Can I Reface My Kitchen Cabinets Myself?
With the high cost of cabinet replacement, it’s no wonder that homeowners would be interested in alternatives. Cabinet refacing is an excellent option, as it can completely update your cabinetry at an affordable price. This is because the process leaves the existing cabinet boxes in place, replacing only the drawer fronts and doors and applying a veneer to the boxes. To save even more money, you might be wondering “Can I reface my kitchen cabinets myself?” It’s certainly possible, and our brief guide will outline how it’s done as well as the advantages of hiring a professional for the job.
Steps To Reface Your Kitchen Cabinets
With the right tools, materials, and knowhow, you can completely transform your existing cabinets at a fraction of the cost of a full replacement. The process involves:
Preparation
You’ll need to begin your project by carefully measuring your cabinets to determine the amount of veneer you’ll require as well as the correct size for your new doors and drawer fronts. After you’ve collected your materials, you’ll then need to remove the doors and drawer fronts and sand the cabinet boxes to prepare for bonding the veneer.
Installing the Veneer
The next step will be to apply the wood veneer to every exposed surface of the cabinet boxes, such as the end panels and stiles. This is where your measurements come into play. Be sure to cut your veneer to length using a precision tool like a laminate slitter or table saw. Then apply the veneer to the cabinet boxes, ensuring it is perfectly aligned.
Installing Doors & Drawer Fronts
The first step in replacing your cabinet doors is to measure for the hinge placement and ensure it is aligned with the hinge on the door. Mark the placement and screw the hinge into place. For the drawer fronts, you’ll need to measure where they should be placed on the existing boxes. Remove the drawer boxes and screw them to the new fronts. If correctly aligned, the boxes should slide back in without a problem.
Additional Steps
The steps listed above are the minimum required to reface your cabinets. However, depending on what you’re trying to achieve, additional steps may be required. For example, you can also use your cabinet refacing project as an opportunity to install new hardware, such as drawer pulls and soft-close hinges. Or, you may want your cabinets to be painted a custom color. One of the main benefits of cabinet refacing is that it provides limitless customization options, allowing you to express your unique sense of style.
Why You Might Want to Consider Hiring a Professional
Still wondering if you can reface your kitchen cabinets yourself? As you probably noticed, cabinet refacing can be straightforward, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Even tiny mistakes can result in misalignments, wasted materials, and shoddy looking workmanship. That’s why most homeowners who don’t have extensive carpentry experience typically turn to a professional for cabinet refacing. And, for homeowners in Michigan, the most trusted cabinet refacing company is Home Solutions by Kurtis.We’ve carefully honed our cabinet refacing process to offer homeowners an endless combination of customization options as well as stunning results. And, we can complete the project in just three or four days. To learn more about the benefits of trusting Home Solutions by Kurtis with your cabinet refacing project, contact us today.