# Please help -Kitchen cabinet question



## BusyOne (Mar 22, 2009)

Background - Cabinetry is white factory finish (1989). Not certain, but I think it has yellowed slightly. Marsh hinges, was told the cabinets were a step up from builder's grade.

Problem - The are not solid wood and some of the doors have curled ripples where the raised panel portion is.

Dilemma - we are planning on moving in the new few years, so we don't want to do a complete kitchen remodel. There is a ton a cabinetry and our budget is beging used to replace all the ceramic tile in kitchen, hallway, laundry room & Carolina room.

Possible solution - I saw a project in a magazine with cabinetry that appeared identical to mine. They lightly sanded frames, doors, and crown molding, then rubbed on a Bartley stain with paper towels, then wiped off.
What I cannot tell from the picture is if her cabinets were real wood. Can this technique be used on my cabinetry? I am sick of white and like the warm distressed look in the photo.

Another thought - Just buy the 5 or 6 doors and hope the yellowing is just the lighting and not reality.

If it has yellowed, buy all new doors.

Any suggestions would be appreciated - other than buy all new cabinetry.


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## seabolt (Feb 2, 2008)

If the finish is curling and rippling on the doors, it sounds like you may have mdf doors with a thermo-foil finish - if that is the case, your only option really is to replace them. As far as putting stain over a lightly sanded, painted face frame, I don't think that would work very good. The paint is completely concealing the grain of the wood, so unless you plan on sanding down to bare wood, I'd just repaint.


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## skymaster (Oct 23, 2006)

Sounds like "bolt" has "nailed" it LOL Really sounds to me the cheapest,easiest in the long run is to just pull the doors, re finish the frames and put new doors.
Y u movin? I am lookin to move YOUR way LOL? After that terrible fire you should have more work than you can ever handle for many years to come


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## Paradigm1 (Apr 9, 2009)

Either repaint all of the existing or paint frames of the old and do a glaze on new faces. Lightly sand between each coat of paint (400grit).I don't think your gonna get your old cabs back to looking new- but a fresh coat will make a big difference.


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## macatawacab (Jan 1, 2009)

Reface. Bolt and Sky are right.


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## BusyOne (Mar 22, 2009)

skymaster said:


> Sounds like "bolt" has "nailed" it LOL Really sounds to me the cheapest,easiest in the long run is to just pull the doors, re finish the frames and put new doors.
> Y u movin? I am lookin to move YOUR way LOL? After that terrible fire you should have more work than you can ever handle for many years to come


I used to vacation in Wildwood, NJ. Love it here at the beach though. It's a great place to live. 

We want to move to a different home - not a different location. The home would need an addition and after living with this floor plan, I remember what I don't like about ranchers. With children, sound carries and our great room is in the center of the house.

Fires - it was a total of 69 houses completely destroyed . We had a big building boom that went bust, so all the new home builders are already on it. We specialize in residential service & repair along with new bathrooms and/or additions. So no work for us due to the fires.

Thanks everyone else - I guess I will be getting new cabinet doors and replacing the ones that are in bad shape. If the color is off, then I will have to do them all.

I've heard the doors are the most expensive part, so if all the doors have to be replaced, then should I get all new cabinets?

The previous owner apparently noticed the cabinets were just starting to warp - one day I was doing a thorough cleaning and noticed touch up paint. :furious:

If my tile wasn't a throw back to the 90's (white with a hint of mauve & grey), I would get all new cabinets and leave the floor. We haven't lived here long enough to realize appreciation - with real estate being what it is, it may even have depreciated.

I'm not being cheap for cheapness sake, but I don't want to spend money that will be very hard to recoup.


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## Double-A (Jul 3, 2006)

Post some pics and make some of them close-ups so we can see what you have and suggest from there. I think new doors and... <dunno yet> is in order.

Best I got.


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## skymaster (Oct 23, 2006)

Busy: Pics were be a huge help. Can you takeoff a layout of the present cabinets? There are other ways that may help out. PM me


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## AustinDB (Sep 11, 2006)

doors can be 75% of the cabinet cost...refacing is pretty expensive compared to buying new cabinets. you can find guys who make doors to order off ebay! 

If the foil finish isn't peeling, then I might suggest painting the entire set of cabinets, the glazed idea is pretty good and you may be able to end up with the 'french' cabinetry look. 

I just got done trying to match up a few doors from a kitchen fire and my supplier can't match up the style-things change every so often. If you find a custom cabinetry guy, he may be able to make you one or two doors (how every many are absolutely necessary), then paint the entire set. The few doors you'll be buying will be more expensive, but the savings will be in not having to buy all new doors.


