Comparisons
Cabinet Refacing vs Replacing
Updated 2 min read
The short answer
Reface when the layout works and the boxes are sound plywood. Replace when the layout is wrong, the boxes are degrading particleboard, or services are moving anyway. The test is simple and physical: open a door, look at the carcass, and push on a shelf. If the box is solid and you would keep the layout, refacing gives you most of the visual change for a fraction of the cost.
How to assess your existing cabinets
Ten minutes with a torch will tell you most of what you need to know.
- Identify the carcass materialLook at an unfinished edge inside the cabinet. Layered plies mean plywood — good. A uniform speckled brown core means particleboard.
- Push on a shelfAny noticeable sag under normal contents means the material is failing or was always underspecified.
- Check the base of the sink cabinetThe most common failure point. Swelling, staining or crumbling means water has been getting in for a long time.
- Open and close every doorDo they hang square? Are the hinges adjustable? Non-adjustable hinges make alignment permanent.
- Pull a drawer fully outDoes it extend fully? Is the box stapled or joined? Slides can be upgraded; a failing box cannot.
- Ask yourself the layout questionIf money were no object, would you move anything? If yes, refacing locks in a layout you already dislike.
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Which one applies to you
| Situation | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Plywood boxes, layout works, dated doors | Reface — ideal candidate |
| Particleboard boxes, swelling at the base | Replace |
| Layout is wrong or you want an island | Replace |
| Moving the sink or the range | Replace — services are moving anyway |
| Thermofoil or laminate doors, sound boxes | Reface (refinishing will not work on these) |
| Solid wood doors, good boxes, just want a colour change | Refinish — cheaper than refacing |
| 1980s–90s Calgary oak kitchen, sound boxes | Reface — very common and very effective |
Answers
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is refacing than replacing?
- Substantially, because you keep the boxes, the layout, the countertop and usually the backsplash — which means no demolition, no drywall repair and no services work. The exact difference depends on how many doors and drawer fronts there are, since that is what you are actually buying.
- Can thermofoil or laminate doors be painted instead?
- Generally not reliably. Paint does not bond well to those surfaces and tends to peel at the edges, where thermofoil already delaminates over time. If the boxes are sound, replacing the doors is the more durable answer than trying to refinish them.
- Will refaced cabinets look obviously refaced?
- Not if it is done properly. Doors, drawer fronts and exposed end panels are all replaced, and the face frames are re-veneered or painted, so every visible surface is new. What gives poor refacing away is mismatched sheen between the new doors and the treated frames — ask to see how the frames will be handled.
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Send a few details and we will come and measure. Free, no obligation, and a fixed written price.