Remodeling your kitchen is one of those home improvement projects that has a great return on investment when done right. However, when most people think of a kitchen remodel, they think of tearing out all the cabinets and countertops and starting from scratch. This is certainly an option—and a good one if your current cabinets and countertops are in bad shape. But if you like the layout of your kitchen, and your cabinets are solid, simply hiring a San Diego company to refinish your cabinets can save you a lot of money.

Refinishing vs. Refacing Kitchen Cabinets

Before we get too far, we should explain the difference between refinishing and refacing when it comes to cabinets. Refinishing kitchen cabinets involves re-staining or painting the existing cabinets to give them a fresh new look.

Refacing (sometimes called “resurfacing”) is much more involved (and quite a bit more expensive), but it may be necessary to achieve the look you want in your kitchen cabinets. When you have your kitchen cabinets refaced, you are having all the visible surfaces replaced. Doors and drawer fronts will be replaced with entirely new panels, and any face frames, toe kicks, and end panels will be covered with a new wood veneer or laminate. San Diego homeowners typically go with the refacing option when they want to give their kitchen cabinets a new wood look—like if they have Golden Oak cabinets and want to move to Walnut or some other type of wood. They may also go this route when they want a new style of cabinet doors and drawer fronts.

If you currently have painted cabinets and want to change them to a natural stained wood, you will likely have to have your cabinets refaced. Even if you have your kitchen cabinets stripped of their paint, what’s underneath the paint is likely made of “paint grade” materials, which are not suitable for staining.

Our Process of Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing

At PaintGreen, we’ve been doing kitchen cabinet refinishing throughout San Diego for many years—and our team is great at it!

We have a multi-step process that ensures that every project comes out amazing and continues to look great for many years. We clean and sand every surface and mask off the surrounding areas before we begin painting. Then, we apply two coats of premium-quality paint using professional-grade sprayers, sanding in between coats for a smooth, durable finish.

What About DIY Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing?

Many people attempt DIY kitchen cabinet refinishing to save some money, but they generally spend way more time on the project than they anticipated and are often disappointed with the results. Painting kitchen cabinets is not like painting walls. It takes the right tools and skill to get a great finish. Brushes and rollers just won’t achieve the smooth finish you’re likely hoping for. Unless you have a high-quality paint sprayer that you know how to use, and you are willing to take your time and clean and sand every surface before painting, we highly recommend hiring a professional kitchen cabinet refinisher.

If you’d like to get a quote on kitchen cabinet refinishing for your San Diego home, contact us at PaintGreen.