Cabinets and countertops take plenty of abuse. They get nicked, slammed, burned, splattered and scratched. Fortunately, small repair and replacement jobs can keep your kitchen looking great for years. Just adding new hardware, for example, can give an entire kitchen or bathroom character. When the time comes for a whole new look, you can replace cabinets and countertops yourself and save a bundle of money.
Replacing Door Pulls
Look for replacement door pulls sized to match the existing holes in your cabinets. If you don't, you'll need to fill the old holes and conceal them. With painted cabinets, you can hide the patch with touch-up paint. With wood cabinets, select a wood filler that matches the surrounding finish. Matching all-laminate cabinets with filler is difficult and not recommended. Instead, just get replacement hardware that matches the old holes.
STEPS 1-2 of 2
Take off the old door pull by removing the fastening screw. If you won't be using the same screw hole, patch the hole with a wood filler that matches the finish of the cabinet door. Use a combination square to make consistent layout marks on the doors for the new door knobs. Drill new holes from the front of the door. Take care not to press so hard as to splinter the back side of the door when the drill bit comes through. Insert a fastening screw into the hole and attach the knob by tightening it to the door. Some fastening screws are made of soft metal so be careful not to strip the threads.
Replacing Hinges
Replacing hinges on your cabinet doors is easy enough, but plan to take your
time – you'll need to remove each door to work on it. Place a soft cloth
on a nearby countertop to use as a work surface, and take care not to drop
any tools on your countertops.
STEPS 1-4 of 4
Use a screwdriver or power screwdriver to remove the old doors, hinges, catches, and other hardware. Set a combination square at the 2-inch mark and position the new hinges an equal distance from the top and bottom of the door. Use a finish nail or an awl to mark the screw locations. Drill pilot holes and attach the hinges with screws. Take care not to drill all the way through the cabinets! Mount the new knobs, handles, and catches. A power screwdriver will speed up this job, but be careful not to strip the threads or break a screw. Attach the cabinet doors to the frames. Make sure the doors overlap the openings by an equal amount on all sides. Allow a 1/8-inch gap between doors that cover a single opening.
Installing Cabinet Doors
Installing new cabinet doors isn't difficult, but plan plenty of time so that
the doors hang straight, are evenly spaced, and operate smoothly. Attach the
hardware to the door first, then hang the door on the cabinet face frame.
You can work on the doors in your
kitchen, but protect them from scratches by using a soft cloth or clamping
them in an upright position. When drilling pilot holes for the hinge screws,
take care not to drill all the way through the door!
STEPS 1-5 of 5
Attach the hinges to the back of the new door, 2 inches from the top and bottom. Use three hinges, evenly spaced, if the door is taller than 30 inches. Use masking tape to mark a reference line on the top face frame rail -- this will help you keep the tops of the doors all lined up. The door should be centered over the door opening. Position the door over the opening, aligning the top edge with the tape reference line. Mark one hinge location on the face frame with masking tape. Open up the hinges and position the door against the edge of the face frame so the hinges are aligned with the tape marking the hinge locations. Drill pilot holes in the face frame and anchor the hinges to the face frame with the mounting screws, then remove the masking tape Attach door handles or knobs and any door catch hardware. Follow the manufacturer's directions to install the hardware.
Installing Cabinet Drawer Fronts
Drawer fronts come in two types – solid and applied. Solid drawer fronts
are an integral part of the drawer. Applied fronts are screwed to the front
of a pre-made drawer box. To replace solid fronts, you'll saw off overlapping
edges and screw the new front to the face of the old. For applied fronts,
unscrew the old fronts to remove them, then attach the new ones.
STEPS 1-3 of 3
Use a handsaw to cut off all overhanging edges of existing solid drawer fronts. Clamp the drawer to a solid work surface to make this job easier. If the drawer fronts are two-piece, simply remove the screws and discard the decorative face panel. Attach the new fronts by drilling pilot holes and driving screws through the inside of the drawers into the new fronts. Make sure the drawer fronts overlap the drawers by an equal margin on all sides. You can attach false drawer fronts on sink and cooktop cabinets by cutting wood blocks that span the drawer openings. Place the blocks across the openings on the inside of the cabinets, then drive screws through the wood blocks into the false drawer fronts.
*** Denotes AIA design award winning projects
Premium Grade Millwork
1. Doubletree Hotel, Ontario, Ca.
2. Sam Houston Hotel, Houston, Tx. (historical renovation)
3. Renaissance Hotel, Houston, Tx.
4. St. Regis Hotel, Houston, Tx.
5. American Airlines - Flight Training Facility, Fort Worth, Tx.
6. Continental Airlines – Presidents Club, Houston, Tx.
7. Compaq Computer - Woodlands, Tx.
8. Compaq Works - Houston, Tx. ***
9. Continental Airlines - VIP Waiting Room, Houston, Tx.
10. Cooper Industries - Texas Commerce Tower, Houston, Tx.
11. Entergy - Beaumont, Tx.
12. Haynes and Boone - Houston, Tx.
13. Houstons Restaurant, Houston, Tx., Atlanta, Ga.
14. San Benito Bank - Harlingen, Tx.
15. Vinson and Elkins - Houston Tx.
16. Wyndham Hotel, Austin, Tx., Mt. Laurel, N.J.
17. Hotel Derek, Houston, Tx.
18. Momentum Jaquar, Houston, Tx ***
Custom Grade Millwork
1. Hilton Hotel - Greenville, S.Car.
2. Holiday Inn/Good Eats - Houston, Tx.
3. Hotel Galvez, Galveston, Tx. (historical renovation)
4. Kincaid School - Houston, Tx. ***
5. Marriott Plaza Hotel - Kansas City, Mo. and Charlotte, N. Car.
6. Medallion Hotel - Houston, Tx. ***
7. Lord and Taylor (Galleria) - Houston, Tx.
8. Post Oak Grill - Two Houston locations
9. Sheraton - Bakersfield and Sunnyvale, Ca.
10. Tasca - Houston, Tx.
11. Tony's Ballroom - Houston, Tx.
12. Vallones - Houston, Tx.
13. Houston Intercontinental Airport concessions, restaurant, Houston, Tx.
14. Cyberonics, Houston, Tx.
15. Federal Courthouse, Houston, Tx.
16. Redwood Grill, Houston, Tx.
17. Maggiano’s Little Italy, Houston, Tx.
General Carpentry
1. Red Lobster - Three Houston area locations
2. Ocean Club, R&R, Confetti's - nationwide
3. McDonalds - several area locations
