Refacing 101

Waukee CabinetWorks is proud to offer clients the opportunity to reface their cabinets. Refacing is a great way to give your kitchen a face-lift, without going through the process of picking out brand new cabinets. Before you contact Waukee CabinetWorks about refacing your cabinets, make sure you fully understand what cabinet refacing means.

Are my cabinets eligible for refacing?

Not all cabinets are eligible for refacing. If you want to change the layout of your kitchen, then you are not eligible for refacing. When you reface your cabinets, the cabinet box stays the same, but the doors and drawers will receive a new look. You can, however, do a combination of installing brand new cabinets and refacing your existing cabinets. This would allow you to change the layout of the part of your kitchen. For example, you may want to completely remove a desk that was originally part of the kitchen. You can receive new cabinets for that space, but reface the rest of the kitchen.

Your cabinet boxes must be structurally sound and in good condition in order to be refaced. Cabinets that have water damage or are broken are unable to be refaced.

If your cabinet boxes are in perfect condition, then great! You are ready for refacing! Contact us if you have any questions about whether your cabinets are eligible for refacing.

Your cabinets may not be eligible for refacing, but that does not mean that Waukee CabinetWorks cannot be of service to you. We have cabinet lines that can be purchased for only a little bit more than cabinet refacing.

What is the kitchen refacing process?

The cabinet refacing process takes much less time than receiving brand new cabinets. If you were to have your cabinets refaced, the installation process would look something like this:

Every single cabinet door and drawer will need to be removed. This also includes all of the hinges and the hardware. The only element that will remain in your kitchen is the cabinet boxes.
The front portion of all of the cabinet boxes are covered and the cabinet sides are skinned. The sides may also receive a decorative panel.
Before the drawers and doors can be put back on, the hinges are installed. You can still use old hinges if they are still in good condition, but many people choose to update their hinges and install soft close drawers.
Once the hinges have been installed, the cabinet doors and drawers can be put back on.
Last but not least, new hardware is put on the doors and drawers. The old hardware can be used with the refaced doors and drawers if it is in good condition.

What are the benefits of refacing?

There are many great reasons as to why someone would want to reface their cabinetry. One of the biggest reasons is that it tends to be less expensive to reface cabinets than to get completely new cabinets. Painted doors are going to cost up to 25% more than Rigid Thermofoil (RTF) doors, which is what we typically use while refacing. Additionally, cabinet refacing does not take nearly as long as installing completely new cabinets. For example, it can take up to 5 weeks to receive brand new cabinets. From start to finish, refacing can be done around two days.

One may also want to reface their cabinets for aesthetic purposes. If you recently received a brand new quartz countertop, wouldn't you want your cabinets to also look brand new? Refacing allows you to do just that, without breaking the bank.

Cabinet refacing may not be for everyone, but they are a great budget-friendly option. If you are wondering whether or not your cabinets are eligible for refacing, give us a call at (515) 310-1070 or email us at info@waukeecabinetworks.com.