When looking to renovate a kitchen, there are a slew of options, from custom cabinets to discount cabinets like RTA (ready to assemble) models, to refacing cabinets and replacing hardware. Cabinets are such a huge part of a kitchen’s look and feel that some kind of update is almost always in the works. All of these options make sense, but we missed an obvious one, didn’t we? Specifically, replacing just the doors.
We don’t think that’s a good idea, though. For one thing, it’s rarely the doors that are the biggest problem with aging cabinets. If your doors are water damaged, so are the shelves and frames. If the doors are dinged up from many years of use and abuse … so are the shelves and frames. The simple fact is, if your doors need replacing, the rest probably does too, but that’s not the only reason replacing just cabinet doors isn’t the best idea.
Sizing Challenges
If you measure accurately and professionally, and if you fully understand the meaning of cabinet jargon like overlay, and if the company manufactures the doors to the exact dimensions provided, and if their stain is really a close match to your existing face frames (hint: stain varies a fair bit over different manufacturing runs, and also changes over time with light exposure and exposure to common kitchen oils, greases, and cleaners, so it might not be as close as you hope), and if … Actually, you know what? That’s a whole lot of “If,” isn’t it?
Our cabinet doors perfectly fit our cabinets, because they were designed and built together! As were your old cabinets and doors. The chances of getting new doors that don’t look like, well … new doors on old cabinets might not be as high as you hope.
Cost of Cabinet Renovation Options
There’s no doubt that refacing cabinets is the cheapest option. For the cost of some paint, maybe a few hundred dollars, and a whole lot of work, you can modestly change the look and feel of your kitchen. Spend a few hundred more on new hardware while you’re at it, and you can change a bit more.
Replacing just the doors is obviously more expensive. A quick internet search will find you discount door providers easily enough, but here’s the thing: they price by the square foot, which is a bit deceptive. If you actually do the math, you’ll quickly find that an entire kitchen’s worth of doors and drawers will run into the $1,200-$1,500 range, depending on the size of your kitchen. Now, if you’ve been pricing custom cabinetry or retail cabinetry, that probably sounds like a good deal.
At RTA Cabinet Store, we carry entire cabinets, including hardwood doors and drawer fronts, hardware, and brand new, sturdy, furniture-grade plywood boxes and frames, starting at the same price point! No really, check it out at www.rtacabinetstore.com! Our discount cabinets are top notch, and if you can replace the entire thing, why spend the same money to replace the doors alone?
