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By Jack Blacksmith
Kitchen cabinet refacing saves thousands over replacing all
the
cabinetry. Doing the job yourself saves even more money. Labor
is a significant percentage of the total cost of refacing. You
could save up to half the price by saving on the labor costs.
While it isn’t an easy task, it is possible for a skilled
homeowner.
Do it Yourself or Hire a Pro?
This is a big job. You will need some skills and experience in
home remodelling to tackle the job. It can be stressful, if
you
aren’t sure of yourself. Refacing isn’t a job that should be
rushed. You need to have patience and the time to invest to do
the job right.
Precise measurements are needed when attempting to give your
home a makeover with cabinet refacing. Measuring is one of the
most important parts of the job. It must be exact on the door
openings, face frame and ends of the cabinets. Also accurate
measurements are needed for the doors and drawer fronts. If
you
are off by even a little bit, the material won’t fit right.
Time should be taken to prepare all surfaces for refacing. You
will need to remove all the cabinet drawers and drawer fronts.
Clean all surfaces to remove dirt and grease. You will then
need to roughen the surfaces to prepare them to hold the
materials. This part of the job shouldn’t be rushed and steps
shouldn’t be skipped.
If you don’t have the skills, time or patience, it’s best to
hire a professional to do the job for you. Attempting a big
job
like this is very stressful. If you don’t take the time to do
the job right, it could end up costing you more in the long
run.
Tools for Kitchen Cabinet Refacing
Cabinet refacing supplies are available on the internet. Many
sites offer tutorials with step by step instructions and
pictures to help you do the job. There are a variety of tools
to help you do a professional job at home.
Pressure sensitive veneer is the easiest material for the do
it
yourself home handyman. This material is easy to use and has a
paper backing that peels off. Line up the veneer to the
surface
and apply pressure to hold it in place. The surface will need
to
be prepared well before the veneer is applied. Solid wood
veneer
is the easiest to work with and is the best quality material
for
this job.
A veneer roller can be used to apply pressure to the material.
These come in small and large sizes and give good pressure.
The
larger size covers more area. Always start at the center and
roll outward. This removes air bubbles that can ruin the look
of the veneer.
A smoothing blade can be used to press down firmly when
attaching veneer. Start at the center and slide in the
direction of the grain. Use both hands to give sufficient
pressure. Repeat until firmly attached.
Edge band iron and edge trimmers are useful for finishing. The
band iron is used to attach the band to the edge of the
cabinet
doors. A clothes iron can also be used for this job, but will
be
larger and more bulky to work with.
About The Author: Jack Blacksmith releases many articles for
the www.kitchen-cabinets-tips.com internetsite. The
author is specializing in subjects like kitchen cabinet
refacing (
www.kitchen-cabinets-tips.com/kitchen-cabinet-refacing.
html
) .
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