A Cheap and Fast Way to Transform Your Kitchen

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A Cheap and Fast Way to Transform Your Kitchen

Your dingy, dinged-up, and outdated kitchen cabinets need to go. Refacing (rather than replacing) them could save you more than just time and money.

You watch all those home renovation shows that inspire you to transform your kitchen into something modern, sleek, and sexy. As it is right now, sexy definitely doesn't describe your marred-up and pitiful cabinets.

And sure, you could get all new cabinets, but that might cost you a lot of money. Another more cost-effective option, however, is to reface them. When you reface cabinets, you're essentially keeping the existing boxes while replacing the doors and drawer fronts. And if your kitchen cabinets are structurally sound, this could be a viable option for you.

In addition to costs, here some reasons why refacing cabinets - instead of replacing them - is smart.

#1 - It's a Cost-Effective Option
"Refacing gives you the biggest bang for your buck because you get to repurpose your existing cabinets which save a lot of money," says Kathe Russell, general manager and co-owner of Cabinet Makeovers & More in El Dorado Hills, CA.

As a result, "Your kitchen really needs to be evaluated by a professional before you sink any money into a kitchen cabinet redo," says Russell. If your cabinet structure is in good shape, salvaging your current cabinets could save you lot of money.

How much money, you ask? Michael Marusak, a licensed contractor and owner of CabinetReface Kitchens & Bath in Overland Park, Kan., says he can reface cabinets in an average-size kitchen (a 10 ft. by 12 ft. room) for $4,000 to $9,000 depending on the style of wood drawer fronts, doors chosen, and how many cabinets are present.

On the other hand, new cabinets and a new countertop could cost five to six times as much, says Marusak.

"It can cost up to $30,000 for new cabinets and a granite countertop," he says. The reason it's so pricey? "You have to have a new countertop once you put in new cabinets because everything needs to be torn out."
So, if you're looking for a cost-effective remodel, cabinet rafacing is the way to go.

#2 - It Takes Less Time than Replacing Cabinets
Another perk that comes with refacing cabinets is the timeframe it could be completed in.

Since refacing only requires contractors to take off the doors and drawer fronts, the demolition process is less time consuming than replacing cabinets entirely.

In fact, when you purchase new cabinets, it's common to also replace the floors, back splashes or countertops to accommodate the new cabinets, Russell says.

"With refacing, it might take anywhere from three to five [weeks] opposed to six to eight weeks or longer if you had new cabinets installed," says Russell. "You can really speed up the process a lot with refacing."

Of course, this is a general time frame, and it will vary depending on how many cabinets you want to reface.

#3 - It's Environmentally Friendly
Have you watched those kitchen makeover shows where a homeowner takes a big whack to a cabinet with a sledge hammer? All that material they demolish has to go somewhere, and that's usually the landfill.

"If you aren't pulling out the whole kitchen, then it's not going to the dump," says Russell.

The majority of the cabinets stay in your own kitchen if you are just refacing. Many times, only the doors are being put in the dump, or the homeowners can try to recycle them. Even if you are just doing a simple bathroom cabinet refacing, most everything stays where it is so you're not only saving money, but the environment as well.

"This is a huge reason for many to reface. When refacing, we hardly have to put anything in the landfill," says Russell.

Many designers and contractors like Russell donate the doors and drawer fronts from a refacing job to a Habitat for Humanity ReStore. ReStores sell these surplus building and renovation materials to people who refinish them or use them as part of their creative furniture.

"Someone else's junk can be just what someone else is looking for," Russell says.

#4 - You'll be able to Use Your Kitchen during the Remodel
Night after night of pizza delivery, Chinese carryout and drive-through hamburgers could be your culinary scenario if you decide to replace your cabinets. You won't be able to use your appliances or counter because everything must be completely cleared away to make room for your dream cabinets.

However, if you choose to reface your cabinets, you'll likely still be able to utilize your kitchen.

