Kitchen cabinet refacing
Cabinet refacing can be an excellent way to update a kitchen when your Davie cabinets are in good shape. It can be a poor choice when they’re not.
Refacing Works Only When Cabinet Boxes Do
Cabinet refacing involves adding new cabinet doors and drawer fronts to your existing cabinets. Your contractor will cover the faces of the cabinets that will be visible, adding new veneer in addition to the doors and fronts. Refacing works well when your cabinets are structurally sound. If the layout of your kitchen works well for you and you’re happy with the size and placement of the cabinets, refacing will update their appearance without the expense and disruption of replacing them.
If you’re happy with your cabinets aside from how they look, refacing is an excellent solution. But there are a few instances in which refacing could be a problem. If you’re planning to reface your Davie cabinets, pay special attention to these areas. If there’s a problem here, rebuilding certain cabinets instead of replacing all of them can be the right solution.
Water Damage Changes the Equation
Your sink cabinet
Your contractor will probably take a look at your sink cabinet first. Disposals, water supplies, drains, and other sources can leak slowly enough that you may not be aware of the problem, but they can damage your cabinet. Humid South Florida weather can exacerbate the problem, so what appears to be a dark ring where your pipes enter your cabinet may be a warning that the damage has spread.
Refacing will not repair damaged particleboard. If your cabinet has swollen, lost strength, or otherwise deteriorated, it won’t hold up to continued use. If you’re preparing your Davie home to sell, a prospective buyer’s inspector may catch this issue and ask for repairs. It’s possible they’ll catch it just by looking at the underside of the countertop. Even after refacing, they could discover your damaged sink cabinet and make it an issue when haggling over the sale.
If the discoloration is limited to a small area and has had little effect on your particleboard, you may be able to get away with a minor repair. But if the cabinet’s sides are soft, the construction seems wobbly, or if there’s still a source of dampness (look at epa.gov/mold/brief-guide-mold-moisture-and-your-home if you want numbers), rebuild the sink cabinet once the source of the water is repaired.
Check the Layout Before Keeping Cabinets
The overall layout of your kitchen
Refacing won’t allow you to rearrange or enlarge your cabinets. If you’d like more range, an easier-to-use pantry, or more usable cabinets in addition to updated ones, you may be disappointed with your results after refacing. If you’re preparing your home for sale, pay attention to your kitchen’s functionality. Can two people get by on each side of your island, or will they have to circle it?
Does your dishwasher’s door interfere with use of your sink or refrigerator? Can anyone use your corner cabinets or will they be little more than curiosities? Does anyone’s head smack into low-hanging upper cabinets when using countertop appliances? Your kitchen should be functional enough that anyone will be able to use it comfortably.
Your main path into and out of the kitchen should allow at least 36” of clearance –
https://www.forbes.com/sites/houzz/rethink-the-kitchen-island/.
Other paths to appliances, cabinets, and other features will be used often enough that they should be just as comfortable. If the kitchen seems awkward for five minutes during a showing, chances are a prospective buyer will pick up on it.
Kitchen cabinet layout
Drawer Fronts Cannot Fix Weak Boxes
Drawer boxes
New drawer fronts are attractive, but if the boxes aren’t deep and long enough to hold your dishes or sturdy enough to bear their weight, you may be disappointed with your results; the practical side of where cabinet refacing falls short in Davie starts there.
Soffits and Mismatched Cabinets May Need Rebuilding
Soffits and oddly-shaped or mismatched cabinets
If you have a soffit above some of your cabinets, your contractor will tell you it can stay there. Removing it could involve chasing down ducts, wires, pipes, or, fortunately, nothing. Either way, it takes time, possibly a permit, and money. If you have a strict timeline, it’s easier to leave it.
You’ll have a chunky border above your otherwise updated cabinets. But if your soffit requires some odd-shaped cabinets beneath it or makes your kitchen feel like it’s being swallowed by walls, consider rebuilding this part of your kitchen without the soffit. Even if it takes longer than you’d like, the end result could be worth it.
Similarly, if your cabinets don’t look cohesive, refacing could make the issue more prominent. If your kitchen’s been modified several times, some of your cabinet boxes may be shallower than others. Filler strips could mask the issue, but new doors and drawer fronts may emphasize them.
If you’re working on a timeline, say six weeks to prepare a Davie home for sale or rental, rebuilding certain cabinets could be the best solution. If your sink cabinet is shot, a bank of drawers doesn’t work well, or a stretch of cabinets doesn’t play well with others, consider rebuilding them. Reface the rest.