the application of the paint.
2.) Painting cabinet exteriors and installing new paint grade doors and drawer fronts. New moldings, hardware, and drawer boxes can be included, as well as integrating new or modifying existing cabinets.
3.) Stripping existing stain grade cabinets, doors and drawer fronts. Refinish with new stain and clear coat. The process of stripping and sanding is messy, labor intensive, and uses harsh chemicals. Options may include a new set of stain grade doors and drawer fronts. There may be some challenge to matching the older wood with the new wood.
None of the above scenarios is one that I have a particular preference for. If a client is interested in those options, I generally refer them to a good painter. It is important to remember that even though nearly everyone can paint, there are only a few that paint well. You generally get what you pay for when hiring painters.
The most efficient method of refacing involves using products that don’t require finishing after installation. The best material that meets this qualification is plastic laminate applied to the cabinet exteriors and mated to Rigid Thermofoil doors, drawer fronts, and moldings. Laminate is available in solid colors or wood grains, as are the RTF doors. Typically, I would also build a new set of drawer boxes and install new drawer guides, as well as new European hinges. This entire process can usually be accomplished in 2 – 4 days, by an experienced installer.
If real wood is desired, there are a few different approaches to reaching this goal:
1.) My normal approach involves resurfacing the existing cabinets with a combination of ¼” plywood finished end panels and wood veneers for the face frames. Raised panel finished ends to match the doors can be substituted for ¼” plywood. Adhesive backed veneers are a little more expensive, but offer ease of use. Regular paper backed veneers can be used but will need an application of contact cement. With either of these two products, water based contact cement is applied to the cabinets, prior to application. I normally used unfinished veneers, to allow me to match the finish on the cabinets, doors, and drawer fronts. All finishing done to the cabinets is done on site using spray finishing techniques. Usually, 4-5 coats of sealer and precatalyzed lacquer is applied. Staining or glazing is optional. Finishing of the doors and drawer fronts is done off site.
2.) Another approach to real wood refacing involves resurfacing the face frames with either 1/8” or ¼” veneer plywood, instead of the paper backed veneers. The pitfall of this approach is the visibility of the plywood core on the inside lips of the face frames and on the outside corners where the face frame and end panel intersect. Proponents of this approach usually will cover the outside corners with some sort of molding and just leave the edges of the lips as is. The primary advantage of this system is the relative ease of handling the thin plywood as compared to the veneers. In this system, the plywood could either be prefinished or finished on site.
3.) In some instances, rebuilding the entire set of face frames and then installing them on the existing cabinets may seem worthwhile. Typically, the existing face frames can be removed fairly easily, unless they are glued on. (This is rare) Another obstacle to this approach is when the metal strip that holds the tile bullnose is nailed into the face frame, making removal difficult if the countertop is to be left intact. Assuming that these issues are resolved, new face frames should be attached to the cabinets using either pocket screws or some system of glue blocks and screws to provide for attachment from the back side of the new face frame. Face frames adjacent to finished end panels can be manufactured wider to accommodate whatever thickness of finished end is applied. Finishing can be accomplished either on site or prior to installation, depending on your systems and situation.
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