Price out replacing your kitchen cabinets and painting will look better and better. The cost to paint a kitchen is typically 1/3 to ½ the cost of replacing. The paints applied to cabinets are also very durable and will last just as long as new cabinets in most cases.
So yes, refacing cabinets is almost always cheaper than replacing them entirely. The only exception would be if you wanted to replace your old kitchen cabinet with VERY basic and cheap cabinets rather than refacing them with a more luxurious front-facing design.
It is much cheaper to paint than replace kitchen cabinets. The cost to replace kitchen cabinets with new cabinets is usually around $525 per cabinet door, which is 3 times the cost of repainting them.
Cabinet refacing costs about 30-percent to 50-percent less than the cost of replacing cabinets in a full kitchen.
Whether it's because your cabinets have deteriorated or you've simply outgrown them and want a fresh new style, replacing kitchen cabinet doors can make a dramatic difference in your space, giving it a lift and making everything seem new.
Many people don't know that you can replace just the cabinet doors on your kitchen cabinets, which is a great way to get a fresh, remodeled look without a major price tag. Replacing just your cabinet doors, also known as cabinet refacing, can be a quick DIY project for most homeowners.
Detailed Patterns, Warped or Damaged Cabinets
If your cabinets have detailed patterns or they are warped, chipped, cracked or have other damage to them, then painting your kitchen cabinets is not the way to go – it most definitely won't solve your cabinet problem.
The average cost to paint a kitchen is $600 to $1,300 or $2 to $6 per square foot. For an average 200-square-foot kitchen, you can expect to pay around $800, including labor and materials.
Painting your cabinets can make them look striking and modern. Refinishing them, on the other hand, strips them down and makes them look natural. If you have wood cabinets, refinishing them will show off the wood grain and make your kitchen look more traditional.
Friction from loose hardware can cause paint to tear, chip and peel, even if you've used the best paint for kitchen cabinets. Regularly tighten hardware to prevent it from contributing to a paint chipping problem. Sometimes the paint on kitchen cabinets peels behind closed doors — literally.
Average Cost to Paint Cabinets per Square Foot
Painting your cabinets costs $3 to $10 per square foot or $30 to $60 per linear foot for all supplies, materials, and labor. Sometimes contractors will charge $100 per door, $25 per drawer, or $75 to $150 per cabinet.
If you're feeling anxious about painting your cabinets yourself, you might want to consider having them professionally painted. Professional painters have the skills and expertise to get the job done as quickly as possible, while making sure the final result is one you'll be happy with.
Wood, wood-laminate and metal cabinets usually can be repainted without difficulty. Plastic laminate cabinets might not accept a topcoat of paint — those that can be refinished often require special paints and techniques, and results can vary.
For wood, brushing is fine, but you may want to hire a professional for a good finish. Using a roller to paint cabinets is a lot faster than brush painting, however, the fabric on the roller will create a 'bobbly' texture on the surface. The texture a roller puts on cabinets makes it unsuitable for gloss paint.
While there are many types of paint to choose from, the best paint for kitchen cabinets is typically semi-gloss, gloss or satin. Matte is not practical in kitchens and baths where you will need durable paint you can easily clean.
Brushing allows the painters to apply the color directly to the surface of the cabinets, only wasting the small amount left on their brushes at the end of the project. Spraying atomizes the paint, meaning some of the droplets inevitably float away, and any paint left in the tubing of the sprayer goes to waste.
On average, this trend alone can boost a home's value by $1,547. By painting your kitchen cabinets and then pairing them with some new hardware that dollar amount can increase significantly.
Even though there are some drawbacks to white kitchen cabinets, they will never “go out of style.” The shapes of the doors or the layout of the kitchen may go out of style, but white in a kitchen will always look good.
With proper care of professionally painted kitchen cabinets, you can expect your newly painted cabinets to last 8-10 years. However, there are a few things that can drastically shorten this timeframe, leaving you needing them repainted 3-4 years later.
Refacing involves removing the drawer fronts and cabinet doors and applying a new veneer on the cabinets' carcass (body surfaces). The cabinet hardware comprising the cabinet hinges, handles and drawer pulls also get replaced.
Paint Your Kitchen Cabinet Doors
The most cost-effective way to change the look of your kitchen cabinets is by painting them. This easy, DIY project will take you a day to complete and can be done by a beginner. All you need is a few standard tools: sandpaper, primer, paint, paint brushes, and painters tape.
Under normal conditions, we fully expect our painted cabinets to last anywhere from 8-15 years without needing a fresh coat of paint.
I like to use Protect or a polycrylic. With this step, you can also use a paint sprayer or a high-quality paintbrush. A good topcoat will make your paint job stronger and hold up against little circuses that may be roaming around.