"During a refacing job, workers should clean up at the end of the day. That allows you to use your sink, stove and refrigerator even during the process," says Marusak. "When you do a complete remodel, you can't cook or use your sink until it's done, which can sometimes be months."

And while every refacing job is different, for the most part, there isn't a lot of demolition to cause too much disruption.

For example, if you aren't putting in a new countertop, you'll also have space to prepare meals, says Russell. But check with your contractor to figure out how much mess will be made and how long the process will take.

#5 - You Like Your Current Cabinet Layout
The configuration of your kitchen is good. The stove is handy, and the sink is under the big window where you can watch your kids play outside. But the cabinets just aren't pretty anymore.

"If you don't need any layout changes, refacing is perfect for this type of situation," Russell says. "We keep the existing boxes, and everything stays the same. We don't have to move gas or water lines. That makes things go much quicker with no added on expenses."

Even if you want to add an island or make simple changes to the layout, it shouldn't add too much time or fuss, she says. In fact, many islands are pre-made, and all you have to do it pick out a countertop.

By calling a contractor soon, you can find out how refacing can give you the kitchen cabinets you've always wanted without too much hassle, cost, or time.

via yahoo homes

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The Best Affordable for Countertops

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When you’re remodeling a kitchen on a budget, laminate is the best affordable option for countertops.

Nowadays this tried-and-true material comes in a wider array of designs than ever before, from beautiful solid colors to interesting wood looks with embedded texture to lovely stone patterns with a variety of finish options.

Before selecting laminate as a countertop material, it’s helpful to know the plusses and minuses. We asked Kent Brasloff, principal of New York-based design firm Ask Kent and Co., and vice president of programs for the New York chapter of the National Kitchen & Bath Association, to share his insights on buying laminate countertops. Here’s what he had to say:

What is laminate?
A combination of plastic and paper—interestingly, though, generally not recycled—and sometimes board. These materials are formed into a thin layer and colored or manufactured with naturalistic or textured designs. This layer is then laminated to particleboard or chip board.

What makes laminate a good choice for countertops? 
It's flexible and can be used in a variety of ways and in a variety of spaces: a kitchen, bath, work room or laundry room. Laminate can also be used on a shop table or as a furniture surface. Available in a multitude of colors and textures, it's easy to work with and can be cut into any shape, including forms with sharp corner points or with a smooth radius. It's quite durable.

What is the difference between a low-cost laminate and an expensive one? 
The key difference between high- and low-end laminates is generally the finish of the material. Higher-end products offer greater variety in luster or sheen and texture. They also come in a broader range of colors. The cost of the laminate will be affected by whether or not there is a built-in backsplash and how high or low the backsplash may be.

What are the maintenance requirements for laminate countertops? 
To clean the surface, use a damp cloth or sponge and a mild soap or detergent. To remove difficult stains from coffee or tea, use a mild household cleaner and baking soda mixed into a paste, scrubbing with a stiff nylon bristle brush and being careful not to mar the surface finish.

Stubborn stains may call for gently rubbing the spot with a cotton ball that has been saturated with undiluted household bleach or nail polish remover. Prolonged exposure of the laminate surface to bleach will cause discoloration, so always rinse thoroughly with warm warm water and wipe dry. Do not use steel wool and other abrasive materials or harsh chemicals, such as a rust remover. Also, avoid placing hot pots and pans on the surface, as its level of heat resistance is limited.

What are the pros for choosing laminate? 
Its durability, range of color and design options, flexibility to accommodate unique shapes, and ease of installation.

Its cons? 
On the downside, laminate shows scratches, which usually be cannot filled or repaired. And to some people it can look "cheap" or "papery". It hasn't been popular for quite some time in the US, but it is stilled used extensively in Europe, often in high-end contexts. Also, it gets brittle and chips with age.

