Put a New Face on Your Kitchen With Cabinet Refinishing

Many homeowners dream of a new kitchen. Perhaps your kitchen hasn’t been updated since the 1990s, and you need a fresh look. Or perhaps your tired kitchen cabinets and drawers are just starting to show their age. Or maybe you have a countertop you love and don’t want to replace. There are lots of reasons homeowners choose cabinet refacing and refinishing. Of course, the most attractive aspect of cabinet refacing and refinishing is the price. You get a kitchen that looks like new without the added time and cost of a full tear-out.

What is Cabinet Refacing?

Homeowners have a choice between refacing and refinishing their cabinets. Refacing is putting a whole new face on the cabinets. In other words, it is replacing every door and drawer, keeping only the cabinet boxes and counters. This is an excellent option if you want a whole new look but don’t want a full tear out.

A full kitchen tear-out is costly and time-consuming. In some cases, you may have other good reasons not to tear out your whole kitchen. Some homeowners are happy with the layout of their kitchens and need only minor adjustments to the cabinets. If that’s you, then there is no need to start from scratch. For example, you can easily take cabinets that don’t go all the way to the ceiling and extend them to the full height of your room. There is no tear-out required. In addition, you can create a whole new look by replacing the cabinet doors and drawers. Then, the frames and sides are refinished to match the new doors and drawers, completing the look.

Another reason some homeowners want to avoid a full tear out is that they have granite or similar countertops that they don’t want to lose. It is nearly impossible to remove a stone countertop and then replace it on a new counter. As a result, any tear-out means purchasing a new countertop. If you like your countertop and don’t want to lose it, or if you just don’t want to pay for a new one, a tear out is not an option. In that case, you can totally refresh your kitchen with cabinet refacing and still keep your stone countertops.

What is Cabinet Refinishing?

Cabinet refinishing differs from cabinet refacing. When you refinish cabinets, you keep the existing doors and drawers. Each piece is sanded and stained or painted. You can change the color of your kitchen cabinets without having to buy all new components. If your cabinet doors and drawers are in good condition, refinishing may be a good option. 

For homeowners who are happy with their cabinets but just want a different color choice, refinishing is ideal. If you are replacing your countertop, either because it is worn out or as part of a renovation, your old cabinets may no longer match. Instead of buying all new cabinets, you can refinish your existing cabinets to fit the new color scheme in your kitchen.

If you hire a painter, the chances are good that they will simply paint over your existing cabinets. With full cabinet refinishing, a contractor starts by sanding down the existing cabinet. This is necessary to get to an unfinished surface that can be refinished to meet the homeowner’s new style choices. Because refinishing includes sanding, not all cabinets and drawers can be refinished. If your drawers and cabinets are not solid wood, refacing is a better option. If your cabinets are worn or dented, refacing will have better-looking results than refinishing.

Choosing Detail Design & Remodeling, a TrustDALE Certified Company

If you need cabinet refacing or refinishing, turn to a company that has been reliably serving the Atlanta area for years. Detail Design & Remodeling is a family-owned company, run by a family that has been in construction for generations. They are also TrustDALE certified, so you know that Detail Design & Remodeling is a good use of your money. They have passed Dale’s rigorous 7-point investigative review and are backed by Dale’s $10,000 Make-It-Right™ Guarantee.

One way that Detail Design & Remodeling is different is the materials they use in their cabinet refacing. Many companies, eager to offer the very lowest prices, use flimsy materials. The most common is medium fiber density (MDF) boards. Companies choose this cheap and low-quality material, then paint over it for a more finished look. These cabinets are not as sturdy as wood, and they won’t last nearly as long. They also cannot be refinished. Some companies use Rigid Thermofoil (RTF) over their MDF doors. RTF is a rigid plastic or foil cover that is heated and wrapped over the MDF doors for added strength. It can look like wood or paint, but it isn’t nearly as durable. RTF that is exposed to heat, like over a stove, can shrink and shrivel. RTF that is exposed to water, like around a sink or dishwasher, can crack as the MDF underneath absorbs moisture and swells.

Detail Design and Remodeling uses real solid wood for all of their cabinet doors. The most common type of wood is maple, which can be painted or stained to look like many other types of wood. However, they offer a wide variety of species of wood on request. The cabinet boxes are refaced with real wood veneers, not plastic or vinyl. And if the cabinets will be painted, they paint the boxes on-site, as opposed to applying a cheap matching veneer.

What to Expect from Detail Design & Remodeling

As with all TrustDALE certified companies, Detail Design & Remodeling maintains the highest levels of customer service. Most jobs can be completed in just 2-3 days. Refacing typically saves 50% of the cost compared to installing new cabinets. Refinishing cabinets can save as much at 75% compared to installing new cabinets.

Your first visit is a consultation, but Detail Design & Remodeling doesn’t waste any time. At your free consultation, one of their cabinetry and woodworking experts will meet you at your home to take a look at your projects and discuss your needs. Every expert brings with them a mini-showroom. They can show you a wide variety of hardware, finishes, and wood type with real samples. If you choose to move forward, their technician will take measurements of your kitchen right then and there. There is no need for a return visit. With the measurements and your material selections, their expert can prepare and print a quote on the spot, so your job can get started as soon as possible.