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Jason Klassen
Home Furnishings
2008-06-01 13:45:00
Spice up that old kitchen
Answer: There are four options for you, five if you would include a total remodel. I will list them for you and try to explain the benefits and the drawbacks of each. The 1st option would be a clean-up / touch-up type of service. This is where one would go over all the cabinets, clean them where needed, then apply touch-up color where needed followed by some clear finish in the touched-up areas. This would be the least expensive option that would require the least amount of disturbance to your daily life. Most times repairs of this nature could be done in an afternoon. Advantages: Price and no disruption. The drawbacks of this service are that it does not last for long periods of time, and cannot correct more major damage. The 2nd option would be a recoat. This is where the cabinets are cleaned, prepped, touched up where needed and then they have a new clear coat shot over the entire surface. This can bring quite a bit of new life to some older cabinets, but the current finish must be in good shape. In some cases the color can be darkened for a color change appearance with this option. Advantages: Brings fresh life to a kitchen where the look is still desired, faster turn around than other methods. The drawbacks are that the cabinet style does not change, and the kitchen down time is more extensive than option one. The 3rd option is similar to the 2nd except that the cabinets would be stripped of the old finish and color before a new color and finish is applied. This would be the standard strip and refinish method most think of when talking about such services. With this service one can change the color, remove finishes that are worn out totally, and add in new cabinets to blend in with the old ones. The advantages of such a service are the flexibility of color, and the fact that you get a totally new finish starting from the wood up. The drawbacks are price and kitchen down time. The 4th option would be a service called refacing. This is where the old doors and drawers are removed and not reused. New doors and drawers are selected from a cabinet manufacturer. They are applied to the old cabinet boxes along with new wood veneer face frame materials that match the new doors and drawer fronts. One can also add different moldings, and styling accents in the same wood. The advantages of this service are that your kitchen is not out of service for long periods of time, you get to change the style totally, and this costs less than the full out remodel project. The drawbacks to this service are that you build on the current cabinet box, so not all kitchens work to have this done, and one still cannot change the kitchen layout significantly. The short story is that each of these options has their place in fixing up your kitchen; it depends on the problems in need of correction and the budget of the project. But one of these four options should solve your issues. It’s important to remember that the kitchen is one of those rooms in your home that can bring the greatest return on your investment, so dollars spent here will almost always be returned on the sale of the home.
 
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