What To Do When Your Cabinets Are Damaged Beyond Repair

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Our kitchens are one of the most used areas of the house, but our cabinets seem to be the ones that get damaged the easiest. After years of wear and tear, damage and use, it may be time to replace them. However, if the structural integrity of your cabinets is still good, they might just need a little update with the help of a new finish. However, to achieve the new and improved look that you’re going for, it’s important to contact a professional that can correctly fix your problems. Find out how to recognize damaged cabinets and what to do to give them their shine again with this guide!

 

How To Recognize Damaged Cabinets

Whether you have newer or older kitchen cabinets, at some point they’re going to suffer some form of damage. Unfortunately, damaged cabinets don’t offer us much use until they’re fixed, which can sometimes take a lot of money to do. Before you get to fixing, though, it’s important to know the signs of damaged cabinets and what you should look for. First, most damage that occurs in kitchens is water damage, which is especially harmful to wood cabinets. While streams of water pouring out of your cabinets would be an obvious sign, most water damage works in silent and inconspicuous ways. If your cabinets are swollen, discolored or not closing as they should, then you are experiencing water damage somewhere underneath the cabinetry. Warped wood and spots of mold in or around your cabinets also indicate water damage and are among some of the most common kitchen repairs. Besides water damage, though, cabinets go through a natural wear-and-tear process from kids banging doors, drawers getting broken and spills staining the shelves where food items are placed. The outsides of your cabinets could be delaminating, as well, making your cabinets look like something out of a horror movie. All of these common kitchen problems occur to everyone at some point, and each can be fixed by a professional. While there are DIY ideas out there for kitchen remodels, it’s a better idea to contract a professional to fix damaged cabinets so that you can prevent unnecessary expenses that a contractor could have avoided in the first place.

 

Replacing vs. RefinishingStaining wood with a hand sprayer.

When it comes to fixing damaged cabinets, most people assume that replacing them is their only option. However, replacing old cabinets with new ones is the most expensive option for you, with most projects ranging between $4,500-$18,000 to replace. Those numbers don’t include cabinet installation or other updates that you might be making to your kitchen, either! Unless your cabinets are suffering from water damage, there is no need to replace them. Additionally, replacing your cabinets takes the most time out of other restorations you could choose from, such as refacing or refinishing. While replacing guarantees you brand-new cabinets, refinishing is a great alternative to create new-looking cabinets without sacrificing your budget. Refinishing works by adding a finish or veneer to your existing cabinets to create a beautiful end product that mirrors new cabinetry. This includes washing, hand-sanding, priming, caulking and spraying your choice of finish onto the cabinets with three coats of commercial-grade acrylic. You can expect to save 60-70% of the cost that you would have paid with new cabinets, plus you can personalize your finish to match your unique taste.

 

Pros of Refinishing Your Cabinets

If your cabinets don’t have water damage and are in otherwise good repair (even if they’re old), refinishing is not only the cheapest option for you but the best. Other than the fact that you’ll save thousands of dollars (literally, refinishing costs between $1,400-$4,000 to do), but you’ll be able to create something unique and different, which prefabricated cabinets don’t offer. Refinished cabinets are much easier to clean, finishes protect your cabinets from water damage and they’re stain-resistant! These three benefits outweigh the nicety that new cabinetry offers because new cabinets can’t offer those benefits, no matter how pretty they may look. Additionally, it only takes 4-6 days to refinish kitchen cabinets, whereas it can take weeks to tear out old ones and put new ones in their place. This means you’ll be back in your kitchen in no time and be able to enjoy your remodel with your friends and family. Lastly, one of the most important pros of refinishing your kitchen cabinets is that the finish you choose will not chip, fade or peel over time. As you continue to take good care of your cabinets, your finish will not only be beautiful but last for years to come. That, along with paying little to nothing for the upgrade, is enough for homeowners everywhere to choose refinishing over replacing.

 

Repair Your Kitchen Cabinets With Our Help!

At Summit Cabinet Coatings, our refinishing services are second-to-none and we guarantee beautifully refinished cabinets that will last through the wear-and-tear of life. Whether you’re looking for something eccentric or you’re on the more traditional side, we can help! Call our office at (970) 282-9856 for a FREE estimate on your next cabinet project. The time is now to create your dream kitchen, so give us a call today!