What’s Your Damage?
People are very passionate about updating their kitchens these days, especially when they realize they can utilize cabinet refacing as opposed to renovating their entire kitchen. What concerns some consumers is the current condition of their cabinets and if they’re actually candidates for refacing. Many people have noticed their cabinets have incurred damage over the years, such as from water exposure and such. While some of this damage might prevent cabinet refacing from being a viable option, many cabinets do not need to be deemed a lost cause. The best avenue to take in determining the condition of your cabinets is to have a qualified cabinet professional inspect your kitchen before you decide on your project. We here at RIHI will often go into a home and quickly determine whether or not the current cabinets can be refaced. If not, we simply would then recommend and explain the cabinet tear out process, which RIHI will also handle.
Refacing vs. Replacing
The good news is that most cabinets today are made of wood, which does allow for more manageable repairs. If, in fact, the cabinets need to be repaired, the extent of these repairs will also dictate what the process will entail. Another thing to consider is that any repairs will be much easier to facilitate with cabinets that are a stock modular size as opposed to custom. RIHI has been able to reface cabinets after some minor repair work, for instance, simply replacing one cabinet that isn’t adjacent to other cabinets is a very painless procedure.
Water and Warping
While many kitchens we’ve seen and subsequently worked on have had to have very minimal repair work, there have been the occasional occurrences in which the current cabinets were not salvageable. Many of these scenarios include cabinets that have suffered severe water damage, causing warping within the wood. We’ve also run into cabinets that have had frame damage, which also eliminated them from completing a refacing project. Particle board cabinets, on the other hand, offer their own litany of criteria to meet before considering refacing as an option. Much more sensitive to water damage, particle board cabinets cannot be peeling, warped, sagging, or delaminating in order to be refaced.
Again, the best advice is to seek a professional opinion before deciding if cabinet refacing is appropriate for your kitchen. Whether your damaged cabinets are refacing-ready or not, RIHI will gladly furnish you with a free estimate, regardless of which route is right for you.
