You should consider cabinet refinishing as your first choice if you’re planning a kitchen renovation. The way in which cabinet refinishing is done has changed considerably over the years. Not many people know about this, so they often needlessly discard cabinets instead of restoring them. 
These days, cabinet refinishing is far more advanced and efficient. The cabinet refinishing process used to require a lot of time and labor because in order for it to succeed, a kitchen’s cabinets had to be removed before they could be sanded and then reinstalled. All these steps also left behind a huge mess. Hence, traditional cabinet refinishing was not very appealing to most homeowners. The process is different now. With current cabinet refinishing technology and the right skills, professionals can refinish cabinets easily and efficiently without leaving any mess behind.
Now, cabinet refinishing occurs mostly in your home, and it does not require the removal of your cabinets. The process takes only a few days to complete, and it is much less expensive than any cabinet replacement or refacing service.
Let us go over what replacing, refacing, and refinishing your cabinets mean.
A cabinet replacement describes the process of removing your old cabinets and then replacing them with new ones, just as its name suggests. Doing so entails a large scale renovation project and requires a huge budget.
The process will clear up a great amount of space in your kitchen. This will give you the opportunity to implement new kitchen renovation options. For instance, you may want to upgrade the plumbing and/or electrical wiring in your kitchen to upgrade or relocate the sink or appliances . You will also have the chance to replace your tiles, set up a new backsplash, or purchase new countertops. You might even want to paint your kitchen walls, or this all may become mandatory as soon as you rip the cabinets off the wall.
You will also have the chance to install new cabinets with different functional qualities and which sport new styles or aesthetic designs. As you can imagine, a cabinet replacement gives you the chance to significantly change your kitchen’s layout. You can change the number of cabinets in your kitchen or adjust how much counter space is available. Replacing your cabinets is perhaps the most exciting kitchen renovation option because of all the possibilities it opens up. However, it is also the most expensive kitchen renovation option.
Market trends in 2016 approximate the cost of a standard full kitchen renovation at a starting price of around $50,000. Various factors will increase this price. A kitchen will cost more to renovate. Moreover, if more retrofitting is necessary, the cost will increase as well. Finishes carry different price tags as well, which will be reflected in your final cost.
Most of the time, cabinet replacements exceed their initial scopes and shoot past their assigned budgets. Failure to plan a kitchen renovation carefully can result in it easily costing more than $100,000. However, with a careful, realistic, and detailed plan, you will be better able to optimize your budget. Having the capacity and presence of mind to anticipate and deal with foreseeable issues will be helpful too.
Refacing your cabinet means upgrading the finished surfaces of your kitchen cabinets. This process suits homeowners who want new drawers and doors but don’t intend to go as far as altering their kitchen’s original layout to any significant degree. There are different kinds of cabinet refacing processes.
Lower-end cabinet refacing processes usually entail the use of laminates to upgrade cabinet surfaces. Most of the time, cabinets refaced like this look very good in photographs. However, they look very cheap and fake in reality. Laminates also create a texture and feel that are far inferior to that of the wooden doors and panels over which they are applied.
About 20 to 30 years ago, superior methods and materials were used to construct cabinets. Cabinets built during this time had very sturdy boxes and featured real hardwood far more frequently in the construction of their doors, boxes, and styles. As a result, these older cabinets were far more durable than modern day ones.
The use of laminates in a cabinet refacing process has a lower upfront cost. However, their results don’t tend to last very long. Everyday wear and tear can break down laminates rapidly. Moreover, repairing laminate surfaces when they are inevitably damaged is an expensive and difficult process.
Laminate surfaces are also very vulnerable to chipping and warping. They also swell when exposed to water. Delamination occurs frequently too. This is a process in which the glue connecting the laminate to its applied surface loses its adhesion.
Kitchen refacing processes involving the use of laminates usually cost less than $5,000. They also feature the use of low quality products for cabinet doors, gable ends, boxes, styles, etc. Cabinets refaced in this way are usually less durable and have a shorter lifespan. 
For higher-end cabinet refacing services, cabinet doors are usually removed and then replaced by new solid wood doors. Wood veneer finishing is also used. In most cases, such processes yield better and longer lasting results.
There are many different sizes, styles, and finishes for replacement doors available in the market. Replacing your cabinet doors does not cause any change to the layout of your kitchen.
High quality finishes are typical of such cabinet refacings. Nevertheless, there can be some issues with the veneer used on gable ends, cabinet boxes, and styles. Wood veneer is a substance that imitates the appearance of solid wood but does not enjoy the same level of durability. It is applied to all exposed cabinet surfaces not covered by doors.
When it is applied or glued to cabinet surfaces in a home environment without strict manufacturing/factory environmental controls, it suffers from quality issues. These conditions cause it to become vulnerable to warping and chipping in the same way laminates are. Wood veneer will also swell when it is exposed to water.
Cabinets that have been refaced with new doors and wood veneer also have a tendency to look inconsistent. This phenomenon is often present in natural maple cabinets.
