Home Improvement – Starting with Kitchen Cabinetry

June 9, 2015

Are you aware that there are several ways to approach the renovation of kitchen cabinetry? A few pointers to assist in the discovery process are:

  • Decades old cabinetry should be completely replaced
  • Kitchen cabinetry that has suffered humid conditions and warping;replace
  • Cabinetry that is scratched and surface damaged may be salvageable and require refinishing, as long as they are solid wood or solid wood with veneer
  • Cabinetry doors and drawer fronts that are worn can be replaced with new ones, leaving the rest of the construction intact

 Restoration of Cabinet Doors and Drawers

When considering the restoration process, keep in mind that this is a good time to review the handles and doorknobs. Many new styles may have different measurements than the older hardware pieces. After stripping the old finish, you will want to plug all hardware holes with dowels and sand before applying the new finish. The money you save on restoration can put a little extra cash in the budget for decorative handles and knobs.

Keep in mind when refinishing the cabinetry wood doors and drawers that the return walls of the cabinetry need to be stained as well. While doors and drawers can be finished off premises, the returns are not removable and need to be stripped, sanded, stained and finished on site. For this reason it is important to retain a color sample and have proper lighting to make sure all surfaces match up. Equally important, if not more, is to verify that all workers are insured.

Replacing Doors and Drawers
Even though you want to replace doors and drawers only, you may find that this an opportune time to reconfigure the interiors of various cabinets. That built-in spice rack or pots-and-pans pullout you’ve always wanted can be designed to fit your refurbished cabinetry.

 FYI (Home Improvement Time is April – September)

 Check out all the home renovation services at Schrapper’s Fine Cabinetry and Design.