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Is It Better to Refinish or Replace Kitchen Cabinets?

replace or refinish kitchen cabinets
Refinishing Vs Replacing Kitchen Cabinets

Deciding whether to refinish or replace your kitchen cabinets isn’t always easy. It depends on a few things about your current cabinets and what you want out of your kitchen. Let’s walk through some key questions to help you figure out what’s best.

Are Your Cabinets Good Quality?

First, take a look at what your kitchen cabinets are made of. If they’re cheap, like laminate over particleboard (the kind you often find from budget suppliers like IKEA), refinishing probably won’t work well. You can paint them, but it’s usually better to replace them or, at least, swap out the doors. Cabinets made from solid wood or plywood, on the other hand, can usually handle refinishing just fine.

Are Your Cabinets in Good Condition?

Even if your cabinets are made from quality materials, their condition matters. If they’re damaged like having broken hinges or sagging doors you might be better off replacing them. Seriously worn-out cabinets won’t look great after refinishing, no matter how hard you try.

Do You Like the Style?

What about the style of your cabinets? If the design is outdated or doesn’t match your taste anymore, you don’t have to replace everything. Instead, you can just replace the doors for a fresh look. This is an easy way to update the style without tearing out the whole kitchen. Just make sure the boxes of the cabinets are still in good shape before you do this.

Do Your Cabinets Still Work for You?

Think about how well your kitchen cabinets work for you. If the only issue is the color or style, refinishing them can be a good, cost-effective solution. If you need more storage or want to change the layout, you might need to reface or replace them. For example, you may want to add more drawers instead of shelves.

Is Refinishing Realistic?

Refinishing sounds easy, but it’s not always as simple as it seems. If you’re thinking of turning your dark-stained kitchen cabinets into a lighter wood look, it may not be possible without a lot of work. You can usually darken the color or paint them, but some changes just aren’t realistic. If you plan to do it yourself, practice on something small first to make sure you get the hang of it.

Are You Planning Other Renovations?

Finally, if you’re planning to replace countertops or make other changes to your kitchen, replacing the cabinets might make more sense. When you swap out cabinets, a lot of other things need to change too, like your plumbing, sink, and possibly even electrical work. If you’re doing a big renovation, it’s often easier and more cost-effective to replace the cabinets at the same time.

Not sure which option is best for you? At TILEMART, we’re here to help! If you want to paint your cabinets, replace doors, or fully remodel, we have everything you need to make your kitchen look amazing.