As time passes, natural maple turns yellow. However, individual pieces of wood undergo this process at their own rates. Maple cabinets are comprised of several different components. Each of these parts turns yellow at different rates. For instance, the doors of a cabinet become yellow more rapidly or slowly than the cabinet’s raised panel segments or boxes. As a result, maple cabinets often end up with a random collection of varying yellow shades.
Cabinet refacings involve the use of different types of wood, finishes, and finish applications, and the process also includes the work of different manufacturers. It is therefore not surprising for refaced cabinets to have haphazard, mismatching wood tones across their various parts as well.
Refaced cabinets tend to end up with an appearance similar to that of faded maple cabinets. No matter how skilled your craftsmen or how high quality the materials used are, no refacing process will make your cabinets look like they have received a custom onsite finish.
A cabinet refacing process that uses solid wooden doors and veneers tends to cost somewhere between $10,000 and $15,000. The size of your kitchen and the options you select will also affect the total price.
Cabinet refinishing is a completely different process that costs much less than a cabinet replacement or refacing.
Cabinet refinishing entails the restoration or replacement of your cabinets’ existing finish. This process can be executed in different ways, but they all share the same general premise. A cabinet refinishing comprises of the following steps: a complete cleansing and degreasing of a cabinet’s wooden surfaces; repairs to any damaged areas; and finally the choice by homeowners to either restore the original finish of the cabinet or refinish it with a different color.
As mentioned, interior wood refinishing was previously a costly, messy, and tedious process. It used to require a huge amount of labor, and the work and tedium involved were similar to that necessary to sand a hardwood floor or strip the finish from a piece of furniture.
Presently, this only applies to traditional and DIY wood refinishing processes. Cabinet refinishing through such methods still involves removing your cabinets and then sanding them down to bare wood. 
This preparatory work must take place before you or your hired craftsmen begin applying any finish to your cabinets’ wooden surfaces, which is itself a challenging task. The time and manpower required can end up costing you as much as cabinet replacement or refacing processes would.
Cabinet painting should not be given much consideration either, even if you do hire professional painters. Your cabinets must still be removed and sanded, so this process would be as time consuming and as labor-intensive as a traditional or DIY cabinet refinishing.
If the cabinets have not been properly prepared, their painted surfaces will peel and flake within a few days. Still, even with the most scrupulous and comprehensive preparatory work, no cabinet painting job will be very long-lasting too. Most paint products were not made for constant contact with hands and fingers and the repetitive motions of opening and closing cabinet doors. Also, the moisture and grease in kitchen environments are very hostile to many paint products, which end up falling apart in them very rapidly. There is no paint job that can last as long as a factory finish or any of NHance’s cabinet refinishing projects.
NHance’s approach to the cabinet refinishing process is unique in the market. All our products and techniques are geared to meet the needs of kitchen cabinets and kitchen environments. Thanks to our research and development work, we possess preparation methods that ensure our projects enjoy optimal effectiveness, efficiency, and durability. 
We use a patented “sandless” technique to clean, degrease, and restore your cabinets’ existing finish. With this technique, you can rest assured that no mess will be left behind by our work.
Most of the refinishing process takes place in your home because there is no need to remove your cabinets unless you’ve chosen NHance’s Color & Custom Color Change services. For these services, your cabinet doors and fronts will have to be removed for servicing.
Our cutting edge refinishing technology allows us to use advanced methods alongside High Performance, Low VOC polyurethane products. This enables us to carry out durable, factory-style finishes or refinishings extremely efficiently, which in turn makes our services much more affordable than cabinet replacements or refinishings.
There are four different types of refinishing services available with NHance.
Basic Cabinet Renewal, Cabinet Color Shift, Color Change, Custom Color Options.
The NHance Basic Cabinet Renewal
NHance’s Basic or Classic Cabinet Renewal is our most economical refinishing service. The Basic Cabinet Renewal works to restore the original finish of your cabinets without causing any change to their original color. When carrying out this service, our craftsmen will begin by cleansing and degreasing your cabinets thoroughly. Next, they will repair any faded or missing finish. Their work will revitalize any dried out wood and cover it with a durable top coat finish. At the end of the Basic Cabinet Renewal service, your cabinet will look better than they ever did.
Click here learn more about the Basic Renewal Process.
The NHance Cabinet Color Shift
NHance’s Cabinet Color Shift works in a very similar way to the Basic Cabinet Renewal. However, it also shifts the color of your cabinets to a slightly darker one. To achieve this effect, our craftsmen will apply several coats of color to your cabinets’ wooden surfaces by hand.
Here are some examples. Since this service involves the application of color by hand, the cabinets invariably attain a unique, customized appearance. Thus, this service is a great choice for homeowners who want their furniture to have such a look.
Our Color Shift page has more information about this process.
The NHance Color Change
NHance’s Color Change & Custom Color involve the application of a custom finish to your cabinets’ surfaces through spraying. These options will provide you with a lot of freedom and variety in customization options regarding the color and look of your cabinets.
