How to Demolish Old Kitchen Cabinets

Demolishing old kitchen cabinets involves not only taking them down from their mounted position on the wall but also breaking down the cabinet itself until it is reduced to a flat pile of lumber that can easily be carted away or used for firewood. Following these steps will help make this task easier.

Things You'll Need

• Reversible electric screw gun
• Flat pry bar
• Four-foot crowbar
• Straight claw framing hammer
• Cat's paw pry bar
• Safety goggles
• Utility knife

Instructions

How to Demolish Old Kitchen Cabinets

1. Open the cabinet doors, and with an electric screw gun set in the reverse position remove all the screws from the cabinets. You will need at least one assistant to hold the cabinets for this task, and with a little bit of luck you can locate all the screws so they can be easily removed. Don't forget to look above and below the cabinet for more mounting screws.

2. Pull out the nails that are holding the cabinets in place. There may not be any, but you need to be certain about this, particularly if the cabinets are very old. If you do come across any nails, a cat's paw is a good tool for pulling them out of wood. Once you start the nail with the cat's paw you can switch to the larger crowbar to pull the nail out the remainder of the way.

3. Put a crowbar against the back of the cabinet if it does not come free after removing all screws and nails---it might be painted into place or there might be glue holding the wooden box in place. Place the crowbar or pry bar between the cabinet and wall, making sure that you use a wall stud as a point of leverage. Do this to avoid making holes in the wall. If the cabinet is painted into place you can cut around the outside perimeter with a utility knife.

4. Take the doors off the cabinets and remove the hinges from the doors by backing the screws out from the hinges with an electric screw gun. First take out the screws that hold the doors to the main body of the cabinet. Once the door is down, set it on a table and take the rest of the screws out. Put the hinges in an old tin can and get rid of the doors (you might want to save the doors if they are still in good condition).

5. Break down the cabinets until all you have are the original pieces of lumber. This will most likely leave you predominantly with plywood and a few small pieces of lumber mixed in. The cabinet might be glued and nailed or even screwed together, so take your time and examine everything carefully while pulling the body of the cabinet apart.

6. Recycle or dispose of the wood properly.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wear safety glasses or goggles when demolishing kitchen cabinets.