Your kitchen cabinets play several essential roles within your kitchen. They can provide storage to keep dishes and small appliances out of sight and make your kitchen more functional. They also contribute to your kitchen’s design and appearance.
When your kitchen cabinets become outdated or damaged, they may no longer promote these benefits in your home. However, determining the right time to replace kitchen cabinets can be challenging. For example, you may be unsure whether you should replace the cabinet doors or install all-new cabinets to refresh the space.
Read on to learn eight signs it’s time to replace your kitchen cabinets entirely. Then contact our custom cabinet makers in Houston to request a free kitchen cabinet replacement estimate.
1) They Look Outdated
One of the primary reasons people choose to replace their cabinets is because they look outdated. While cabinets are functional structures, they also have aesthetic purposes. Outdated, unattractive cabinets can quickly hinder a kitchen’s overall appearance.
Kitchen cabinet styles have changed significantly over the years. Steel cabinets were popular in the 1950s, while dark wood cabinets were common in the 70s. Laminate cabinets had their moment in the 80s, and 90s kitchens were filled with light oak cabinets.
Today, contemporary kitchens use straight lines, neutral color palettes, and sleek cabinet designs. However, achieving this style typically involves replacing the old cabinets with other cabinets — even if the old ones are still in good shape.
2) They’re Flimsy or Cheap
Sometimes, homeowners choose to renovate their homes with cheap materials. If your home’s previous owners added flimsy or cheap kitchen cabinets, they may not hold up as well as high-quality cabinets.
Low-quality cabinets are often made of particle board or MDF, a composite material consisting of wood, glue, and filler. Unfortunately, this material does not hold up well to long-term use, eventually leading the cabinets to sag or dent.
Because this material spans throughout the cabinet design, refacing the cabinets won’t take care of your problem. You may need to replace the current cabinets with a new solid wood upgrade.
3) They Have Scratches and Dents
Kitchen cabinets can experience scratches, dents, and other signs of damage due to normal wear and tear. While kitchen cabinet refacing can sometimes solve this issue, other times, a full replacement is necessary.
Refacing cabinets only makes sense if you want to maintain the same size, material, and layout as the original cabinets. Adding new cabinet doors or drawers that are a different size or material will lead the refaced cabinets to look unnatural in your space.
Your contractors can help you determine whether to reface or replace your scratched cabinets.
4) The Cabinet Doors Don’t Move Smoothly
Are your cabinet doors challenging to open and close? Do they get stuck in certain positions or look misaligned, no matter how you shut them?
If so, your cabinets may have become warped with age, creating less space for the doors to shut properly. Adding new hardware to warped cabinets typically won’t solve the issue, as the underlying wood is still damaged. Instead, if your doors aren’t properly closing, it may be time for new cabinets.
5) They’re Severely Damaged
When kitchen cabinets experience significant damage, they become challenging to repair. Water damage is one of the most common forms of damage impacting cabinets.
Cabinets can experience water damage due to an unnoticed water leak, a burst pipe, or other sources of flooding. Even cabinets that experience only minor damage may become unrepairable.
Water-damaged cabinets often experience structural issues that can lead to further damage down the line if left unaddressed. Instead, you will probably need to replace your kitchen cabinets entirely.
Other damaging elements can also necessitate a cabinet replacement. For example, mold, pests, and structural damage may make your cabinets unusable and require a replacement.
6) They Have a Lingering Odor
Do your kitchen cabinets have a lingering smell you can’t seem to get rid of, despite your best efforts? If so, there may be mold or pests behind the cabinets. In this case, cleaning the cabinets or adding new doors won’t remove the odor.
Additionally, old cabinets that have experienced water damage sometimes exude a lingering mold smell, even after scrubbing the wood. This smell may be challenging to remove without replacing the cabinets.
While you may be able to remove a lingering odor from upper cabinets, lower cabinets require a little more finessing to clean properly. If your cabinets are in bad shape otherwise, a complete replacement may make the most sense.
7) Your Existing Cabinets Have a Poor Layout
Your kitchen’s layout is paramount to its functionality. If your kitchen cabinets are placed in odd positions, preventing certain doors from opening at the same time, you may need entirely new kitchen cabinets to solve the problem.
Alternatively, if you are purchasing new appliances that do not fit in the spots of the current appliances, replacing kitchen cabinets can help you make your new kitchen appliances work.
Changing your kitchen cabinet layout can also help you achieve a new kitchen design. Your contractors can examine your kitchen’s size and shape to determine a more suitable layout for your space. This home improvement project can add value to your property and improve your kitchen’s overall function.
8) They Don’t Match the Rest of Your House
If you’ve begun remodeling other aspects of your home, your kitchen may begin looking a little out of place. For example, classic-style cabinets probably won’t match well with a modern home design.
In this case, it may be time to add a kitchen remodel to your to-do list. You can choose a brand-new cabinet design that looks cohesive with the rest of your home. And if you’d rather not remodel your entire kitchen, replacing the cabinets can add a fresh, new appearance.
If you’re looking for a solution to the top custom cabinet problems, we can help. At Holmes Cabinet Specialties, we provide custom, high-end, modern cabinets designed to meet your specific wants and needs.
Contact us today at 409-543-2706 to request your free estimate to replace cabinets with custom, new cabinets.
