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Cabinets transformed by ProRefinish
Thousands of kitchens transformed
adding $ millions in home value
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INTRODUCTION TO PRO REFINISH
REFACING
PROCESS
BENEFITS OF REFACING
DECISIONS…DECISIONS
Frequently asked questions about our services
What is refinishing?
You keep your current cabinets with the current doors and drawer fronts. We apply a new, sprayed factory finish in the color of your choice. This is a good option if the cabinet doors are in good shape structurally and you like the door profile and overlay style. Refinishing may not be the most cost effective option if you have oak cabinets.
What is refacing?
When you order refacing, your old doors and drawer fronts will be replaced with brand new solid MDF doors and drawer fronts with a sprayed, factory finish. Your cabinet boxes will be de-greased, sanded, primed and re-sprayed with the same factory lacquer finish as your new doors. We never use veneer of any type!
Why should I reface?
Here are the reasons why refacing your cabinets – keeping your existing cabinet boxes and replacing the doors/drawer fronts and possibly hardware only – can be the smartest thing to do:
- save on labor by not spending on removing and disposing of your existing cabinet boxes and installing new cabinets
- reduce your carbon footprint by saving your cabinet boxes as opposed to having new ones shipped for overseas
- spend your budget where it counts and make a difference in style and/or functionality: doors, drawers, hardware, finish
- support the local economy, all our doors and drawer fronts and custom made in Virginia
Refacing procedure
After discussing the different finishes, overlay options and deciding the door profile you want, we will measure your cabinets. After taking the measurements, we will take a 50% deposit as well.
Your new doors will be built according to the specifications in our shop in Winchester, VA. Lead time is usually 2-3 weeks for the new doors to be built, finished and hinged, ready to be installed.
Once your new doors are ready, we will contact you to schedule a day that’s convenient for you to refinish your cabinet boxes in your kitchen. This is a one day job for most kitchens. At the end of the day, after the cabinets have been refinished, we will install your new doors and drawer fronts and you can start enjoying your new kitchen.
Refinishing procedure
We will remove all the doors and drawer fronts from your cabinets and transport them to our shop where they will be prepped, primed and refinished with a new, sprayed, factory polyurethane finish in the color of your choice. This usually takes 3-4 days. After your doors are ready, we will schedule a day to refinish your cabinet boxes in your kitchen. For most kitchens it is a one, full day procedure. At the end of the day, we will rehang your doors and reinstall all the hardware or install new hardware if necessary.
Is refinishing right for me?
If you check all the boxes below, refinishing would be the way to go:
- You like your current doors style
- Your doors are structurally sound
- You have the original factory finish and it is fairly intact, just the not the color you want
- You don’t want to change the cabinet door overlay type
- Your cabinets are not oak
- You want a paint finish, not a stain finish
- Your cabinets are not thermofoil
Is refacing right for me?
If the answer is yes to any of the options below, refacing would be your best option in almost every case.
- You don’t like your current doors style
- Your doors are structurally weak, cracking and have loose joints
- You don’t have the original factory finish, the cabinets have been repainted already
- You want to upgrade from standard to full overlay
- Your cabinets are oak
- You want a stain finish
- Your cabinets are thermofoil
- Your cabinet doors are laminate and the laminate is coming loose
Refacing vs buying new cabinets?
In the overwhelming majority of cases a refacing would make more sense than buying new cabinets. Here is why:
- Refacing is less expensive with a much better return on investment than buying and installing new cabinets.
- Kitchen cabinets are nothing more than particle board or plywood boxes with doors attached to them or drawers installed in them using various hardware. Even after decades of use the boxes themselves are just as sound as when they were new. Wear and tear along with age will affect the moving parts including hinges and drawer slides. Doors, drawers and the finish will eventually fail in every case. All of which can be replaced with the refacing while keeping the cabinet boxes themselves intact. You can use the savings generated to upgrade to better quality doors and hardware, the things that make all the difference.
- Refacing is much faster, less intrusive and less mess than replacing the cabinets.
- Comparably priced new cabinets imported from overseas are usually much lower quality than cabinets that were built decades ago in the USA.
What if I need help with design?
