Cabinet Refinishing

Cabinet Refacing

Cabinet Painting

Cabinet Staining

Cabinet Refacing

Refacing cabinets is a cheaper, easier alternative to rebuilding the entire cabinet. You can expect to spend half an hour to an hour on each cabinet, and two days total to ensure that everything is dry. The cost ranges $50-$175 per shingle cabinet, depending on the size, material, and finish.

Kitchen cabinet refacing, or any cabinet refacing, is just a matter of switching the doors and covering up the exposed parts of the cabinet with veneer that matches the new finish. You will want to get new doors that match the size of your current doors. Self-stick veneer is easy to use. The veneer is hard to remove, so be careful measuring, cutting, and placing it on the cabinet.

Be sure to work slowly. Making the job look need is the hardest part. Trimming the veneer with a sharp utility knife is very important.

Here are the steps to Do it yourself cabinet refacing:

1) Start by removing all of the doors. Clean the faces and the side. Grease accumulates over time, and it may take a while to scrub them clean. Let them dry, and then sand all of the surfaces with sandpaper (150-grit is good). Wipe down the cabinets with a tack cloth.

2) Put carpenter`s glue on the plywood panel and apply it to the exposed end of the cabinet. You will then need to secure the panel with small nails and fill the holes from the sunken nails with wood filler.

3) Measure all of the stiles (vertical-frame face) and rails (horizontal-frame face). Use a straightedge and utility knife to cut the veneer into strips that are ½ inch wider and 2 inches longer than what you measured. When you cut them, make sure that the wood grain always runs lengthwise.

4) Hold the piece of veneer to the stile and align it so that it overlaps all of the edges. Slowly peel away the backing and press the veneer in place. Then use a wood block to press down on the strip. This will force all of the bubbles out and make it stick better. Do this with both stiles.

5) Carefully trim the veneer to fit the frame. Run the knife along the edges to ensure that it is straight. Trim the top, inside, outside, and bottom edges.

6) Now it is time to work on the rails. Again, cut pieces that are ½ wider and 2 inches longer than you need. Apply the veneer to the rails so that they overlap the stiles on both sides. You want the edges to touch perfectly, so you will need to align a ruler to the inner edge of the stile. Take your utility knife and cut through both layers of veneer. Lift up the rail veneer and peel away both parts (rail and stile excess) that were cut. Finish all of the frames this way.

7) The next step is to replace the doors. Align the door carefully and screw it in. You may need a level. You will need to attach knobs or handles, as well as inside magnets if you want them.

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