Once you have made the decision to reface your kitchen cabinets, it is important to take some time to learn what exactly a refacing job entails. Cabinet refacing generally has the following four phases.

1. Sanding the face frames. After your refacing contractor has removed all the kitchen cabinet drawers and doors, he or she begins by sanding away the previous finish or prying off the veneer. In about two days, your kitchen cabinets are completely stripped of the former finish and ready to receive a fresh start.
2. Applying the finish. You have a choice of several refacing materials--plastic laminates, rigid thermofoils, or wood veneer. The finish you choose is either glued or nailed to the face frames and the side panels of your kitchen cabinets. Make sure that the corners of your new finish are smooth and even, and that the contractor has not neglected the inside edges of your cabinets' rails and stiles.
3. Taking care of details. After the application of the veneer, nail-holes and seams are filled to make them less conspicuous. The toe kick of your base cabinets is replaced, and new trim and molding is applied to the remodeled cabinets. Careful attention to these finer details is the hallmark of a quality refacing job.
4. Installing doors, drawers, and hardware. Finally, your refacing contractor installs new kitchen cabinet doors and drawer fronts to match the remodeled cabinets. During this step, the new hardware is mounted and adjusted so that all your cabinets open and close smoothly.

Now it's time to enjoy your refaced cabinets and a new kitchen that's at least 4 steps above the old one.