Do you want new kitchen cabinets, or do you need them? If you ask you wife, you’re probably going to get an emphatic and surprisingly detailed explanation for exactly why you need to invest your hard-earned money into a new set of kitchen cabinets. Despite their meticulous and spirited argument, one question keeps burning in your head. Do you actually need to spend the money to replace your kitchen cabinets or not? Sure you might end up sleeping on the couch for a while if you demur, but do you really need new cabinets? We’re here to help you make the best decision by supplying you with a little information.
Replacing Cabinets Is a Big Decision
If you’re thinking about replacing your kitchen cabinets, you’ve got a big decision to make. Some people think that replacing cabinets is the same as painting a wall a different color. Unless all you are doing is repainting your cabinetry, it’s not the same.
Deciding to replace your kitchen cabinets represents a significant cost, one that you need to take into account before tearing your old cabinets off of the walls.
Replacing Vs Refacing
There is an alternative to fully replacing kitchen cabinets, it’s called refacing. This refers to a process in which the fronts of the cabinets, doors, etc. are redone, leaving the underlying material from the rest of the cabinetry alone.
If your cabinets are still structurally intact and are not showing any signs of giving out and falling down. If you spot sagging or see that the hinges are corroded or stressed, you should seriously consider having your cabinets fully replaced.
Remember, it’s not just the face of the cabinet that matters. Although aesthetics are important, it’s the overall function of the cabinet that really matters. Another thing that you should look for is water damage. This type of damage is sometimes left over from when someone cleaned the cabinets improperly, perhaps by soaking them.
Things to Keep in Mind When Replacing Kitchen Cabinets
Once you’ve made the final decision to replace your kitchen cabinets, you’ve got a lot of thinking to do. There will be many critical decisions to make. These choices range from what color to go with to what type of finish, material, style, and price range etc.
When you tear down your old cabinets, take a look at the color scheme of your kitchen. Are you going to repaint anything to update the rest of the space or are you going to leave the rest of the original colors alone?
The colors that you have in your kitchen need to be considered when picking out new cabinetry. It doesn’t do any good to tear out the old outdated kelly green cabinets just to replace them with something just as unfashionable.
As a general rule, you should try to maintain uniformity between materials in the kitchen. That is to say, that is generally not recommended to mix and match wood cabinets with plastic or metal ones. The same logic applies to cabinet fixtures and hardware.
When Is it Worth it to Have Your Kitchen Cabinets Fully Replaced?
Replacing an entire set of kitchen cabinets is an expensive undertaking. You will want to make sure that the investment will be worth the expense. If your cabinets are beyond refacing and have structural issues, it’s time to bite the bullet and get them replaced.
Many of us load up our kitchen cabinets to the point of abuse. We shove pile upon pile of dishes into them every other day. The more weight that you load into your cabinets, the more they will be weakened over time. Likewise, the more time that passes, the more damage the cabinets will incur. This means that if you have been overloading your kitchen cabinets on a regular basis for many years, you will most likely need to replace your cabinetry very soon.
Look for common signs of distress like rust on your hinges, or corrosion. Also be sure to look for cracks in the material, especially on wood cabinets. Aesthetics aside, a single crack isn’t much to worry about, but when you incur a large number of cracks running in different directions, you should look into having your cabinets replaced as soon as possible.
What to Look for in New Cabinetry
When you start shopping for new cabinets, there are some specific qualities that you should look for. First for all, you should look for cabinetry that is durable and long lasting. That way you can literally buy yourself some time in between purchasing another set of cabinets in the future.
Although durability and longevity are important qualities, you should also look for value, and economy. Ideally, you will be able to find a set of cabinets and hardware that are aesthetically appealing, durable, and long-lasting, all at a conservative price.
Madera Interior Solutions offers quality cabinets and countertops catered around their client’s individual inspirations and vision. If you are looking for a hands-on, boutique design experience and quality products that hold up, look no further. Madera is currently offering remote design consultations to do our part during this uncertain time. Visit maderacabinets.com or call their Mesa Arizona showroom at (480) 664-0343 to learn more.
Madera Interior Solutions is an experienced professional kitchen cabinet company. Specialized in working with retail customers to channel their kitchen inspiration into reality.
