What is Cabinet Refacing? Everything You Need to Know

Are the cabinet doors in your kitchen or bathroom dated? Is the framework of your cabinets still in good condition, but do you want the cabinet doors to be a different style or color? Consider cabinet door refacing. 

Refacing cabinet doors is a great way to enhance the appearance of your space. If you love your kitchen layout and don’t have the budget for a full home renovation, this is an affordable alternative that can deliver next-level results. 

In this guide, we'll teach you how to reface cabinet doors so you can decide if this is the best option for you.

What is Cabinet Refacing?

Cabinet refacing allows homeowners to update the look of their cabinets while keeping the framework of their cabinets still intact. This is a sustainable way to elevate the look of your space, while saving time and money. However, there are preparation steps you’ll need to take to guarantee a professional finish, especially if you plan to paint or stain unfinished cabinet doors yourself.

How Does Cabinet Refacing Work?

Refacing cabinet doors involves replacing several elements, including the doors and drawer fronts. You will also want to replace the cabinet hardware, including hinges, handles, and drawer pulls, to ensure that the look is properly updated and sturdy. 

Lastly, to round out the look of refaced cabinets, you need to cover the visible parts of the cabinets, including the spaces around doors and on the sides, with a veneer that matches the doors and fronts.

The Benefits of Cabinet Door Refacing

Refacing your cabinets is an alternative to replacing the cabinets entirely. Here are some of the benefits of cabinet refacing:

• Save Money: Kitchen cabinet refacing offers the look and feel of a complete kitchen renovation at a fraction of the cost. By some estimates, it costs about half as much for refacing cabinet doors compared to opting for a full replacement.
• Save Time: Your cabinet refacing project will only take a couple of days to complete, compared to dozens of days for a full replacement. 
• Creative Freedom: If you’re a DIY enthusiast, this project can be completed independently if you feel motivated.
• Upgrade the Style: If your kitchen feels like it’s from another era or has a particular style of cabinetry you’ve always wanted to feature in your home, kitchen cabinet refacing puts the updates easily within reach.
• Eco-Friendly: Cabinet door refacing is more eco-friendly than ripping out your cabinets and starting over. This is a great way to lower your ecological footprint. 

Is Cabinet Refacing Always an Option?

Cabinet door refacing is possible with most cabinets. However, there are some exceptions, so it’s helpful to know what you need to look out for to ensure that your cabinets are good candidates for cabinet refacing. This includes:

Cabinet Box Construction

You can evaluate whether your cabinets are good candidates for cabinet refacing options by looking at the overall construction of the cabinet box. If it’s made of plywood or MDF, and you have panels with a smooth texture and no obvious damage, they can probably hold veneers. If the surfaces are not smooth, you could experience problems with the veneers adhering correctly.

The Face Frames

Next, you need to inspect the face frames. Solid hardwood frames that do not show any signs of rot or damage are fine to continue using as they will hold veneers and provide a firm anchor when you screw in new cabinet hardware. If you have a few damaged frames, replacing just those cabinets and refacing the rest may be possible. However, don’t attempt to use damaged face frames, no matter how tempting it may be. Using damaged frames will result in the cabinet doors not being anchored properly, and the veneer will be unlikely to adhere properly.

The Internal Hardware

The last thing to evaluate is the internal hardware in your cabinetry, which includes the drawer tracks and the shelving equipment. If the drawers don’t work as they should, the hardware is worn out and cannot be replaced, or the internal shelving is damaged or insufficient, it may not be worth going through with cabinet refacing. Even if the cabinets look great, it’s probably not worth the cost if they function poorly. However, if all of your hardware and shelving are in good shape, and your cabinets are smooth, solid, and undamaged, you’re ready to move forward with your cabinet refacing.

Don’t Worry About the Age

Don’t be concerned with the age of your cabinetry—often, older cabinet construction is sturdier than newer builds. You just need to make sure that the bones of your cabinets are in good enough shape to accept the refacing veneer and the hardware for replacement cabinet doors.

How to Reface Cabinets

When deciding how to reface cabinets in your space, it’s best to start with the design inspiration and then move on to more concrete steps. As soon as the design is in place, here’s what you’ll need to do:

Explore New Design Options

Once you know your cabinets are good candidates for refacing, explore all the different styles of cabinet doors, drawer fronts, and hardware available. There are almost no limits to how you can transform cabinets using new doors, fronts, hardware, and veneers. Pick the style you like – modern, classic, cozy, etc. – as well as the color scheme that catches your eye. 

Take Measurements

Next, measure the height and width of all the cabinet doors and drawer fronts you want to replace. Depending on your cabinetry and the age of your home, you may find that some of your cabinet doors and drawer fronts aren’t a standard size. If so, you will likely need to order custom-built cabinet doors and drawer fronts. Ordering custom-built pieces for your cabinet refacing allows you to get a custom look, no matter the size or shape of your existing cabinetry, without the cost of entirely new cabinets.

Finishing Touches

After that, you need to purchase your matching veneers for the cabinet faces, and you have affordable cabinet door refacing that makes a big difference in your space. You'll also need to purchase the paint, stain, and finishes you want to use for the project. At Cabinet Door Factory, we offer finished and unfinished cabinet door options and a primed-only option. With our finished options, we'll handle the painting or clear varnish finish for you - so all you need to do is install your replacements the day they arrive. 

Why Custom Cabinet Doors Are Best for Refacing 

Most retailers only sell replacement cabinet doors in standard sizes. This means that the sizing may not perfectly fit the current cabinets you have in your space. To ensure a perfect fit when refacing, you'll want to invest in custom-made options that fit the exact measurements you need.

While the cost can differ depending on where you order them, custom cabinet doors and drawer fronts are not as expensive as expected. When you order from Cabinet Door Factory, you can save 30-50% on big box store prices, keeping the refacing cost as low as possible. 

Save 30%-50% By Ordering Replacement Cabinet Doors at Cabinet Door Factory

Where you buy your replacement cabinet doors has a significant impact on the cost of replacing cabinet doors. Replace your cabinet doors through Cabinet Door Factory and save yourself 30-50% off big box store prices. Cabinet Door Factory is proud to offer high-quality, custom-sized replacement cabinet doors at the same prices enjoyed by distributors. Even better, you get your products delivered right to your door without the hassle of navigating the retail experience!

Explore our extensive selection of cabinet doors and get inspired for your project today. If you have any questions, we invite you to contact us online or by phone at 480-545-1221.

How to reface cabinet doors​?

Choose a new cabinet door style, wood species, and paint or stain you want to use. From there, find a reputable reseller like Cabinet Door Factory to help with a custom-made replacement. Once your new cabinet doors arrive, simply remove the old ones and install the new ones. This is a low-cost facelift for any kitchen or bathroom.

How much does it cost to reface cabinet doors​?

The cost will vary depending on the size of your space, wood species, and materials you use. However, installing your refaced cabinet doors yourself can help you save on labor costs, giving you more budget for custom-made cabinet doors. 

How to reface cabinet doors yourself?