Repainting, Refinishing or Refacing? What's Right for Your Kitchen Cabinets?

by AJ Fanter
Face Your Kitchen Columnist

Kitchen remodels can be pricey. The average cost to replace a set of kitchen cabinets can run as much as $30,000. That's why many homeowners choose refinishing, repainting or refacing instead of replacing. Which of these options is right for you?

Refacing, Refinishing or Repainting... Are You a Candidate?

Replacing your kitchen cabinets can be an expensive proposition. That's why if your current cabinets are well-built, well-positioned and offer convenient and easy storage, refacing or another form of resurfacing is a better choice.

Resurfacing: Repainting an Refinishing

There are three primary options for resurfacing your cabinetry: refacing, repainting and refinishing. The most affordable is repainting which involves priming and painting. The same can be said of refinishing. Except, with a refinishing project you must also degrease, strip and sand the cabinets before reapplying new coats of paint and stain. While these options can be "do-it-yourself" projects, most people find the labor intensive prep work involved quite overwhelming.

Refacing Kitchen Cabinets

Of all the resurfacing options, refacing typically produces the most dramatic changes. Best left to the professionals, refacing does costs more, but the results are worth it. With refacing you can choose from a wide range of finishes from colorful laminates to real-wood veneers. What's more, many cabinet refacing companies can add function to your existing cabinets with lazy Susans and pull-out shelves.

As you can see, if you're looking for a dramatic improvement, a variety of design and finish options as well as increased functionality, without the high-cost of replacement, cabinet refacing could be the right resurfacing option for your kitchen makeover. 

About the Author
AJ Fanter is a freelance writer based in Reno, Nevada.