The Color Change service can also darken the tone of your cabinets, which would be an ideal effect for natural maple cabinets or cabinets that have a Honey Oak Finish. We haves many translucent color options available for your cabinets. Each of these translucent colors would highlight the beauty of your cabinets’ natural wooden texture. NHance’s Color Change service is highly effective at updating a cabinet’s old-fashioned natural, honey, or golden tones into sleeker, darker, and trendier colors.
The NHance Custom Color Option
With NHance’s Custom Color option, you will have access to thousands of different custom opaque colors. This service entails the application of a solid color to your cabinets, which will result in dramatic changes to their appearance. In fact, many of our clients indicated that they could barely recognize their cabinets after receiving this service. Before getting a custom opaque color, their cabinets looked old-fashioned and outdated. By the time our work was complete, their cabinets sported an elegant and trendy new color. 
NHance’s Custom Color Option allows you to customize your kitchen at a much lower price than you would pay for a fully custom-built kitchen renovation. With our opaque custom colors, your kitchen can easily acquire a complete and stunning aesthetic makeover.
Here are a few photos of our Custom Color change options. Much more detailed information is available on our Custom Color and Color Change.
What types of cabinets are suitable for refinishing?
NHance’s refinishing process can work perfectly with most types of kitchen surfaces. Our products can adhere completely to any type of wood, veneer, and all kinds of laminate.
We also possess the necessary experience to work on kitchens that are more than 20 years old. Such kitchens usually have cabinets with very battered and worn out surfaces and doors. However, thanks to their superior materials and construction methods, these cabinets still remain very sturdy and durable. Thus, they are ideal candidates for NHance’s Basic Cabinet Renewal or if you want to update them and reenergize their appearance, you will need our Custom Color Change service.
Cabinets in need of repairs still fall within the realm of our abilities too. We can provide or outsource any necessary or desired cabinet modifications for your cabinet restoration or update. The same applies to various hardware, hinges, rollouts, crown molding, and other add-ons. NHance will make every effort to help you optimize your budget and give you the kitchen of your dreams for a much lower cost than that involved in a cabinet replacement or refacing.
NHance’s services offer unrivaled efficiency, effectiveness, and economy.
Over the years, we have gotten many inquiries in Fort Wayne asking about Natural Maple or Honey and Golden Oak cabinets. Such cabinets were the most popular choices for new home construction during the two to three decades.
We have also received inquiries asking whether our products are effective on laminate surfaces. Requests for cabinet pull replacements alongside one of our refinishing services also arrive in our inbox. For all these inquiries, requests, and more, NHance strives to answer in the affirmative. We are very happy to collaborate with clients or other tradespersons in order to give you optimal efficiency and effectiveness for your kitchen renovation.
Our economical rates and quick project completion time end up saving a lot of money for our clients. It is not unusual for them to spend much less than their planned budget. These freed-up funds allow them to implement other kitchen renovation options, such as updating their countertops, getting a new backsplash, or getting new appliances.
Most kitchen renovations begin with a cabinet update since cabinets are usually the most prominent color element in a kitchen. All other kitchen renovation options are often designed in a contrasting or complementary fashion with regards to the color of a kitchen’s cabinets.
When planning a kitchen renovation, you must give consider your budget very carefully.
Having unrealistic or vague kitchen renovation plans can easily result in catastrophe because they will cause you to install, remove, and then reinstall many kitchen renovation options. In doing so, you will waste so much money that you will exceed your initial budget in the blink of an eye.
You should not pay too much attention to cabinet sales as well. It’s true that heavily discounted cabinets are extremely attractive. However, the prices of these cabinets are not factored in with the additional work or costs involved in a cabinet replacement. 
A cabinet replacement might result in your kitchen needing more paint, for example. During the process, you might decide that you’d like a new backsplash. Changes in regional building codes might necessitate major and expensive upgrades to your kitchen’s electrical wiring or plumbing. The cabinet replacement process might also expose a portion of the subfloor that was previously covered by an old cabinet. If this happens, you will need to pay for expensive new flooring upgrades.
Plan your kitchen renovation carefully and realistically will help you minimize the expenses and trouble of these foreseeable yet still significant issues. The minimum price of a cabinet replacement is $20,000. However, such an expansive and complicated kitchen renovation option will realistically cost more than $50,000.
If you have a budget somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000, refacing your cabinets might be a viable option, especially if you just want to update the style and appearance of your cabinet doors while still retaining your kitchen’s original layout.
However, you might have a budget less than $10,000 or a large kitchen to renovate. You might also want to upgrade your kitchen for a much more affordable price than getting a cabinet replacement or refacing. If any of these situations are true for you, there is no better choice than NHance’s cabinet refinishing services.
Our services vary in prices. However, as a rule, they generally cost a third of the price of a high-end refacing project and less than a fifth of the price of a complete kitchen renovation and cabinet replacement. If you have no plans to make significant changes to your kitchen’s layout, let NHance’s cabinet refinishing services be your choice for your kitchen renovation ideas!
Give us a call today (260) 341-6671 to discuss your project and discover if cabinet refinishing is the best option for your kitchen renovation.
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