How much does it cost? 
A fair range would be between $35 and $40 per linear foot at retail. Of course cost may be affected by the intricacy of the design and whether the counter will have a "self" or "beveled" edge. Cost will also be impacted by countertops with a lot of corners, a wide radius, or a built-in backsplash. Laminates with standard finishes are more affordable than those with upgraded finishes.

What are its installation requirements? 
After the contractor installs your cabinets (or support structure), the countertop area will be templated and made to fit for installation by a professional.

via yahoo homes

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Replace or Reface Kitchen Cabinets?

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Mary Saunder disliked the cabinets in her kitchen from the moment she moved into her Bowie, Maryland, home. "They were metal, the color of bronze," Saunder says, "but my husband's motto was 'If it ain't broke don't fix it.'" When her husband passed away last February, Mary decided it was time to act. "I couldn't stand it any more," she says. But rather than spend the $25,000 or $30,000 redoing the kitchen with new cabinets would have cost her, she settled on a simpler, cheaper and far less intrusive solution.

Motivated by a newspaper ad for Sears' kitchen-cabinet-refacing service, she scheduled an appointment and signed up. After two visits to take measurements and show her the new finish and hardware options she could choose from, Sears moved in. Two days and 29 cabinets later, Mary's kitchen was transformed. "I'm 100 percent satisfied," she says. Total cost: $9,100.

Mary Saunder is fairly typical of thousands of U.S. homeowners who make the decision each year to reface rather than replace their cabinets. "The truth is," says Gerald Baldner, founder and president of Kitchen Solvers, a refacing franchising firm in La Crosse, Wisconsin, "some of the cabinets built 20 and 30 years ago are more solidly constructed than most modular, prebuilt cabinets today. So when it's time to redo the kitchen, it often doesn't make sense to start from scratch."

The basic refacing project consists of installing new cabinet door and drawer fronts and covering the exposed face frames of the cabinets with a matching wood or plastic veneer. Most jobs take two to four days, depending on kitchen size and extras like replacing counters or adding an extra cabinet.

The work itself is a standardized progression of tasks, generally handled by one or two craftsmen. They begin by removing doors and drawer fronts from cabinets and roughing up the old finish on face frames and side panels to prepare them for the new covering. They then glue and sometimes nail the new finish over the old, the nail holes filled and the seams and edges trimmed to make them unobtrusive.

New panels or molding are used to trim out the exposed undersides of the upper cabinets to give them a finished look, and the base cabinet toekick is replaced. Finally, new cabinet doors and drawer fronts are attached, and new hardware is mounted on each of them.

There generally are three finish options: plastic laminates, rigid thermofoils (RTF) and wood veneer. Refacing laminates come in a wide variety of solid colors and wood-grain looks. Slightly more expensive than RTF, laminates nevertheless lack malleability, which means they're limited to plain cabinet door styles when compared with RTF. RTF can be shaped and molded in a range of styles, including arched and cathedral doors, raised panel and eyebrow raised panels.

When Refacing Doesn't Make Sense
Refacing isn't for every kitchen. Most important, it doesn't address the issue of a poor kitchen layout. "If you go to the expense of refacing and still end up with a nonfunctional kitchen, you've wasted your money," says Cyndi Cantley, of Cantley & Co., a certified kitchen designer in Birmingham, Alabama.

Other conditions that rule out refacing include existing cabinets that are beginning to fall apart or aren't well built to begin with; metal cabinets that are rusting; and larger structural issues, like floors that have settled and left cabinets out of kilter. If you have any of these problems, you shouldn't consider refacing.

What Refacing Costs
How much you pay for refacing depends on the size of your kitchen, the materials you choose and how many options you elect to include. "Our typical refacing job runs $4,000 to $5,000," says Gerald Baldner of Kitchen Solvers, which has 105 refacing franchises in 30 states. "And that includes countertop, trim, molding, valences, new toekick, shelf and drawer liner, as well as accessories and tax."

