How to Replace or Repaint Cabinets

You can customize cabinetry even more by taking out the center wood and installing a glass front.

Replacing cabinets requires carefully removing the cabinets and installing expensive, brand-new cabinetry. Refacing the cabinets minimizes the expense to the cost of paint and hardware. The process is relatively simple and only requires a little elbow grease and premade templates for drawer and cabinet pulls. Repainting cabinets is best done with the doors and drawers removed. Installing new hardware is not required, but will give the freshly painted cabinets a custom look and the whole kitchen a remodeled appearance.

Things You'll Need

• 50-grit sandpaper
• 120-grit sandpaper
• 220-grit sandpaper
• Electric sander
• Wood putty
• Putty knife
• New hardware
• Drill
• Screwdriver
• Paint
• Paintbrush

Instructions

1. Remove all the cabinet door and drawer pulls and handles with a screwdriver. Set them to the side if you wish to reuse the existing hardware. Take all drawers out and remove the cabinet doors. Remove the hinges from the frame and set to the side if you will be reusing the hinges.

2. Fill all holes except the holes for the hinges with wood putty using a putty knife. Repair any gouges or dings in the wood with wood putty. Fill the holes for the hinges if you will be installing new hinges that do not have the same positioning of the screw holes.

3. Sand the cabinet frame, drawer fronts and cabinet doors with 50-grit sandpaper. An electric sander can be used for the bulk of the sanding. Hand-sanding will finish up the finer details and corners. Repeat with 120-grit and then 220-grit sandpaper. You do not have to remove all the paint as long as the surface of the wood is smooth.

4. Paint the surface of the doors, drawers and cabinet frame with a self-priming paint. High-gloss paint is recommended for any environment exposed to high levels of humidity, such as bathrooms and kitchens.

5. Position a cabinet hardware hole template, available from any hardware store, onto each cabinet and drawer. Measure and mark the centerpoint of the drawer face for a reference point to place the template. Mark the holes for the new hardware and drill out using the proper-sized drill bit for the screws to be used. The packaging on the drawer pulls and cabinet handles will detail the proper-sized bit.

6. Attach all the hardware using a screwdriver. Remount the hinges onto the doors and install the doors and drawers into the cabinet frame. A hinge template will allow you to properly position each hinge on the door if you will be using new hinges.

Tips & Warnings

• You can stain the wood cabinets with a wood stain if you strip all the paint off. A chemical stripper can be used to easily remove the paint. Always wear eye, mouth and hand protection when using chemical strippers, and never use chemical strippers indoors without ample ventilation.

References

• "Lowe's: Complete Home Improvement and Repair"; Don Vandervort; 2005