Oak pores can absolutely be filled and leveled to make a smooth paint finish. And solid wood is going to be much more durable than the veneer. If I were planning on being there for more than a couple of years I would keep the oak and fill it.

Casey

I had a refaced kitchen. The veneer on the boxes was holding up just fine 30 years later. I'm sure it was done by a company that specialized in cabinet refacing and not just a GC who swaps out doors.

I assume your maple doors are going to be painted? Because no matter what you do to oak, it won't look like stained maple.

And, if you go with full overlay and full panels on any exposed cabinet ends, all oak will be covered until cabinets are opened so it wouldn't be offensive anyway...would it? So maybe that's an option.

I completly agree with all three above. Are you painting the maple or clear coating it?

it sounds as though the process of re-facing your cabinets is going to require a much more expensive process than a complete change out. I have found over the years that if you have countertops that can reasonably be replaced (laminate, solid surface etc.), You should always go with a full replacement. This will give you the look you want at a reasonable price for total satisfaction. Research different companies on your own.

Agree with Walkea. Always amazed at some of the ads I see for cabinet refacing or tub coatings/coverings. These things are so expensive but look like cheap fixes. Do it right and the extra cost may not be all that much but well work it. SHOP AROUND.

Franchised cabinet refacing companies can be a scam for sure. But the idea that properly applied veneers are cheap fixes, or will not last, or are weaker than wood is just incorrect. Some of the most expensive furniture pieces I have made have been veneered. A refacer who properly applies veneers and makes or orders doors will give you a product that will last a lifetime for a lot less money than remaking boxes.

If you have quality cabinet boxes now then remaking them is an unnecessary added expense. Go hang out at the local woodworking shop and find someone with veneering experience, or sit down with Youtube for a few hours. You don't want peel and stick veneer but both heat activated and glued on veneers will last. This really is a job that is very easy to DIY with a bit of patience, the only hard part is measuring the doors.

Thanks all for your replies. It made me want to take a second opinion so I am shopping around a bit. Seems like veneer is not as bad as my contractor made it out to be.

It would be a good idea to get prices from your contractor for both options. Then, independently of this contractor, get another price from a different contractor to replace the kitchen with new cabinets. The pricing difference may not be too far apart.

We did a DIY refacing of the kitchen cabinets and used veneers for the boxes. Its only been 2 1/2 yrs but its not peeling, its on there good and tight. Having said that, we used wood backed veneers (not paper backed as some are) and took a lot of time to properly prep the surfaces. ADIY veneer job is tricky, its not easy but we took our time and it turned out very well, and saved us a lot of money too.

For those satisfied with their veneered boxes,were faces and both sides of box stiles veneered or only face which shows while doors are closed?

Not sure what you mean by "sides of the box stiles"? We applied veneers to the faces of the boxes (rails and stiles) For the cabinet sides, and back of the peninsula, we used matching 1/4" wood panels, cut to fit, which we glued on. The panels also came in 1/8" thickness, which we used on the upper cabinets by the range, due to a tight fit. A good refacing would not use veneers for the sides of the cabinets, I don't think. To hire out a refacing job would not save all that much money, I don't think. Its the labor that costs, veneering is tricky and time consuming. We chose to reface because I liked the footprint of my kitchen, the boxes were in good shape, and didn't want the hassle of a demo and not having a working kitchen for a period of time. Interesting that your contractor told you the veneers would peel in a few years. I would not have confidence in his work if he told me that. The surface prep is key, and my concern was that contractors might not do as thorough a job prepping it as we would. And we spent a lot of time on the prepping! Conestoga sells refacing materials as well as cabinets, you can go to The Cabinet Joint's website and check it out.