Sometimes refurbishing existing kitchen cabinets can be difficult or not worth the time and expense. This is generally the case when mold or water has caused the materials to warp or rot resulting in pervasive structural damage to the body of the cabinets. However, when you can reuse your existing cabinets, refurbishing is a very cost effective way to give them a new look. The first step is to evaluate each cabinet’s condition and functionality.

What parts need to be repaired? It may be a very simple task to fix interior shelving or replace missing screws. If damage is limited to one panel or a single drawer, it may be possible to repair the problem area with some DIY carpentry work.

How is it possible to make cabinets in kitchens look new – even if they are not? As surfaces age they often accumulate scratches, dents, and other roughed up spots. Depending on the scope of the defects, it may be a simple procedure to sand or fill them in with a little wood putty before applying a new finish.

For cabinets made of composite materials, adding a new laminate facing can cover up a multitude of surface problems. Solid wood cabinets can be sanded down (or treated with a stain stripping product) and then brightened up with a fresh coat of stain and sealant. For cabinets that have already been painted in the past, introducing a new color theme with an application of medium gloss paint is a good option.

Whenever you install base cabinets you’ll find out that they are trickier to install than wall cabinets. This is because the floor is almost never level, so you have more shunning to do. You also work around plumbing lines and that is never easy. Here is how to install them step by step.

Step1: Find the floor’s highest point where the cabinets will be installed. Now measure up 341/2 inches from that spot, and make a mark on the wall. Make sure you use a level to carry that point around the walls where the cabinets will go.

Step2: Mark wall studs for base cabinets that were not marked for upper cabinets.

Step3: You always want to start in a corner. Corner cabinets aren’t able to support a countertop on their own, so first install permanent ledger boards along the mark.

Step4: Align the adjacent cabinet with the corner unit before fastening anything in place. The standard cabinet will help ensure that the corner cabinet is positioned properly. Clamp the vertical stiles of the two cabinets’ face frames together with C-clamps. Now, you will need to drill countersunk pilot holes, then fasten them together with wood screws.

Step5: Use the level to make sure you have a perfect vertical and perfect horizontal. If you do not, use shims to make adjustments. Now fasten them into the wall with the screws driven into the wall studs that you found and marked earlier. Keep doing these steps adding one cabinet at a time by first attaching the stiles, then level it, and then screw it into the wall studs.

Final Step 6: You will need to cut holes for the plumbing lines when you install the sink base. Measure the locations of the pipes from the edge of the neighboring cabinet and up from the floor. Now transfer the measurements to the back and base of the cabinet. Mark where the holes are and cut them out with a spade drill bit for holes less than 1 ½ inches and a saw bit for the larger holes.

Installing cabinets takes a very secure application. Cabinets because of there wood construction are generally very heavy and cumbersome. It is for this very reason that choosing the right cabinet fasteners is important. GRK has designed screws specifically for this task, and the screws come in a varying degree of sizes and options. Cabinet screws have been designed specifically for use in cabinet construction and installation in homes and businesses. All GRK Cabinet screws have been manufactured in a heavy #8 gauge (4 mm) diameter. The lengths of these screws range from the smaller 1″1/4(30 mm) to the larger 3″1/8(80 mm).

These screws were designed thin enough to prevent splitting of most cabinet materials. This is an extremely important factor when dealing with expensive cabinets. These screws not only are designed not to split the material they are also designed to provide sufficient strength to guarantee a secure installation. The GRK cabinet screw washer head design presses flush against any cabinet surface.

Builders continue to discover new uses for these screws. In some cases, short GRK cabinet screws can be used in vinyl siding installation. For this purpose the cabinet screws are coated with an exclusive corrosion protection. GRK cabinet screws are also self-tapping, with a thread design, ZipTip.

Kitchen cabinets are one of the main focal points of the whole room. Everything is commonly based off of what kind of cabinets you are going to have. What color of stain are you going to have? Is it going to be dark or light? How tall do you want your cabinets to be? These are all questions that are commonly asked by a contractor or builder when you are building or remodeling your home.

There are two different options that you have when you pick your kitchen cabinets. You can either have them custom made to fit your own personal style or you can buy pre-made cabinets. Pre-made cabinets can be found at any local home improvement store. One of the downsides to using pre-made cabinets is that there is usually not a whole lot of originality. Pre-made cabinets do not have very many different sizing options. You will most likely only have one or two different height choices. You may not have very many different color options as well. You may have a choice of two light colors and then one dark. It all depends on what home improvement store you purchase from.

Custom made cabinets can give the home owner exactly what they need. You can pretty well choose any size that you want even if it is not a standard size option. You are also able to create your own stain color as well. This helps give your cabinets a unique look as it can be difficult to recreate an exact match for custom stains. You will definitely want to make sure that you have enough of the custom stain or you may end up with cabinets that do not match. Custom cabinets can give the home owner the options to create a one of a kind kitchen.

Get started with the refinishing of your kitchen cabinets by removing all doors and applying a lip molding to add some character.

Here’s some materials that may be useful:

indoor fans, drop cloths, table saw, saw (Miter), nail gun (finish), drill, wood glue, fine sandpaper, caulk, hinges w/ screws, shop vac, safety goggles, pair of gloves, lip molding

Part A. To begin start by measuring each cabinet opening. Do this with a measuring tape and a five sixteenth inch spacer block. The spacer block will give you an opening dimension that is slightly smaller than the actual opening. This allows you to be able to cut-down the door to open and close more easily.

Part B. Make note of the measurements for each door and drawer. Using a table saw, cut the door to the new measurements.

Part C. Now, it’s time to create the lip molding frame, by trimming the edges of the cut down cabinet doors. Measuring is critical at this stage. Because of the contour of your lip-molding, mark the door for the miter cut. Then make the corresponding mark on the lip molding. With the lip molding marked you should cut a 45-degree angle on the miter saw.

Part D. Once you’ve miter all four sides, using wood glue, attach the lip moldings to the cabinet doors, then using the nail gun secure the molding.

Part E. Now apply wood putty to fill any gaps at the mitered corners and also to fill in any open nail holes. Once the putty has dried, sand with the fine sandpaper and paint.