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melbailey

Laminate Kitchen Cabinets Looking Worse for Wear!

13 years ago
Hi, My husband and I tried to sell our home this year but had no luck. One of the comments we kept getting back from potential buyers was that our kitchen cabinets were not in the best shape(which I knew). The house was a spec house and the builder used white shiny laminate cabinets, the kind that "expand" when the outer shell is exposed and the inside fiber board gets wet. I know those doors need to be replaced but I am concerned about matching up the new doors to the almost 20 year old boxes that are also scuffed in places, etc.

I don't want to spend the money to replace if we are going to move anyway. Has anyone updated a laminate kitchen?

Comments (6)

  • PRO
    13 years ago
    If your door surfaces are bubbling or cracked, I think you have to bite the bullet and at least reface the cabinets and boxes. I am not aware of any products that can enhance 20 year old laminate surfaces. But I think you would get your money back. The last think a buyer wants to take on is the time and money involved in replacing kitchen cabinets.
  • 13 years ago
    Go with refacing. I also think you will find that doing a "complete" job will add much more than just piece parting it. Although it is an expense you can DIY.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    Just a note of caution - doing this yourself is not as easy as you might think. Especially when you reface with wood (don;t go the laminate route again). It's a precision job and best left to professionals.
  • 13 years ago
    Are the cabinet boxes themselves damaged? If it's just the doors, you can order new laminate doors- the places that make them can send you samples of their white so you can see if it matches or not, or you can check the big box stores, they can order doors for you as well and should have samples available.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    How bad are the cabinets? Are you positive this is the number one reason the home isn't selling? Yes you can order doors and DIY or check local professionals - many small cabinet pro's looking for projects like this - its worth a couple hours of phone work and free estimates to hear what professionals advise after close-up examination.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    last modified: 13 years ago
    There are places to order new doors. You can then repaint everything back to the same white. We did this when my father-in-law passed away and we had to sell his condo. It works well and you can then get rid of the arches on the cabinet doors at the same time.