Design consultation is available for planning a new kitchen, bath, laundry room or any space with cabinetry. Whether you want to change the layout, expand cabinetry for storage, expand countertop space, and the best placements for new appliances. We can help you with that. We can also provide information about new trends and fads to avoid and the best ways to stretch your budget the furthest. We can provide a visualization of the new kitchen plan before any work begins.
What type of doors do you offer?
We are a custom cabinet shop, we can build almost any type or shape cabinet doors made of wood or MDF. We don’t build doors with veneer or thermofoil. All of our doors are finished with a sprayed paint or stain finish.
There are 3 basic type of cabinet doors.
- Slab
- Recessed panel
- Raised panel
Recessed or raised panel doors can have many different types of edge profiles. Slab doors usually are flat with straight edges.
However we recommend only a few styles, most notable the shaker style which has many advantages over more detailed door styles. Shaker style is by far the most popular style and has been for over a decade. Other, more ornate designs tend to go out of style which makes them a poor choice if you are looking for resale value. They are also much more difficult to keep clean.
What door styles do you offer?
We are a custom cabinet shop, we can build almost any door style. By far, the most popular door style is the shaker style which is a recessed panel style with square edges.
What does full overlay mean?
Full overlay means that the doors and drawer fronts cover almost the entire cabinet box when closed. There is usually only a 1/4″ gap between the doors and drawer fronts as opposed to about 1″-2″ with standard overlay doors.
What are embellishments?
Installing custom elements that will enhance the appearance of your cabinets. Elements include matching end panels, wall panels, corbels, island support posts, crown moldings, custom wood or painted vent hoods, staggering cabinets, etc.
Do you do counter tops and backsplashes?
We at ProRefinish only work with cabinetry and finish carpentry, however we can refer our partners to install counter tops and back splashes as well as painting of walls, plumbing, electrical and other construction related projects.
Can you extend my island by adding a cabinet?
We can custom build any type of cabinetry, base cabinets, wall cabinets, pantries, sink base cabinets, drawer base cabinets, wine racks, etc. All we need is a description of the type of cabinet you want. We can also match the existing style of cabinets you currently have.
Can you build a new island?
We can custom build any type of island according to specifications.
Scheduling contractors for a complete remodel?
There are a few things to keep in mind when having your cabinets refinished or refaced and also having the floor, counter top, back splash replaced and the walls painted.
When the cabinets get sprayed, any adjacent surface must be masked off to be protected from overspray unless the surface will be replaced or repainted later. Freshly painted walls and freshly refinished hardwood floors can get damaged when the masking tape is being removed therefore the walls should be painted and the hardwood floors should be refinished after the cabinets have been sprayed. Counter top and back splash can be installed either before or after the cabinets get sprayed.
How long is the process?
- Refinishing – Start to completion about 1 week, work on site 1-1.5 days
- Submit your quote request with pictures of the project
- You’ll get an estimate within 24 hours
- Schedule an in-home consultation to look at samples, discuss details
- Schedule a day to pick up your cabinet doors to bring them to our shop for refinishing
- Doors will be ready to be reinstalled in 2-3 days
- Paint cabinet boxes on site and reinstall door and drawer fronts – 1 day
- Refacing – Start to completion about 1-2 weeks, work on site 1-1.5 days
- Submit your quote request with pictures of the project
- You’ll get an estimate within 24 hours
- Schedule an in-home consultation to look at samples, discuss details, measure cabinets
- Your new doors will be ready to be installed in 1-2 weeks
- Remove old doors, paint cabinet boxes on site and install new door and drawer fronts – 1 day
- Custom cabinets – All our cabinets are made locally in Northern VA, typical lead time is 2-3 weeks
*Times are average and may vary depending on the scope of work performed
Do you do only kitchen cabinets?
No, we offer services for bathrooms, laundry rooms, closets and built in bars. Anything that has cabinetry involved, we can do!
How expensive is a typical cabinet transformation project?
Upgrading your kitchen or bathroom cabinets is an investment in your home. It is surely an expense to update a kitchen, however the alternative – letting the kitchen deteriorate – is also an expense which you will pay when trying to sell your home at a much lower price than what you could get if your kitchen was in an up-to-date condition.