According to Carl Hyman, owner of Alure Kitchen Refacing in East Meadow, New York, which serves an upscale clientele and refaces about 150 kitchens a year, his company's average job runs about $8,500 (including countertops). The average refacing job by Sears, which operates its refacing business through its own employees in some states and through licensees in others, costs $4,000 to $6,000. As with any remodeling project, your best bet is to get a number of different quotes.

The bottom line is that it comes down to personal taste. "You can take the same kitchen and do the plain-Jane refacing for $3,000 or, for $8,000 or $9,000, do it with wood, Corian countertops, a new sink and some bells and whistles," says Brian Titus, of Cabinetpak Kitchens, which operates refacing companies in Washington, D.C., and Ohio. Whatever you pay, it's bound to be significantly less than the cost of a new kitchen.

Companies like Alure, Kitchen Tune-Up and Kitchen Solvers, which offer both refacing and full-remodeling services, maintain a complete remodel runs on average twice as much as a high-end refacing job. Kitchen Solvers' Baldner cautions customers who have been told at home centers and other retailers that they can have new cabinets installed for about the same price to calculate carefully. "There are a lot of costs added on that most people don't think about when considering kitchen remodeling," he says. "If you get a quote on new cabinets, make sure it includes handles, molding, installation, sales tax, delivery charges, refinishing your walls if the new cabinets don't line up with the old, any required plumbing or electrical work."

And then there's the prolonged disruption and mess that come with a full-scale remodeling job. "We're selling convenience as much as we are cost savings," says Murray Gross, president and chief executive officer of Dallas-based U.S. Remodelers Inc., the refacing licensee for Century 21.

via yahoo homes

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Backsplash Magic

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Installing a custom ceramic tile backsplash in your kitchen is a wonderful way to add color and character to the room as a whole. It also protects the walls behind your stove, sink, and other high-activity areas while making routine clean up a snap. With some planning and preparation and plenty of elbow grease, it’s even a project you can tackle yourself – saving some money in the process.

Select Your Tiles and Plan Your Design
The first and perhaps most fun step in backsplash installation involves mapping out your design and selecting your tiles. You’ll want to measure the length of the wall you intend to tile and the distance from countertop to cabinet. Calculate the total area you plan to cover, and use graph paper to scale and draw your pattern. Then visit a tile supplier or home improvement store to consider your options for tile choices. You may be surprised by how much of a selection you find. A huge range of tiles in varying colors, designs, sizes, and materials awaits you. In general, you’ll want to stick with glazed tiles, because unglazed tiles are more susceptible to stains from moisture and grease. But otherwise, just let your budget and personal taste be your guide. As you calculate how many tiles you will need, it’s a good idea to add about 10 percent, which will provide for any cutting mistakes or breakage.

Prepare the Wall
With your design mapped out and your tiles selected, the next step is to prepare the wall. Remove the stove, range hood, outlet plates or anything else that will be in your way and shut off power to all outlets and switches along your workspace. Sand the entire area to rough it up, which will help the mastic – the adhesive you will use to attach your tiles – to bind. Find and mark the exact center of the backsplash with a straight vertical line. Lay out your tiles following your design on the floor or another flat surface so that you can follow the pattern.

Apply Mastic and Set Field Tiles
Next, beginning at the center line, apply a thin layer of mastic for the bottom row of tiles using a grooved trowel. One by one, place the tiles that will form the bottom row of your backsplash, beginning from the center and working out to each side. Leave an 1/8”-gap along the bottom and between each of the tiles using temporary spacers, which you’ll remove later before applying grout or caulk. Continue in this fashion until the field tiles along the bottom of the backsplash wall are all installed.

