Posts: 3,798
Threads: 0
Joined: Jun 2006
A couple years ago, we bought a mid-century modern house built in the 1960s that has original kitchen and bathroom cabinets. The kitchen is huge and full of cabinets. I am considering what my options are to modernize the kitchen and bathrooms. I suppose there are several options. One is to have a contractor come in and put all new cabinets in. Another is to buy ikea cabinets and install them myself. Another would be to buy ikea boxes and make the doors and drawers myself or buy the drawers and doors. Yet another would be to resurface the cabinets or otherwise give them a face lift that might be a lot cheaper than the other options. Does anyone have experience with resurfacing something as large as a kitchen full of cabinets? The present cabinets have face frames but I don't know if that makes things easier or harder. At 73 I don't have a large appetite to tackle the job of building this many cabinets although I have taken on larger projects before. Also I would not want to have to put out tens of thousands of dollars at this point in my wife and my life to have a contractor come in and take care of the whole job. So does anyone have experience with resurfacing? Ken
Posts: 6,678
Threads: 1
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Southern California
I am probably more crippled up than you at this point - although similar in age.. My wife and I were discussing a similar project (all new for the office.) She is quite adamant that we either buy BORG boxes and install ourselves or just have a contractor do it. My past failures at making progress probably have something to do with it.
I don't want IKEA so we'll most likely go with BORG boxes and install with help of son-in-law.
In your case resurfacing is probably the cheapest and fastest route.
Thanks, Curt
-----------------
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
-- Soren Kierkegaard
Posts: 10,773
Threads: 0
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Front seat on the Struggle Bus
Curt, IMHO, Ikea "boxes" are better than borg boxes ever thought of being.....
Ed
Posts: 12,604
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Wapakoneta, OH
I've not done done anything really large, but I did reface a bath and some other cabinets in our last house. It's not that hard, and works out well. The downside I see is that you are doing the finishing with the cabinets in place, at least on the face frames and exposed sides, assuming you finish drawer fronts and doors in the shop. I have a suggestion, buy
Herrick Kimball's book (notice you can get a used one really cheap) and go through it. It may give you an idea of the work involved, but more importantly it has some really good tips and simple tool ideas that help.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
Posts: 13,930
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2002
Location: Texas
I refaced my kitchen a couple years ago. Made all new door and drawers and veneered the face frames. Took awhile but am pleased with final outcome
Posts: 203
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2010
Wipedout said:
I refaced my kitchen a couple years ago. Made all new door and drawers and veneered the face frames. Took awhile but am pleased with final outcome
+1 I used 3M press and place oak veneer for the rails and stiles. Very easy to use and when stained and finished you cannot distinguish from solid oak. The raised panel doors took some time but were a learning experience and I got very proficient as time passed. Not a small project but very rewarding when complete and much cheaper than replacing all the cabinets. It also allowed us to use the kitchen during the process. Good luck!
Take off a full blade, nope, too long, now take off 1/2 blade, nope, too long, now take off 1/4 blade - How the H--- can it be 1/4" short????
Posts: 35
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2011
I refaced our kitchen cabinets two years ago and helped a friend do his last year. We were very pleased with both. Our kitchen has 29 doors and 10 drawer fronts so it took awhile but was worth it. I used cherry peel and stick veneer from Oakwood Veneer in Michigan. It's not difficult, just time consuming. I also used Kimball's book, which is very helpful. We spent a little over 2K to do our kitchen.
Posts: 7,421
Threads: 1
Joined: Sep 2005
Ken Vick said:
A couple years ago, we bought a mid-century modern house built in the 1960s that has original kitchen and bathroom cabinets. The kitchen is huge and full of cabinets. I am considering what my options are to modernize the kitchen and bathrooms. I suppose there are several options. One is to have a contractor come in and put all new cabinets in. Another is to buy ikea cabinets and install them myself. Another would be to buy ikea boxes and make the doors and drawers myself or buy the drawers and doors. Yet another would be to resurface the cabinets or otherwise give them a face lift that might be a lot cheaper than the other options. Does anyone have experience with resurfacing something as large as a kitchen full of cabinets? The present cabinets have face frames but I don't know if that makes things easier or harder. At 73 I don't have a large appetite to tackle the job of building this many cabinets although I have taken on larger projects before. Also I would not want to have to put out tens of thousands of dollars at this point in my wife and my life to have a contractor come in and take care of the whole job. So does anyone have experience with resurfacing? Ken
I refaced just one cabinet with white mica. I used iron on material. It went fast. I made a new door from 3/4" ply (I think it was ply).
The decision is going to be largely based on the condition of the boxes. What are they made of? How are the drawers constructed? Are they holding together well?
You can order custom doors and just reface the face frames and the end panels. That is a labor savings option.
Here is one:
http://www.cabinetdoorworld.com/?gclid=C...hgodPwUIXwThis is not a recommendation, they are just a name I found on the Internet.
No animals were injured or killed in the production of this post.
Posts: 675
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2011
Before deciding, I'd suggest you get this book or borrow from your local library.
http://www.amazon.com/REFACING-CABINETS-..._1_1&sr=8-1
Posts: 420
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Concord, CA
I refaced my kitchen about 8-10 years ago. Went real well and looked great, still does. Went white so I used large sheets with white Rigid Thermofoil surface. It was about 1/4" thick panels. I didn't want any seams to show. Easy to clean. I used contact cement to adhere the panels and used a router with a bearing guide bit to cut out the door and drawer openings. Actually pretty easy. Ordered new doors and drawer fronts.
Downside to that is 2 fold:
1) the panels were MDF, and being 1/4" thick they made it so the screw holes for the door hinges were right at the interface of the oak face frame and the panel. I've had to replace several hinges with ones that would actually bite into the wood, otherwise the screws pull out.
2) the RTF surface on some of the panels and doors/drawer fronts is separating from the base material. I've been able to fix it so far with some wood glue and pressing it back down, but I fear it's not going to last too many more years. Note it's not the contact cement between the MDF panel and the existing cabinet, it's the factory applied surface to the MDF.
If I were to do it again, and still wanted to go white, I'd probably get someone in to professionally paint it. If I wanted wood, I'd probably really look at the veneer sheets. I wouldn't do what I did.
Hope this helps.
Kevin
