Materials

• The most common materials for kitchen cabinet doors and drawer fronts are solid wood, wood veneer and plastic laminate. Each of these materials has its advantages. Solid wood provides strong and durable components without the chemicals that are present in plastic veneers and veneer adhesives. Wood and plastic veneers offer a wider variety of styles and colors than solid wood, and they are often less expensive. A solid wood door that is damaged may need to be completely replaced, while a veneer door can have only its surface replaced to look like new.
  
  

Replacement

• Homeowners may opt for complete replacement of doors and drawers over replacing the veneer. The reasons could include excessive wear and tear or a desire to change the kitchen's look with a different type of door and drawer front. Drawers can have their fronts replaced only if they are made in a style with an applied front. For drawers with integral fronts, replacing just the fronts would require disassembly of the drawer and would not be cost effective.
  
  

Paint

• The easiest form of resurfacing for a kitchen is to apply a fresh coat of paint. For cabinets that are already painted, this is a simple process of cleaning them, giving them a light sanding and painting them. Doors and drawers that have a natural finish will probably need a good sanding and application of a primer coat before applying finish paint. Paint that is applied carefully with a roller can look just as good as laminate.
  
  

Advantage of Resurfacing

• There are several advantages of resurfacing over complete kitchen cabinet replacement. Most important for many homeowners is that resurfacing is significantly less expensive than replacement. It requires far less time, disruption and mess. Doors and drawer fronts can be removed using just a screwdriver and worked on in a workshop, leaving the kitchen doorless but clean. Replacement of kitchen cabinets requires some minor demolition and at least several days of work in the kitchen itself. Resurfacing creates far less waste, renewing the look of a kitchen without resulting in a pile of old cabinets that have to be given away or sent to a landfill.