Either way, both choices give you a less expensive option in lieu of doing a full replacement, which is great for any homeowner on a budget. While painting tends to be the cheaper of the two, painted cabinets build up grease and dust more easily than refaced cabinets, so they'll require more maintenance.
Your cost of repainting a kitchen is typically half the cost of replacing it. The paints that are being used are very durable and will have every bit the longevity of new cabinets in most cases.
If you have wood cabinets you can refinish or reface. If you dislike your kitchen's layout or your cabinets' current style you may want to consider resurfacing kitchen cabinets. If budget is your main consideration, refinishing is often the cheaper option.
Cabinet painting gives homeowners a durable, long-lasting product at half of the cost of buying new!
The Cons Of Painting Kitchen Cabinets
They'll either stand out more or make the paint crack more quickly. Painting is also not very DIY-friendly. It's a lengthy and complicated process. While dust hides on paint well, dirt and other materials don't.
The cons of painted kitchen cabinets
Unfortunately, they're not as durable as the alternatives. They're more likely to chip than vinyl, foil or PVC wrapped doors. Though chips are easier to repair, as I've said, they happen far more often. They cost more.
If your goal is to update the look of your existing cabinets, the cheapest route is to simply reface them. This process involves either stripping the stain or paint from the existing cabinets and adding new stain, varnish or paint; in some cases, you might even want to refinish the cabinets with a stick-on veneer.
For instance, cabinets refaced using high-quality wood veneers or laminate materials may last up to 20 years or more. However, if cheaper materials are used, such as particleboard or low-quality veneers, your refaced cabinets may begin to deteriorate much sooner.
You can still select new materials, colors and door styles when you reface your cabinets. But those details will only exist in the new doors instead of the entire cabinet construction. Since the cabinet doors create the look of your cabinet setup, it makes sense to replace just the doors and drawer fronts.
It has been found that on average, painting your kitchen cabinets and then pairing them with new hardware can significantly increase the value of your home by as much as an additional $2,000.
The decision to paint or replace your cabinets depends on the current shape that they are in, so painting isn't a wise choice for all cabinets. If your cabinets are warped, chipped, or have other damages then painting them won't solve your problem.
For this reason, we rarely advise replacing a countertop before the cabinets. It's generally recommended for the cabinets to be done first, protecting their integrity and making countertop installation as smooth as possible. This will ensure that: The countertop material(s) are only moved/installed once.
Always choose Satin, Semi-Gloss or High-Gloss instead of Flat or Eggshell paint sheens for cabinetry and woodwork. These three sheen options are available in Benjamin Moore ADVANCE Interior Paint; this high quality paint is our top choice for its furniture-like, smooth finish.
Satin and eggshell paint finishes work well for kitchen walls, while semi-gloss proves best for kitchen cabinets.
Refacing and refinishing are completely different kitchen remodeling processes. When refacing, an installer removes the doors and drawers, laminates the existing cabinet boxes in the new color, style and material and then replaces the doors and drawers fronts with all-new.
Cabinet Refacing Cost by Linear Foot
That large price range accounts for different materials and the cost of labor in your area. Note that labor can make up roughly 60% of your overall cabinet refacing cost, so you might only spend $36 to $200 per linear foot on materials if tackling the job on your own.
Prepare Cabinets
Remove all the contents of your drawers and cabinets. This is a good time to get rid of any clutter. Remove all cabinet doors, drawers and drawer fronts. Remove all the hardware from the cabinets and drawer pulls from the drawers.
Stay Light and Bright
The best small kitchen ideas use materials to an advantage. Reflective surfaces, such as ceramic tile, marble countertops, or stainless steel, subtly amplify the effects of natural and artificial light, thereby making small kitchens seem larger.
Use lighter colors.
A light color on the walls and cabinets instantly brightens a space making it look larger and in turn, more expensive. Light colors reflect light and hide a multitude of sins, including those scratches, dings and dents in your old cabinets.
Alkyd paints are your go-to product if you want to paint kitchen cabinets like a professional. Alkyd paint is not typically used on walls but is commonly used on metal or wood and cabinets. It is a good choice for cabinetry because it has a hard and durable finish.
Oil paint is the hardest, most durable paint to use for painting cabinets. It takes longer to dry and is harder to clean up, but when applied right and allowed to cure, the result is a finish that can hold up scratches and hard use for years.
“Oil-based paint is the preferred formulation for cabinets due to its leveling qualities while painting, and stain-resistance and clean-up once they're in use,” says Hathaway.