5 Ways to Get Green Kitchen Cabinets

Welcome!

Brought to you by the National Association of Realtors^®

Find HouseLogic on:: Facebook; |; Twitter
About the Site Hide This

You care about your home. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® cares about homeownership. To help you become the best, most responsible homeowner you aspire to be, we want to provide you with free information and tools you can use to make smart and timely decisions about your home.

From time to time, we may reach out to you to help us support legislation and/or policies that may have an impact on you, the homeowner. You can choose to join our cause. Or you can choose not to. Regardless, your privacy is safe with us.

We'll never share or sell your email address or other personal information you may provide us in the course of using the site with anyone without your explicit consent.

Published: November 06, 2010
By: John Riha
Be the first to comment

What makes for green kitchen cabinets? Your cheapest and greenest option is to revamp the ones you already have. Otherwise, think sustainable and fume-free.

Investment: Med $2,000-$20,000+

Getting on the green bandwagon doesn’t have to be complex. And some options for green kitchen cabinets even make economical sense, considering that some experts peg cabinets at—yeesh!—up to 60% of the cost of a kitchen remodel.

1. Refinish or reface the cabinets you already have.

This is the greenest kitchen cabinet option by far because it minimizes new materials needed—which also means fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can off-gas and cause you health problems. And a refurb is a fraction of the cost of new cabinets. New cabinets could run $4,000-$20,000+; refacing might be half that.

If your cabinets are structurally sound but you just want a new look, add a coat of low-VOC paint or a new set of doors and hardware—it’s easy, inexpensive, and earth-friendly.

Next: 2. Buy salvaged cabinets.

John Riha

John Riha has been a residential builder, the editorial director of the Black & Decker Home Improvement Library, and the executive editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

1 2 3 4 5 Next