Thermofoil cabinetry became popular in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. It was the top offering for white kitchen cabinets for most builders. While being fairly maintenance-free, durable, and cost-effective, this material has a high tendency (almost guaranteed) to start delaminating. This issue typically starts within 10 to 15 years. The adhesive dries out, especially around the areas that produce heat and/or moisture causing the foil material to become loose. It would then be prone to getting snagged, breaking, peeling and/or chipping off. This material is also notorious for color shifting. Random doors and drawer fronts will change from a bright white to a dark cream or yellow color.
While these doors may be repaired on a small scale (a small chip or a loose piece of foil can be glued back down and touched up), once the damage starts occurring on several fronts it will be difficult to maintain as it becomes a “snowball effect”. Most companies do not produce this original cabinet material any longer. It is nearly impossible to find the exact door style and shade of white to only replace a few fronts, as needed.
So what is the best solution?
We have been helping homeowners with this issue for the last 15 years. Whether you’re updating your kitchen because it is time or if you are preparing your house for sale, the kitchen cabinets are an EXTREMELY important part of your home’s value. The Cabinet Restoration Company offers the most cost-effective solution that we’ve been able to find over the past 15 years! We offer dozens of different door styles in solid wood, MDF, and laminate veneers in many shades of white. We are able to match or get extremely close to the existing color of your cabinetry, which allows us to replace just the doors and drawer fronts. We typically upgrade to new soft-close hinges and can reuse your existing hardware or install new handles/knobs.
This solution allows you to address the damage and update your kitchen’s overall look with a new door style and change of hardware. This solution also improves the quality of your cabinets by using a higher quality material such as wood or MDF fronts with a factory sprayed lacquer finish, as opposed to the thermofoil (plastic coating) you have now. For those who enjoy the durability of a laminate product – we do offer high end decorative laminate veneers, which is the new generation of laminate cabinetry.
This minimal service is typically half the cost of a full cabinet refacing project and is a fraction of the cost of full cabinet replacement. Most folks have been updating their kitchens over the past 15+ years, while their cabinets were still looking good. You may have installed new granite countertops, tile backsplash and updated flooring. Besides being extremely expensive, full cabinet replacement is not ideal in these situations, as there would be additional expenses to consider (such as new countertops, replacing or repairing tile backsplash and flooring, as well as plumbing/electrical services. For a typical 10’ x 10’ size kitchen, a good price for new cabinetry installed may cost anywhere from $20,000-$30,000. Full cabinet refacing is typically $10,000-$15,000. Our option of front replacement only is typically less than $5,000. Kitchen downtime is also a huge advantage. Full cabinet replacement may take anywhere from 3 to 4 weeks to fully complete, with limited to no kitchen functionality. While front replacement typically takes only one day, with no down time.
This may be the right service for you if:
Your cabinets are overall in good condition, but may benefit with a face lift.
You have updated other areas, such as new countertops, tile backsplash, flooring and appliances, and do not wish to disrupt, damage or have to replace those areas again.
You want to keep white cabinetry, but would like a new door style and need to replace of damaged fronts.
You are preparing your house for sale and need to spend as little as necessary to improve the overall appearance of your kitchen.
Benefits:
A fraction of the cost of new cabinetry.
One day installation with no down time.
Exterior of cabinets will look brand new.
Adds substantial value and instantly updates the look of your kitchen.
Call or fill out the form below to get a free estimate.
We offer free in home consultations or can also get started with an online estimate. Just send us enough photos of your cabinetry, so that we are able to see all cabinets. Include the total number of doors and drawer fronts that are in the kitchen, and any preference you have for the door style. We will quote you an accurate estimate in one to two days and you could have your cabinets updated in just four to six weeks.