remodeling to acommodate an elderly loved oneremodeling to acommodate an elderly loved one

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remodeling to acommodate an elderly loved one

When I invited my mother to come and live with my family, we had to make some changes to accommodate her. The changes that needed to be made were all within reason and were all required so that she could get around with her walker and eventually a wheelchair if need be. I hired a remodeling contractor to assist us with making the changes. I learned a lot while discussing what needed to be done and what it would take to get it complete. I created this blog with the hopes of helping other families that are considering making the same changes in their homes.

Refacing Kitchen Cabinets: What The Process Really Entails

22 February 2016
 Categories: , Blog

You may have heard about "kitchen cabinet refacing." While it sounds like a really complicated process, it really is not. If you want to remodel your kitchen, but your budget is really tight, you may want to know more about how the less-expensive kitchen cabinet refacing process works. (You may even be able to handle the refacing job yourself, if you can take accurate measurements with a carpenter's pull-out ruler.) Here is what this process really entails.

ALL of the Facings on the Drawers and Cabinets Are Removed

To start, you keep all of the current cabinetry you have, but all of the drawer and cupboard facings are removed. All of the hinges and screws are undone, and the cabinet doors are taken off and tossed away. If you want to keep the same drawer and cabinet door hardware, these will be removed and installed on the new facings later. At this stage, new facings will be installed OR the visible fronts of all of your cabinet framework will be stripped, sanded, restained or repainted and then sealed before new facings are added.

Visible Framework Is Reworked and New Facings Are Installed

Visible framework is all of the cabinetry you see when you stand back from the cabinets and drawers. It includes some of the framework you do not see when the doors and drawers are closed. With all of the old facings removed, you can see the front-facing skeletal structure of your kitchen cabinets. When you reface your kitchen cabinets rather than replace them, this framework stays in place and just gets its own little "facelift" with a different stain, finish or paint color. Once this process is complete, new cabinet and drawer facings are installed in the same places as the old facings. It looks like you had an entire kitchen remodel with brand-new kitchen cabinets and drawers when, in fact, it is the old cabinetry with a new look.

Why You May Be Able to DIY at Least Some of This Project

If you can handle a power screwdriver or just a manual one, you can remove the old facings and hardware yourself. You can also install new facings and new hardware (or reinstall the old hardware, if you prefer). The only part of the project that may require some intense professional help is the "facelift" to the visible framework, since it requires stripping, sanding, resurfacing and restaining or repainting - all steps that take a lot of time, patience, special tools and skills to complete. If you have a lot of time off from work and you want to tackle this part too, make sure you consult with professionals about the necessary steps to take to complete the more complicated parts of your kitchen refacing project.