Kitchen Cabinet Refacing

About Kitchen Cabinet Refacing

You do not was to change the kitchen cabinets completely but you do not like the way they look. They have been painted too many times and are beginning to show that fact. You want to make a change but cannot afford to spend $5,000 to do it. In that case, just change the doors on the cabinets. That is called refacing the cabinets and it is not difficult to do and it is much less expensive than totally new kitchen cabinets. The most important part of preparing for kitchen cabinet refacing is to be sure to get all of your cabinet measurements accurate. There is an old saying “if you measure it twice you will only have to cut it once.”

After you have measured and purchased finished doors that you will replace the old ones with, remove the current doors and set the aside. Using a veneer that matches the new doors cover all of the exposed parts of the frame. This method works well with cabinets that have a face frame that is visible. But you can reface doors that have no face frame or flush inset doors, where the face frame in on the same level as the doors. In both cases you have to use caution and buy doors that match the size of the old doors instead of just measuring the cabinet openings and adding an inch to create an overlap.

For convenience and accuracy use the self stick veneer. Self stick veneer is easy to work with and there is no need for contact cement to deal with. The adhesive is strong and the veneer is then hard to remove and adjust once it has stuck into place. This means you have to exceptionally careful when measuring, cutting and placing a strip of the cabinet face.

In order to make the refacing job look neat, trim the veneer using a utility knife once the veneer is in place. Work very slowly and keep your hand braced against the cabinet to keep it steady. Be sure to use a sharp blade. Once the frame has been finished and the doors installed it will be hard to tell that you did not install a whole new set of kitchen cabinets.

When you have removed all of the current doors clean the faces and sides of the cabinets to remove all of the dirt and grease that is normally found on kitchen cabinets and let them dry off. Sand lightly all of the surfaces with 150 grit sandpaper and then wipe it all down.

You can use carpenter’s glue on a plywood panel, applying to the exposed end of the cabinet bag. However, is your are working with a paneled door than use a door instead of plywood to finish the exposed end. When you cover the stiles with the veneer, be sure you have cut the veneer with the grain running lengthwise.

When you have covered all of the exposed parts of the cabinet with the matching veneer you can install the doors and hinges for a completed cabinet.