Budgeting For Replacement Cabinet Doors

Budgeting For Replacement Cabinet Doors

Posted by Admin on Nov 11th 2021

Budgeting for new cabinet doors can be difficult if you have never done it before, and there are several items you will need to keep in mind. The first big question is whether you are doing a full kitchen remodel or just replacing the cabinet doors and drawer fronts (also known as refacing). If you are doing a full remodel then you will need to balance the cabinetry with your budget for appliances, flooring, countertops, and whatever else you plan to replace.

If you are only replacing your kitchen cabinet doors, then you may have already started browsing styles. However, sometimes window shopping can raise more questions than you originally had. The large amount of variety in wood species and design can make it difficult to even know what you need, much less what you want. And so, we created a guide to help you plan your cabinet refacing budget.


Getting Started

wooden kitchen

The first step to creating your cabinet door budget is to decide the number of doors you will be ordering. If you are not replacing all of the doors and drawer fronts in your kitchen, then you will likely need to match your cabinet doors. However, if you are replacing all of the doors and fronts, then you will have the freedom to choose a new style.

The stylistic direction you want to take your kitchen in will help you make a lot of the choices in selecting cabinet doors. For those looking to pursue more traditional designs, then you may be looking at arched options or potentially thinking about staining the doors. If you are thinking of something more contemporary, then you may be looking at thermofoil options or unexpected paint colors. Either way, you will need to consider how your designed aesthetic will affect your bottom line.


Wood Types

When thinking about which wood species to choose, it is important to think about the location it will be, how it will be finished, and the amount of traffic it is likely to encounter. In addition to species, we also have the ability to allow you to select a wood grade. We have three wood grades available:

  • Paintable
  • Natural
  • Select

dark finished wood cabinets

The paintable wood grade offers a material that is most suited for paint. Our natural grade wood may have slight natural imperfections such as sap or mineral deposits. Our select grade will have the most even color and grain pattern, and it is the ideal choice for a stain or clear coat finish.

As you can see, selecting your material choice and grade is a bit more tricky than it may seem on the surface. A great example of this is our thermofoil products. If you are new to working with cabinetry, then you might not know what thermofoil can run into issues with bubbling or cracking in high-heat or high-moisture environments.

This can typically be mitigated by heat shields and proper ventilation. And so, it is important to do proper research on the wood species or material to ensure you don’t make a costly mistake.


Paint, Stain, or Clear Coat

Another factor in your cabinet door budget will be how you want the doors finished. Your cabinet doors will have to be either ordered finished or finished on-site in order to protect from rot and decay. Having your doors finished for you will increase either increase their initial cost, or you will have to hire professional help.

We also offer unfinished doors, which can be more budget-friendly. As mentioned above, these doors will have to be finished once they arrive, but the good news is that they will be ready for it. Our unfinished doors arrive sanded to a 220-grit, so they will be ready for paint, stain, or whatever finishing option you choose.

If you want to skip the finishing, thermofoil cabinet doors arrive fully finished and are more cost-friendly than painted or clear finished doors. Thermofoil is a vinyl laminate that is heated and pressurized onto an MDF core. In addition to arriving finished, thermofoil is also available in a wide variety of colors and textures.


Find Inspiration

From here, all you will need to do is find a door style that fits your design. With the wide variety of styles from different interior designers, it can be difficult to know where to look, or what you are even looking for. If you know a vague direction you are thinking, then you can start filtering.

For example, if you are interested in something modern, then you can already rule out ornate and arched doors, as these typically will not work as well for the space. And so, you would likely look to the slab or flat-panel doors instead.


Final Thoughts

bright white kitchen

Planning out your cabinet door budget, as you can see, is not always an easy task. There are a lot of factors that you will need to consider, some of which are not always as obvious. However, with our guide, you should be off on the right foot!

If you need assistance with placing or planning your order, give us a call at 1-844-326-6680 or an email at info@cabinetdoormart.com. We look forward to helping you make your vision a reality!