Having said that, having your cabinets updated with Pro Refinish is very affordable. The average investment is around $6000 or 0.008% of the average home value in Northern VA. Most, if not all of that investment will be returned upon the sale of the home in the future.
What are your payment terms?
- Cabinet refinishing – no down payment required, balance due upon completion
- Cabinet refacing – 50% down payment required at time of signing contract, balance due upon completion
- Custom built cabinets – 50% down payment required at time of signing contract, balance due upon completion
Do you offer any discounts?
Our prices are already discounted, however we do offer volume discounts for returning customers and 5% commission for referrals.
Do you have any specials?
We do offer specials from time to time. You can sign up for our newsletter to get information about upcoming specials.
Do you offer financing?
Yes, we offer financing to qualified customers. You can indicate in your quote request if you are interested in financing options.
Frequently asked questions about our products
How durable is your finish?
Our finish is a high quality factory polyurethane finish which is a top of the line product. Therefore, it is as durable as you’d expect from any new cabinets on the market.
What type of finishes do you use?
We typically use polyurethane based sprayed factory finishes designed for kitchen cabinets. We do not use chalk paint, oil or latex paints.
There are two main categories of finishes: Painted and stained finishes.
Stain is a transparent finish that shows the wood grain,
paint is a solid color that hides the wood grain.
Both types of finishes can be distressed or glazed as well.
What is a polyurethane finish?
Polyurethane is the new top of the line finish for kitchen cabinets. It is extremely durable including moisture, light, heat and chemical resistant to withstand all the abuse it will be subject to in a kitchen.
Polyurethane comes in unlimited colors and clearcoat that is used over a stain finish.
Do you use veneer?
We never use veneer on cabinet face frames that are almost always solid hardwood, like maple, oak or cherry. These solid wood surfaces can be refinished with any color of a sprayed factory finish, paint or stain that will make it indistinguishable from a new factory finish. However once a veneer has been applied to the surface, it can no longer be refinished and it will be apparent that the cabinet has been refaced.
What colors can I choose?
You can use any color from any paint brand, we can match it. We can also match any existing color in your house or any color sample.
Do you use Benjamin Moore paints?
No, we only use paints and clearcoats that were designed for kitchen cabinets. Benjamin Moore does not manufacture polyurethane or lacquers. They claim that some of their latex paints can be used on cabinets. While it may be true, latex paints are never used to finish factory built and factory finished cabinets because polyurethane and lacquers are far superior than even the best latex paint.
However we can match any color from Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams.
What is glazing?
The most common type of glazing is an accent color applied by hand into corners and crevices on a door profile. It’s purpose is to give a feeling of depth to the surface. Glazing can only be applied to door profiles that have sufficiently deep crevices.
The less common type of glazing is when the accent colored glaze is applied to the entire surface than rubbed back by hand. This type of glazing gives the appearance of an aged finish therefor it’s used when an antique look is desired.
Both types of glazing requires an additional clear lacquer top coat to seal in the glaze and prevent it from being robbed off when cleaning the surface.
What is distressing?
Distressing is a technique when the top coat of the finish paint or varnish is sanded back to various degrees, exposing the underlying paint colors, primer or even the bare wood. After distressing the surface, it needs to be clear-coated to seal the exposed areas.
Can I have soft close hinges?
We can retrofit almost any type of existing doors with soft close hinges. (There are exceptions.) This is a very inexpensive way to upgrade and add value to your cabinets.
Can I have soft close drawers?
If your current drawers are not soft close, chances are that your drawer boxes can not be retrofitted with soft close drawer slides. In that case, we can build new, top of the line, solid maple, dovetailed drawer boxes with Blum soft close slides. (In some cases it is possible to just swap your current non soft close slides with soft close ones.)
How about handles?
We can install new knobs and handles supplied by you for a small fee. We can also order new handles for you from our supplier. In this case, we will only charge you the wholesale price we are charged. This is usually about 50% of the retail price.
Check out their selection at www.berensonhardware.com
How about pull out shelves?
We can build and install pull out shelves of different types from a spice pull out to large, heady duty pull out shelves for small kitchen appliances, pots and pans.
