Cabinet Refacing Vs Cabinet Painting

Potential clients have often asked me the question "Why would I reface when I can just paint my existing cabinets"? It seems like a fair question to ask. Painting is much cheaper than refacing. So why not paint and save a few dollars? Having spent over 20 years in the Cabinet Refacing industry I have seen first hand why painting may seem like a good idea but only ends in disappointment in the long run.

Durability is the first aspect I would take into consideration. Cabinet painting often looks the best right after they are applied. However, paint tends to degrade when exposed to light, dirt, oils, moisture, cleaning products, and even time itself. Laminates, on the other hand, are resistant to UV fading, easy to clean with soap and water, more resistant to scratching and other wear and tear, and are designed to outlast the cabinets themselves.

Convenience would be the next factor to examine. Painting requires extensive prepping including sanding or stripping. The dust associated with this method can be difficult to contain to say the least. It requires the complete shut down of your kitchen for a few days which will be a source of irritation by the last day of the project. The application of the paint is also messy. Whether it is sprayed on with a paint sprayer or applied with a roller or brush the area will have to be masked or taped off. There will also be fumes that will permeate the house and its contents. And to add to it you will have to empty all your cabinets before the project begins and put everything back upon completion. With the Reface Masters method of cabinet refacing the client can come in and make a sandwich while the reface is in progress. There is never any downtime and the cabinets never have to be emptied. There are no smells or harmful VOC’s.

We can’t forget about the time. Time is a factor that every client says isn’t a problem until several days into the job without a kitchen. An average cabinet painting will take about a week if it is done correctly, anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is likely planning to skip a few crucial steps in the process to achieve the expected time frame. An average cabinet refacing project will usually take 2-3 days to complete including prep. As I mentioned before, With the Reface Masters Method of refacing there is no kitchen downtime.

​When you put together that Cabinet Refacing results in a more durable finished product, is convenient having a minimally invasive installation process, and can be completed in much less time than cabinet painting it just makes sense to consider cabinet refacing over cabinet painting.