What Is the Difference between Refinishing and Refacing Cabinetry?

July 21, 2014

Cabinet Refacing (may also be described as resurfacing)

Refacing is an economical alternative to replacing the cabinetry entirely, especially if you’re already happy with the layout of your kitchen or bath.  Refacing cabinetry is a process in which the existing cabinet framework is resurfaced with laminate (deco-lam or thermo-foil) or wood veneer replacement material.  You keep your existing cabinet boxes but replace all cabinet doors and drawer fronts with new ones. You can also replace cabinet side panels, face frames and moldings so that everything matches. This process allows you to change the wood type, color and door style for a clean and updated look. When refacing your cabinets, you may even choose to install new drawer boxes, roll-outs, decorative hardware or crown molding.

Kitchen Mart offers an amazing array of door styles in both wood and laminate to coordinate with your personal style. We recommend you visit one of our two showrooms, in Sacramento or Rocklin, to see and touch real door style samples and see the different refacing options available.

Cabinet Refinishing

Cabinet refinishing means keeping all components of your existing cabinetry as is. This process is to simply change the color or finish, which is often completed by hand sanding or chemically stripping the existing finish from the wood, then applying new paint or stain. If your cabinets are made of laminate (deco-lam) or thermo-foil, refinishing is not an option because these these materials cannot be sanded or stripped and it’s nearly impossible for paint to stick (adhere to the surface).

Though Kitchen Mart offers cabinetry refacing and new cabinetry, we do not offer cabinetry refinishing.