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## macatawacab (Jan 1, 2009)

OK let's get down to dollars.

Just priced up a kitchen reface with full overlay doors on a frameless box and I will share pricing with you.

47 doors, 18 drawer fronts, 3-8' light rails, 8-8' crown. The 47 count includes matching wall cab end panels (3), and (4) matching base end panels for the penninsula and penninsula end. 
Raised panel doors, slab drawer front with custom edge, prefinished hard maple. All sizes are custom made to the 1/8" over existing boxes to maximize the full overlay. When done you will not see the cabinet edge except for the 1/8" gap.

My price to another builder is;
4600.00 natural finish
5400.00 stained and coated
6185.00 stain with glazing

These are material only prices. No labor, no hinge, no drawer box, no veneer, no edge banding, no toe kick.

I don't know your house or what sells in your area but iIMO if you replaced therma foil doors with clear coated hard maple for 4600.00 you would get some bang for your buck


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## naptown CR (Feb 20, 2009)

Google Cabinet refacing supplies There are a lot of door companies out there and the RTF doors are the least expensive of the lot. If you are going to go to that expense though do all of them and order a sample to see how doors match exposed ends or order door panels to cover. Just ordering a few doors may not work out so well as even in RTF doors there could be differances in color from one run to the next. if the doors are RTF check with a paint manufacturer to make sure what you coat them with will work. The faceframes are probably a painted finish and the cabinet box sides a vinyl overlay on particle board. Paint will be the cheapest but the key to sucess is going to pe the initial prep and prime. Good luck


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## macatawacab (Jan 1, 2009)

Naptown - If you google Cabinet Refacing supplies don't be surprised to get Service Master. Just a warning to everyone to check the sites before you even bother to click in. sure there are legit refacing supply places but SM is everywhere in the cabinet arena posing as legit contractors and contractor suppliers.


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## macatawacab (Jan 1, 2009)

OK Just pushed a few buttons and if you ordered the RTF in satin white with everything as quoted before except now it is MDF with RTF the revised price is $ 2800.00 material only. No labor to install.


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## silvertree (Jul 22, 2007)

In Minneapolis a Maple in Shaker would be more or less priced by the opening.

Lets say 40 openings:That includes drawers and doors. Nothing fanct

Me for Maple $ !0,000 to $12,000
Home Depot $ $12,000 to $16,000
Sears $14,000 to $18,000

This is based on the quotes HO's have showed me.
Depends on the salesman of course


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## Jordy3738 (Dec 11, 2008)

I would recommend installing new doors. I have an individual who frequently buys old houses, takes all the doors off of the kitchen cabinets, paints every thing throughly with Cabinet Rescue paint and then orders and installs white raised panel thermofoil doors.

The system works nice for flipping houses.


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## BAForese (Oct 30, 2007)

You can get some doors at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store store. You'd be surprised at what they have there. Just a thought. I agree with bolt that it sounds like mdf and, perhaps, they got wet and billowed out from the moisture. If you get doors from Habitat store but the finish doesn't match you could always refinish those couple of doors to match with your existing kitchen or paint everything using Cabinet Coat for a uniform look. Great product.


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## Jordy3738 (Dec 11, 2008)

macatawacab said:


> OK Just pushed a few buttons and if you ordered the RTF in satin white with everything as quoted before except now it is MDF with RTF the revised price is $ 2800.00 material only. No labor to install.


Wow, you do have a large kitchen don't you? Is that a whole sale price for contractors or retail?


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## samccard (Aug 17, 2007)

I would paint the cabinets, replace the doors and harware.


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## KennMacMoragh (Sep 16, 2008)

He probably finished it six months ago.


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## MAD Renovations (Nov 18, 2007)

melay said:


> hi! i have my worries in my bathroom too many years ago. i think with your problem. you better consult a constructor with that. that wolud be the best option so far.


What is this guy doing... this is the third one today...... I am sure that they have all found a "CONSTRUCTOR" by now with these old posts he is pulling up. Someone has to put an end to this.


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

My price for forty openings. No labor, no install, no screws, no drills, no levels, no handshakes, no smiles, no washing my hands after I whiz and then walk back in to shake your hand - $475,936.59. For mdf. That's with discount and no mark up. I'm barely making ends meet at that price and homeowners should thank their lucky stars they can sell their children into white slavery so I just have enough money to put food on the table for my family; but not the dog. He still goes hungry at that price.


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