Kitchen Remodeling Vs. Cabinet Refacing: What’s Better For Chicagoland Homeowners?
(And What Is Cabinet Refacing, Anyway?)
Many Chicagoland homeowners are, right this second, looking at their kitchens and thinking, “Meh.” They’re unhappy with the tired, drab look of the room and really wouldn’t mind a more modern feel to the space. Most would make the mistake of thinking that only a full remodel will give them the kitchen they want, and most would be wrong. You actually have two choices: a full remodel or cabinet refacing.
Overview Of A Full Kitchen Remodel
A full kitchen remodel is an extensive reimagining of your cooking space from the ground up. Your kitchen is stripped down to the subfloor, and all new cabinetry, plumbing, electrical, and appliances are installed in a new, modern floor plan for maximum efficiency. The process can take over a month, during which you won’t have access to your kitchen.
Overview Of Kitchen Cabinet Refacing
Refacing is about a lot more than just your cabinet doors. When your kitchen is refaced, you keep the shells of your cabinetry and give them a new look with modern DuraCore doors, fresh hardware, and new features like soft-close rails or slide-out shelving. You can also rearrange your cabinetry to create a better flow to your kitchen and even install new counter space and new countertops. This process can be accomplished in as little as three days.
Comparing Full Kitchen Remodeling With Cabinet Refacing
We’re the first to acknowledge that a full kitchen remodel can yield amazingly beautiful results, but so can refacing your kitchen cabinets. In terms of practical, day-to-day usage, most homeowners wouldn’t notice much difference between the two methods.
Before we get into the differences, let’s talk about what’s the same with either option. In either kitchen remodeling or kitchen refacing, you can:
- Pick from a wide array of colors and styles
- Add modern conveniences like a lazy susan or slide-out shelves
- Rearrange the cabinetry
- Change the location and type of appliances
- Add an island
- Replace the countertops
- Improve the flow
All of the above changes are possible no matter which method you choose to update your kitchen. Now, let’s look at some of the differences between remodeling and refacing.
What’s Involved In Full Kitchen Remodeling?
With a full kitchen remodel, you may have to live without your kitchen for up to a month or even longer, and the cost is up to twice the cost of refacing your kitchen. There is also a good chance that you will have to deal with multiple contractors throughout the process with such a major undertaking.
Also, the cabinet materials, unless you have them custom-made, will almost always be of a lower quality than what you had removed. New cabinets just aren’t as durable as the ones they made even as little as 20 years ago.
However, you can completely change the floor plan of your kitchen, even moving your plumbing to accommodate a modern flow. You can even include things like new windows in new locations if that’s your desire.
A kitchen remodel is a blank slate with only the shape of the walls and the size of the space hemming in your imagination. And, in truth, walls can be moved, too. It’s just a question of how much money you want to spend and how long you can stand to be without your kitchen.
What’s Involved In Kitchen Cabinet Refacing?
Kitchen refacing can create just as dramatic a change in your kitchen as a remodel will, but without throwing away those old, better-built cabinet shells. The only place a refacing falls short is that most contractors don’t want to do any serious plumbing or electrical work, which takes moving your sink out of the equation.
During the refacing, your cabinet doors replacement with DuraCore doors that are remarkably strong and almost impervious to heat and grease. While you get to keep the old, better-made shells, you don’t need to keep the old tech that came with them.
Modern techs, like soft-closing glides for the drawers and other easy-access features, can be added to your old cabinets to go with their new, modern look. Also, all the hardware can be replaced, and you can even change from visible to hidden hinges if you’d like. In short, you get all the looks and modern conveniences of brand-new cabinets, but without their high price tag and lower build quality.
The top two features of kitchen refacing are the short build time – as little as three days – and the lower cost – from 30-50% cheaper than a remodel.
Remodel your Kitchen with Redo Cabinets Refacing in Chicago, IL
All of the above comparisons offer us a few conclusions.
If you are looking to move windows and get rid of walls, remodeling your kitchen is the way to go.
If you don’t mind that the sink, windows, and walls will stay where they are, refacing is worth serious consideration.
If time and money are important factors in your decision-making process, then refacing your kitchen is the way to go.
The end result of refacing or remodeling your kitchen will provide a dramatic and beautiful change and will feel about the same in function.
If you think refacing the kitchen in your Chicagoland home is the choice for you, contact Redo Cabinets for a free quote.
