Whether it’s a little kitchen spruce-up or a complete home makeover, deciding what to do about your cabinets is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make. Kitchen cabinets need to meet a lot of requirements: they need to be sturdy, large enough to hold dishes, pots and pans, and other kitchen supplies, but also durable to withstand spills, splatters, and scratches from heavy kitchen traffic.
When facing a home remodel project, homeowners have two primary options for updating their cabinets – reface or replace. While refacing may seem like the cheaper alternative to replacing, it’s not uncommon for people to start the resurfacing process only to realize it costs a lot more than they were expecting to make their old cabinets look new. Over time, cabinets begin to show signs of age, and sometimes it can be hard to tell when it’s the right time to retire your cabinets.
Here are a few telltale signs that your cabinets need to be replaced:
Water Damage
If your cabinets are swollen, not opening or closing properly, or showing dark color spots, they might be a victim to water damage. Since most cabinets are crafted from wood paired with the amount of water that is in the kitchen, it’s likely for water damage to occur. If the wood has started to warp, bubble, show signs of mold, or blacken, it’s a serious sign that they should be replaced.
Lack of Functionality
Do you ever get frustrated with how your cabinets perform? Are they hard to access or require moving items around to get to what you need? Do the drawers open the way they should without slamming into one another? Replacing your cabinets allows you to start from scratch with the design and layout of the room.
Signs of Mold
Mold can grow from many different surfaces, including your kitchen cabinets. Mold is caused by water, and if left unnoticed, it will continue to worsen as it grows. Not only does mold compromise the integrity of your cabinets, but it can also affect you and your family’s health. If the mold is caught early enough, it can be cleaned up and resolved. However, if the mold is bad enough, replacing your cabinets is the only option.