Cut and Set Decorative Tiles
Depending on your design and any outlets or other wall features you need to incorporate, you will need to cut tiles to fit as you move up the wall toward the underside of the cabinets. The easiest means of cutting tile is to use a scoring cutter, which you can rent for between $15 and $20 a day or buy for around $50. First, you’ll mark the tile where you want to cut it. Then you’ll place the tile in the scoring cutter and score a mark on its surface. Finally, using the scoring cutter’s handle, you’ll break the tile along the scored line. Be sure to cut tiles as you reach the places where you need them rather than leaving a hole and going back.

Grout, Clean, and Caulk
Once you’ve installed all of your tiles, removed your temporary spacers, and allowed the mastic to set up overnight, it’s time to grout. Select a sandless grout, which will prevent any scratches on the tiles you’ve just worked so hard to place. Mix the grout according to the manufacturer’s instructions and apply it using a rubber float. Push the grout well down into the spaces between the tiles and scrape any excess off of the tile surfaces. After the grout has had a chance to set up for about an hour, use a sponge and clean water to wipe away any film from the surface of your tiles. Finally, add a line of caulk in the same color as your grout along the bottom row of tiles where they meet the countertop.

via bhgrealestate.com

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Easy Do-It-Yourself Kitchen Upgrades

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Considered to be the heart of the home, the kitchen is where your family likely spends the most time, and, it's one of the most important rooms to potential homebuyers. Therefor, it's worth investing in some upgrades in this space. Experts say even a minor kitchen facelift can earn you back more than 80% of the cost. Leslie Grete, the star of TLC's While You Were Out and Trading Spaces, offered the following easy kitchen upgrades that, together, cost less than $1,000! 

Add a Fresh Coat of Paint

"This is probably the easiest and most affordable project you can take on as a homeowner to deliver the biggest bang for the buck," says Segrete. "For $40 a gallon you can buy a really good quality paint, and all you need is a couple of hours or a weekend and you can really transform your space."

Refinish Your Cabinets

"If you're unhappy with your cabinets, you're going to be unhappy with your kitchen," says Segrete, who upgraded her own cabinets when she bought her home eight years ago. "The cabinets were looking a little worse for the wear so we cleaned them, lightly sanded them, re-stained them and they still look good today." Do this yourself and save over $500.

If your cabinets are still structurally sound, spruce them up with paint, or by resurfacing, which typically saves you 50% over what replacing the cabinets would cost.

Another quick fix is to update your faucet fixtures and door handles. "For a couple of hundred dollars cosmetic changes are super easy do-it-yourself projects that can completely change the look of your kitchen. Head over to your home center, grab a simple guide, which slides right on the cabinet's door-front. You'll know exactly where to drill and never make a mistake," says Segrete.

Glam Up Your Lighting

New ceiling lights and chandeliers can go a long way and add that "wow" factor to an otherwise dull room. Segrete suggests installing a pendant light, which doesn't require the help of an electrician and can cost less than $50. "It screws right into the socket where the light bulb would go, then a canopy slides up and covers the high hat fixture. For a little money and no electrician you can change the look of your space." For an even more dramatic look, a chandelier sometimes does the trick. Ikea has trendy pieces for less than $50.

Beautify Your Backsplash

Retiling your backsplash on your own can cost as little as $140 and "it doesn't have to be difficult," says Segrete. One of her favorite products for DIYers is the Bondera Tile Mat Set. "It's basically a super sticky contact adhesive that you put right on your existing backsplash. Tile directly to the Bondera, grout the same day, and you are done with that project." A whole roll of Bondera costs about $40.

Opt for Laminate Countertops

Changing your countertops can seem like a daunting process, but Segrete says, not so. "If you're looking for something affordable that you can do yourself, think about laminate. It costs $10 to $40 per square foot about four times less than quartz or granite," she says. Your local home improvement store may be able to cut the laminate to the exact size you need for even added convenience.

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Seven Steps to a Like-New Kitchen

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More than any other room in the home, the kitchen can be the deciding factor that sways a potential buyer toward – or away from – a purchase. With this in mind, most experts agree that even if you aren’t planning pre-sale updates anywhere else, the kitchen is the place to make them. But if a move is nowhere in your immediate future, improvements to your kitchen still almost always add directly to the eventual resale value of your home.

