1980s cabinets with heavy face frames
Cabinets from the 1980s often have wide face frames and small door openings. Full-overlay doors cover more of the frame and make the cabinets look current.
Serving Buffalo Grove & nearby Arlington Heights, Palatine
Cabinet Refacing in Buffalo Grove, IL
New doors, drawer fronts and matching skins on the cabinet boxes you already have in Buffalo Grove, with your counters left in place.
- Serving Buffalo Grove ZIP 60089
- A new look without tearing the kitchen out
- Clean, protected work area every day
Cabinet problems refacing solves in Buffalo Grove
Refacing keeps the cabinet boxes, countertops and plumbing in your Buffalo Grove kitchen and replaces everything you see: new doors and drawer fronts, veneer or laminate skins on the face frames and end panels, and new hinges and pulls. The result looks like a new set of cabinets without a tear-out.
Drawers that stick or slam
Worn roller slides and wobbly drawer boxes are an easy upgrade during refacing, since the fronts come off anyway.
Laminate cabinets with loose edges
Laminate boxes can usually be refaced after proper prep. We test the existing surface so the new skin stays bonded.
Want soft-close, glass doors or new trim
Refacing is the time to add soft-close hinges, a few glass-front uppers, new crown molding or a light rail under the wall cabinets.
Want to keep granite or quartz counters
If you replaced the counters a few years ago, refacing lets you keep them. The boxes underneath never move.
Can't be without a kitchen for long
Refacing happens with the kitchen mostly usable. The doors are made ahead of time, and the on-site work usually takes a few days.
Old exposed hinges and loose doors
Surface-mounted hinges from earlier decades look dated and loosen over time. New doors get concealed, adjustable hinges, often with soft-close.
Scratched or damaged end panels
Exposed ends get the most abuse. Refacing skins every visible side, so the dings and worn spots disappear.
What's included
- Box inspection and repairsWe check every box for water damage and loose joints and fix what needs fixing before any skin goes on.
- Removing doors, fronts and hingesOld doors, drawer fronts, hinges and pulls come off and leave with us.
- Surface prepFrames and ends are cleaned, degreased and sanded so the new veneer bonds properly.
- Veneer on face framesA new skin goes on each frame stile and rail so no old finish shows between the doors.
- New doors and drawer frontsEvery door and drawer front is built to your sizes in the style and color you chose.
- Pulls and knobsNew hardware is installed with a drilling jig so every pull lines up.
- Final adjustment and cleanupWe fine-tune every gap, clean the kitchen and go through the work together.
Options to choose from
High-pressure laminateLaminate resists scratches and moisture well and works for a flat, modern look.
Two-tone and wood-plus-paintWe can reface the island in one finish and the wall cabinets in another.
Real wood veneerWood veneer gives frames and ends the same grain and color as stained wood doors.
Rigid thermofoil (RTF)RTF suits clean, solid colors; we keep it away from direct oven heat or add heat shields.
Door stylesShaker, slab, flat recessed panel, beadboard and simple raised panels are the most requested.
Before and after: kitchens near Buffalo Grove
Before
In progress
After
DetailBuffalo Grove kitchen, 1990s two-story colonial: cabinet refacing
This one is a 1990s two-story colonial near The Highlands. The kitchen as it was: golden-oak cabinets with oak soffits above. The main complaint was dated wood doors on solid boxes. Finished kitchen: new five-piece shaker doors in warm white on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and satin brass pulls. The job covered surface prep, pulls and knobs, plus final adjustment and cleanup.
Before
AfterAn Arlington Heights 1960s ranch: before and after
A 1960s ranch in Arlington Heights, a typical kitchen for Arlington Heights. The kitchen as it was: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets. The reason for the call: dated wood doors on solid boxes. After: new five-piece shaker doors in creamy white uppers and navy lowers on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and unlacquered brass knobs and cup pulls. Work included veneer on face frames, new doors and drawer fronts, plus pulls and knobs.
