Don’t replace – reface instead
"Instead of tearing out good-quality kitchen cabinets that have worn out their welcome, homeowners are choosing to renovate, by refacing and painting"
By Donna D’Amour
The following feature story was copied from Saltscapes Magazine March/April 2009
"Replacing kitchen cabinets can be costly and time-consuming. Renovating existing cabinetry is a better option for homeowners like Susan Stacey, of Waverley, NS, who decided to reface her cabinets. That involves replacing doors and drawerfronts, and fitting the outside of the cabinets with a matching outer skin. 'We liked the layout of our kitchen,' Stacey says. 'We had enough cabinets, so we didn’t have to take out the frames. Less mess, less fuss. We went without our kitchen for three days.'
Stacey wanted a clean, modern look, so close light maple Shaker-Style doors and drawerfronts, and installed frosted glass in a few doors. To complement the modern lines of the cabinetry, Stacey chose brushed stainless steel door handles, replaced the old hinges with European concealed hinges, and changed her countertop to a rich, dark granite.
'Refacing kitchen cabinets is far more than sticking on new doors,' says Robert Stack, owner of Kitchen Refacers in Sackville, NS, a Web-based business with an online showroom. According to Stack, refacing appeals to many homeowners because it eliminates the expense and disorder involved in pulling out cabinets. As well, refacing doesn’t require costly alterations to the electrical system, plumbing, or flooring.
Most of the kitchens Stack refaces are at least 20 years old, and many have sturdy plywood doors and shelves. 'Older cabinets were made at a time when building a kitchen was a slower process,' he says. 'Many are custom fit and made from high-quality materials.' Stack says they take more weight than particle board, the hinges hold better, and shelves don’t sag. Stack says his normal price for refacing is between $3,000 and $5,000, a range he says is roughly half the price of replacing the cabinets.
Paige Watson, in Kingswood, NS, also chose to reface her kitchen cabinets, opting as well to replace a built-in desk with a pantry, and add an island. 
'It was a nice kitchen before, but it just wasn’t my taste,' Watson says. Like Susan Stacey, Watson hired Robert Stack to do the work. For both the refaced cabinets and new pantry with roll-out shelves, Watson went with an easy-to-clean white vinyl. In all, she replaced countertops, cabinet doors and hardware, sink and faucet, and appliances, and added an island and pantry."
This article was published in the March-April 2009 edition of Saltscapes magazine. www.saltscapes.com