Sounds good, but what if your budget doesn’t allow for a wholesale remodel complete with new granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances? Fortunately, there are a slew of more nuanced alterations you can make – including many you can make yourself – that can add beauty and functionality to your kitchen without leaving your wallet significantly lighter.

Clear the Counters
Clearing clutter as a general rule is one of the best places to start whenever you’re thinking of showing your home. Perhaps nowhere is this more important than in the kitchen.

You may be a gadget guru with countertop appliances for everything from juicing beets to mixing margaritas, but your first order of business should be to put those appliances away. Where you see prized possessions, others just see crowded countertops. Keep gadgets to a minimum – a toaster and coffeemaker, perhaps – and show off sparkling, clutter-free countertops instead. Doing so can help even cramped kitchens feel spacious.

Quick Cabinet Overhauls
Rather than replacing cabinets, which can be an expensive and labor-intensive project, consider ways to refurbish those you have. Depending on their finish and its relative wear, you might consider a simple paint job. With a fresh coat of paint and new knobs and handles, old cabinets get an instant injection of new life.

A slightly more complicated and expensive job, but still a savings over installing all new cabinets, involves replacing the existing doors and drawer fronts. This is a good alternative to consider when these outward facing parts of the cabinet show significant wear but the interiors are still in good shape.

In either case, also take the time to clean and reline the interior shelves and drawers. Inexpensive contact paper can leave cabinet interiors looking fresh and updated in no time.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink? Think Again
In fact, replacing the kitchen sink is a great way to add major bang for the buck. Compared to appliances like a range or refrigerator, you can swap out your stained or damaged sink and faucet with a new stainless steel model for about $300. For a little extra, consider splurging on a double-bowl or deeper-bowl model, either of which provides more work area for bigger jobs. (Bear in mind that these options may involve more refitting of your existing counter space.)

In terms of a faucet, you can feel good investing in a solid middle-of-the-road model and saving the hundreds of dollars you could spend on a top-of-the-line designer number. For all intensive purposes, these more expensive options don’t really clean dishes any better, and cheaper models incorporate an increasing degree of style and design sense themselves.

Organize, Organize, Organize
What potential homebuyers don’t want to imagine their new kitchen as the paragon of order and organization? Help them do so by bringing order and organization to yours. Even if you’ve been perfectly content for years with cabinets overflowing with unidentified bags and containers of this and that, take time now to assign a proper place for everything and put everything in that place. Clean and ordered jars that showcase grains and pasta, an alphabetized spice rack, drawers of utensils sorted and stacked by function – you’ve seen it on television cooking shows. It won’t take as long as you think, it might actually make your life easier, and it will impress and attract potential buyers.

Window Dressing
It doesn’t get much easier than this: Swap out tired, worn curtains, kitchen towels, and pot holders with a fresh set in an updated whimsical print or a solid accent color that adds vitality to the room as a whole. It’s an instant, effortless injection of style.

Set the Table
If yours is an eat-in kitchen, take the time to set the table. An attractive tablecloth or placemats can add another dash of accent color, and a nice set of dishes arranged with a little flair can help give the room a pleasant lived-in feel. Other ideas include putting out a bowl of fresh fruit, coordinating candlesticks and salt and pepper shakers, or a couple of recent cooking magazines in an attractive rack or basket. Again – a little bit of effort here can go a long way toward setting the stage.

The Nose Knows
This tried-and-true real estate trick may seem like low-hanging fruit, but what’s wrong with that? If you know your house is scheduled to be shown, bake a batch of homemade cookies – or throw a frozen apple pie in the oven to thaw. Scent is one of our most powerful senses, and the smell of something wonderful cooking in your kitchen will make everyone feel instantly at home. Just be sure not to burn anything!

via bhgrealestate

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