Imagine this: after many years, the wood cabinets in your kitchen have failed you. They’ve look dull, with no style. Or even worse… fallen down, lost handles or even shelves, and cannot be used. After checking the damage and gauging your carpentry skills, you may wish to seek the help of a professional kitchen designer. On the other hand, some people prefer DIY furniture over expensive remodeling projects. Which option is right for you? It depends.

Throughout this article, remember that every job you pay someone to do is a job you do not really want to do yourself. Are you able to make an entire kitchen cabinet set yourself? How many coats of paint or stain are you willing to apply? Do you have enough time to measure and cut a lot of raw plywood? Consider factors like these when questioning whether to start a DIY reno project or seek a professional cabinet builder in the Windsor area.

 

What Are the Benefits of Working with a Kitchen Cabinet Builder Vs. DIY?

The most obvious benefit of making cabinets yourself is that it saves you (some) money. You can buy pre-finished plywood and inexpensive tools at many hardware stores. AButterflyHouse.com estimates a savings of approximately 66% on project costs. That’s nothing to sneeze at!

But speaking of sneezing, there are risks to making DIY cabinets, including debris like powder and sawdust. Some wood material can even be toxic or deadly to your overall health. Along with purchasing the materials to make wood cabinets, you will need to buy safety gear and many tools. You will also need to ensure that all your measurements for cabinet space and depth are 100% accurate. Making your own kitchen cabinets is only a good idea if you already have some woodworking experience and machinery. A full kitchen cabinet build is not a beginner’s project, no matter how simple it looks on paper or even Instagram for that matter.

Minor repairs like a broken cabinet hinge or cabinet doors may be possible to analyse and fix yourself. But for anything beyond that, it is probably better to contact a professional designer in Windsor about your kitchen project. The charges for a design professional can save you time, mathematics, and sweat.

Here is a quick checklist of what you are really looking at cost wise:

• Design or Blueprints
• Materials for your Cabinets (Wood Shells & Doors)
• Cabinet Hardware
• Cabinet Paint or Stain
• Tools, Machines & Protection Gear
• Production Time
• Installation Time
• Wife may be upset, as the project didn’t turn out…. (kidding, just kidding : )

What Are the Benefits of Working with a Kitchen Cabinet Builder?

Working with a kitchen cabinet builder will save you time and open up more options with open discussion. A professional designer will make custom cabinets that coordinate with your kitchen’s design aesthetic as we listen to your needs. Specialists often offer many cabinet styles and colours for kitchen cabinets. A professional will have all the necessary safety equipment and tools waiting for your project. Whether you want a faux finish, additional storage, drawer fronts, or European hinges, an expert kitchen designer can make it happen.

After all that’s what they do, and they have done hundreds of times, not just once!

What Are the Risks of DIY-ing Your Kitchen Cabinets?

The most prominent risk of DIY cabinets is your safety. Safety risks include dust, toxic chemicals (paint fumes, varnish, etc.), and physical injury. If you are not confident in your woodworking skills, do not attempt DIY cabinets. It is not worth hurting yourself over a new cabinet.

The second largest risk is not doing the proper mathematics or measurements. You could spend hours making a cabinet with a beautiful finish, only to find that your square footage measurement was off. Or you might find that you do not have enough ceiling space for the crown molding you wanted. If you attempt a DIY cabinet, measure carefully.

Finally, please make sure all your screws, hinges, and fixtures are as secure as possible. Once again, a cheaper cabinet is not worth a trip to the hospital. Or honestly have much value for your home, in the long-run.

How Much Time Does It Take to Work with a Kitchen Cabinet Builder vs. DIY?

As stated earlier, any designer charges are saving you a lot of extra time in the long run. You may some on some material costs, but if you do not have all tools nessecary, a table saw for example, woodworking projects will take significantly longer. While some allowance has to be made for experience, the average time it takes to make a basic kitchen cabinet ranges from 8–9 days according to multiple contributors on WoodWeb. This range factors in the time it takes to plot and make the cabinet as well as the time for paint and varnish to dry. Some people have the tools and experience to work with wood regularly; if you are among them, you are welcome to make your own cabinets!

But if you work with our professionals who design kitchens, we will do a lot of the work for you. You will have input at every part of the design process. We work with paint stores to get the best deals on fresh paint for cabinets. Depending on the extent of the renovation, this may take 4–8 weeks. A cabinet takes about ten days. We will also do cabinet installation for you.

Final Thoughts

If you are not confident in your woodworking skills, you should contact Truax’s kitchen design services today. Our professionals will walk you through the design process. We offer many different types of cabinets and give all of our projects a beautiful finish.

 

 

To see more expensive remodeling projects for your entire kitchen, stop by our Windsor showroom to see what our kitchen design services can do for you. We hope to see you soon!