By Joel Noah

Sometimes we store things in a cabinet for a long period of time and they rarely get opened like a curio cabinet. Other types of cabinets are more functional and receive a lot of wear and tear and daily usage like the kitchen, garage or bathroom cabinet. Regardless of how a cabinet is being used or what it is being used to store, after a while they begin to need some sprucing up. There are a few ways to give old cabinets a new life.

A more expensive way to liven up old cabinets is to get rid of them completely and buy and install new ones. There are many varying degrees of quality when it comes to cabinets. The wood that they are, or are not, made out of will be a big factor in the cost of your cabinets. Cherry is going to be a lot more expensive than veneer material. Also the design of your cabinets will be a deciding factor in how much they will cost as well. The fancier the design on the door of the cabinet, the higher the price tag. Another thing that will determine the cost of installing new cabinets is the number of cabinets you need or the amount of space you want to fill with cabinets.

If you like the idea of new cabinets without tearing your kitchen apart or the price that comes along with that work, you can always have your cabinets refaced. Refacing involves changing out the current drawer and door fronts only. The base of your cabinets stays intact and nothing is removed from your kitchen except the old drawer fronts and doors. The biggest advantage to having your cabinets refaced as opposed to replaced is that they will be completed in about 3 days, the cost is substantially lower and you will still feel as though you got a new, updated kitchen.

There are some things that you can do however, to spruce up older cabinets before you decide to take out a small loan and install new ones. First, try changing out the hardware or knobs on your cabinets. Although higher quality knobs will cost you a little more, you will be surprised at what new knobs and drawer pulls will do to your outdated cabinets.

If knobs and pulls are not enough for you, you can also paint your wooden cabinets. There is no need to sand them down completely before you apply paint. You do need to sand them enough to make them tacky so the paint will adhere well to the surface. Also, use a primer first that is made to improve the adhesion of paint. When choosing a paint, be sure that whatever color you choose, you choose a hi-gloss finish or enamel. Enamels or hi-gloss finishes are easier to clean and really shine and stand out. By using an enamel or high gloss paint there is no need to use polyurethane as a sealant.

Whichever route you decide to take on updating your cabinets in any room, know that you have options and choices and that starting over is not the only one.

About the Author:

Visit Joel to find more information and resources about cabinets at Cabinetx.com