Guest Blogger: Bathroom Vanity Refinishing – Is It Worth It?

Guest Blogger #323, Entry #892, January 11, 2012

Perhaps you have grown tired of your old bathroom decor and are thinking about refinishing the vanity. Although refinishing a vanity could save you time and money while also freshening up the bathroom, it can also be more trouble that it’s worth.

Refinish or start over with a new vanity for your bathroom?

Image via: Craft Gossip

Is refinishing possible?

First, you need to find out if refinishing is even possible. If your vanity is made from real wood, you’re good to go. If it’s made from pressed wood with a wood veneer (and this is very, very common) refinishing can be very difficult (OK, almost impossible). In fact, some pressed wood vanities have a paper laminate that merely looks like wood grain, and they cannot be refinished at all…which means your only option to change the finish is to paint the vanity much the same as you would paint the wall. If you have one of these less expensive laminate vanities and you don’t want to use paint, refinishing is out.

Even if your old bathroom vanity is made from wood, it may not be worth refinishing. Because of the high humidity in bathrooms, many vanities can develop mold and mildew problems. Mold and mildew can be toxic if left untreated, and treatment can be expensive (and problematic).

Sometimes, wood vanities may have cracking, severe warping, and even wood rot. In each of these cases, repairs are difficult…and only worthwhile if you have a very special vanity.

Determine if your vanity can be made into new!

Image via: Pretty Stuff.Tumblr

Inspect if your vanity is salvageable

Because of concerns over mold, warping, and rot, it’s a smart idea to remove your vanity from the wall to further inspect it before deciding whether or not to refinish. While removing the vanity, first remember to turn off the water and then take your time when removing screws. Next, look at the bottom of the vanity to see whether it is pressed wood or real wood. If you are not sure, find a corner of the unit which is hidden when it is installed and chip away a bit of the finish. You should be able to easily see what type of unit it is.

If you decide that your vanity can be refinished, don’t forget to factor in your time when thinking about the cost effectiveness of refinishing. While the material costs of sanding, staining, and sealing a vanity are low, the amount of time it takes to complete all of this work usually isn’t. Do you really want to spend 8 hours on a Saturday working on refinishing? What if, for example, you put in 8 extra hours at work – would the money you are paid cover the cost of a new vanity? If so, perhaps it’s economically smarter to ask for some overtime and spend Saturday doing something you enjoy.

Whatever you decide, remember that the vanity is often the focal piece of the bathroom. You’re going to spend quite a bit of time standing in front of that vanity while you get ready for work, help the kids brush their teeth, etc. – so my advice is to think of a vanity as a fine piece of furniture and budget accordingly.

Author Miguel Salcido’s work with SimplyBathtubs.com and PremiereVanities.com, and his extensive experience with designer bathtubs and real wood bathroom vanities means that he knows a thing or two about bathroom remodeling.

For more kitchen & bath ideas on Stagetecture, click here.