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Kitchen Cabinet Refacing - Your Holiday Gift To Your Home
(part two of a kitchen renovation series) Page 1

by: Liz Roberts

The holidays are the best time to redo your kitchen. New cabinets veneers are long last gifts that will last beyond the holidays and New Year. They are attractive yet practical presents. You can do it yourself or hire a contractor. Either way, your kitchen will be the jewel of your house for a long, long time.

The first question you have to ask yourself is do you want an expert or yourself to reface your kitchen cabinets. Contractors can offer several lush styles plus they’ll throw in new countertops. Professional cabinet refacing is costly and may take financing. However the process costs 50% less than if you had the entire room gutted and redone from scratch. Refacers will take only two to three days but they may interfere with your family’s schedule. Let's face it no one wants their kitchen a total mess or off limits even for a day. Using a professional refacer means you can opt for any kind of wood, laminate or even metallic finish. He can even change the kitchen’s layout, eliminating or adding islands and cabinets. If you go with a pro, then consider changing your countertops as well. Countertops can be redone in stone, wood, ceramic or laminate. If choosing a wood counter top, remember that it will deteriorate quicker than stone or the others. This is due to dampness either from the sink or cooking. Most homeowners go with Corian which is a durable, long lasting solid surface. It is non porous but can easily be sculpted , cut , routed and drilled like wood. It also requires no sealing. However if you are on a budget choose wisely and within your means. You can select Formica which is a highly pressurized laminate which is just as durable but a little less expensive than Corian. Contractors have a way of appealing to your expensive and extravagant side. What started out as a simple refacing estimate could turn into an astronomically priced remodeling job. Get several estimates before selecting the final refacing company.

If you don’t want to deal with high pressure sales pitches and sloppy, rushed work, then just do it yourself. Kitchen refacing can be difficult, but with patience, time and the right tools you can create something beautiful and durable. There are several different types of veneers to chose from. You can buy ash or maple that are relatively inexpensive to the more expensive hickory ,teak or white birch woods. Veneers are usually 1/64” thick that comes with a 10 mil thick paper backing for stability and a pressure sensitive adhesive applied to their backsides. There are four different type of veneer cuts as well. A variegated veneer is the result of what’s known as flat slicing. It is created by hewing a flat log (flitch) on a flitch table. The slicing is done parallel to a line through the center of the log. Quarter sliced wood produces a striped veneer. This is done by positioning a quartered log on the slicing table so that it’s growth rings strike the log at the approximate right angles. Half round slicing produces a veneer with large rings.. This happens when long segments are mounted off center and the log is turned against a razor sharp blade. The produces a bold, variegated grain.

Buy your veneering tools at the same time you purchase your veneer. Otherwise you’ll have to make a quick trip to the local do it yourself store in the middle of an important step. Buy a few tack clothes to start with. These are like dust rags and wipe every trace of sawdust off the cabinets' surface. The second tool and the most important that you’ll is the veneer roller. This resembles a pie crust roller in look and size and is used to press down the veneer. It comes in both large and small sizes and you should buy both. The small one usually costs no more than $4.00 while the larger one is only $10.00. Another important tool is the smoothing blade which works the same as the roller except it can cover a larger scope. You can use this in full sweeps to efficiently remove bubbles and flatten the applied veneer. Again this only costs around $8.00. A veneer saw is a must. It helps you to cut your veneer pieces just a little larger than the cabinets and stiles. You can buy it for under $15.00 along with the replacement blade (which costs around $6.00). You may want to buy the edge band iron. This is used for covering the edges if the kitchen cabinet doors, although you can use your everyday iron for this step. Go with the edge band iron (there is the danger that you may ruin your regular one). It is a good investment however it does cost about $75.00 and upwards.(remember you can use it when you reface your bathroom cabinets as well). An edge trimmer is a must. This square block with a razor like blade in its’ center helps to sand and trim off overhanging edges. It costs only $12.00 is worth it. Also buy sandpaper in 180 to 220 grit for the sanding process as well as various cleansers, a good stain and sealant. Be prepared because this is a project that does not allow too many mistakes.

This is just the beginning of your veneering. The next steps will be the actual process. You’re all ready to begin to turn your kitchen into a holiday jewel.

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