If you have been contemplating the idea to give your home a new look, you have many options to go about. Thanks to numerous do-it-yourself books, online sites and television shows, any homeowner can take on home improvement on their own in very easy methods and steps. But to shy away from compounded costs, you have to focus on one area first. The kitchen would be a great area to start. Concentrate on your cabinets. You have the say whether to refurbish or buy new cabinetry.
There are several approaches how to go about this home improvement project. If you have the woodworking skills and patience, you can proceed doing the work by yourself. If you have ample budget and lack the leisure of time to undertake this task, buying new cabinets and hiring professional contractor and crew would be preferable. Either way, you have to be definitive about this makeover plan. And you can do that by making a rough sketch of the final outcome you desire. The layout should contain details about the new look of your cabinets, the new placement and other accessory items to be placed in and surrounding your cabinets. This mechanism will aid you how to manage which materials should be prioritized. Thus, your expenses would not blow out of proportion.
As was said above, you can either have cabinetry updates or replacement via purchasing new ones. Here are some notes about each option:
Firstly, there are several techniques involved in updating your cabinets as well. You can paint, refinish or reface your old cabinets. Any of these three options would result to better looking cabinetry and kitchen. With regards to painting, this job would only take about $200. The materials you will need are brushes, primer and paint. But if you want to have a smoother finish, you can rent spray-on equipment from your local hardware store. You should also choose the type of paint to use. The main paint types are latex and oil-based. The former dries faster and easier to clean up with water, hence it is much more user-friendly. The latter may be hard to apply but this produces a more durable paint film and smoother finish.
The second option, refinishing, requires patience as there are many tasks involved in this process. You have to strip, stain and refinish the cabinets. This is also more costly than the previous option as the materials you will need are as follows: steel wool, rubber gloves, rags, contour sanding grips, abrasive cord, pre-stain wood conditioner, water-based or solvent-based wood stain and clear finish. To lessen the difficulty in applying the wood stain, apply the conditioner on the cabinets. You also have to be careful in applying the stain, especially if it contains toxic chemicals. You would need a respirator or gas mask and safety glasses. Lastly, ensure that before you coat the cabinets with the clear finish, they are totally dry.
The refacing option is perhaps the most painstaking one. This one has a lot more considerations compared to the other two updating processes. This mainly pertains to veneering the cabinet boxes and replacing cabinet doors, drawer fronts and hardware. These items would have to be covered with new framework that can be any of the following: glue-on plywood, stick-on veneer, solid wood or plastic laminate. You have to remove the cabinet items previously mentioned. These have to be sanded and cleaned with tack cloth. The accessories such as handles, hinges and other hardware have to be polished. If you have some extra budget, buying new pulls, knobs, hinges and other accessories such as split rope topper molding, beaded molding with rosettes, pantry slides, corner shelves, drawer organizers and pullout trash bins would boost the appeal of your cabinets and the entire kitchen. Hiring outside labor would cost about $3,500 initially for the fees and some of the materials.
With regards to getting a new set of cabinets, you would need at least $5,000 for initial labor costs and other materials needed. Despite the healthy sum requirement, you get to save time and energy. Thus, you can devote your spare to other important things. An important thing you must remember in hiring a crew is to foster an environment conducive for fast paced working. This way the project will be completed in no time.
Any of these options would surely provide your kitchen a new look. Weigh the pros and cons before proceeding so that every penny would spend would not be wasted.
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