Cabinet Refacing in Arlington Heights →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1990s two-story colonial in Lake Zurich
This one is a 1990s two-story colonial in Lake Zurich. What we started with: white thermofoil cabinets peeling at the edges, oak trim. What bothered the owners most: peeling thermofoil doors. Finished kitchen: new five-piece shaker doors in sage green on the existing boxes, matching face-frame veneer and satin brass pulls. On site this meant box inspection and repairs, surface prep, plus veneer on face frames.
Cabinet Refacing in Lake Zurich →
Before
AfterA Buffalo Grove two-story colonial from the 1990s: before and after
What changed: new five-piece shaker doors and drawer fronts in muted blue-gray with satin brass pulls.
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front Replacement in Buffalo Grove →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a two-story colonial from the 1990s in Buffalo Grove
What changed: new cabinets in light greige uppers and muted blue lowers with satin brass pulls, installed level and ready for charcoal concrete-look quartz counters.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation & Replacement in Buffalo Grove →How the job goes
- Visit and box checkAt the visit we confirm the boxes are worth keeping and take exact measurements.
- Choose style and finishDoor samples and finish chips help you decide in your own lighting.
- Doors are madeProduction happens off-site; nothing changes in your kitchen until the parts are ready.
- Install on siteWe skin the boxes, hang the new doors and fit hardware, typically in a few working days.
- Adjust and walk-throughEvery door and drawer is aligned and we go over the finished kitchen with you.
Cabinet Refacing questions from Buffalo Grove homeowners
Refacing or painting: which should I choose?
Painting keeps the doors; refacing replaces them. Both leave the boxes and counters in place.
Can I use the kitchen during refacing?
You keep a working kitchen. Expect some open cabinets and tools in the room during the install days.
How long does cabinet refacing take?
Expect a few working days in your kitchen once the doors are ready. Most of the timeline is production, not installation.
What is the downside of cabinet refacing?
The limits are the same footprint and the same insides. We check the boxes first and tell you if refacing is the wrong job.
Can water-damaged cabinets be refaced?
We repair or replace the damaged box first; refacing over soft, swollen material would fail.
What kind of Buffalo Grove homes do you work in?
In Buffalo Grove we see Early post-Korean War single-family homes, some about 1,000 sq ft. Each comes with its own walls, wiring and plumbing, and we plan the job around them.
Do I need a Buffalo Grove-registered contractor for cabinet refacing?
All contractors working in the Village must register annually; $75 per trade, no fee for state-licensed contractors. We take care of that before work starts.
Do I need a permit for cabinet refacing in Buffalo Grove?
It depends on the scope. Buffalo Grove's rule in short: Permit required to replace or modify a kitchen, including replacing cabinetry; replacing a sink or faucet needs a plumbing permit even in the same location; electrical must meet the 2017 NEC. We handle the permit when one is needed with Community Development Services, Building & Zoning Services.
Do you work in my part of Buffalo Grove?
Yes. Our crews work across Buffalo Grove, including The Highlands, Green Knolls, Windfield, Didier Farms — ZIP 60089 — and nearby Arlington Heights, Palatine, Lake Zurich.
Working in Buffalo Grove
- A lot of Buffalo Grove kitchens date from the 1980s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Buffalo Grove homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- We know how Community Development Services, Building & Zoning Services handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
The HighlandsGreen KnollsWindfieldDidier Farms
ZIP 60089
Cabinet Refacing nearby
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Other kitchen services in Buffalo Grove
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front ReplacementReplacement doors and drawer fronts in any style.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation & ReplacementNew cabinets installed, leveled and ready for counters.
Custom Kitchen CabinetsBuilt-to-fit cabinetry up to the ceiling.
Kitchen RemodelingFull kitchen remodels, from layout to last cabinet pull.
Kitchen Cabinet PaintingFactory-smooth painted cabinets without replacing them.