Replacing Kitchen Cabinets

hen starting a kitchen remodeling project, you want to make sure that you are familiar with the different materials and products available. Knowing what is out there allows you to make the best possible choice for your needs and budget. Replacing your kitchen cabinets will make an impressive impact on the appearance and function of your room. Familiarizing yourself with the various options for cabinetry will help you choose kitchen cabinets that are best suited to your lifestyle, design preferences, and budget.

When choosing cabinets for your home, there are a few choices available. Custom cabinets are created to specifically fit your kitchen layout and design. Stock cabinets are mass produced and available at most home improvement stores. Semi-custom cabinets are pre-made cabinets but offer a variety of modifications and style options that allow the kitchen designer much more freedom to create a layout that is tailored to the specific needs and tastes of the consumer.

Custom Cabinets: Custom cabinets allow homeowners to fully customize the size, shape, design, hardware, and any special features that you would like your cabinets to have. These cabinets can be created to fit into any kitchen, no matter the shape or size. This makes them an ideal choice for rooms that have an irregular shape, unusual storage needs, or specific design requirements. Most cabinetry professionals use high quality materials and construct their cabinets with the utmost care and concern. Better materials and craftsmanship means that your cabinets will add value to your home and will withstand many years of use.

Because custom cabinets are made from scratch, you will need to allow plenty of time for them to be created and installed. Homeowners who want their cabinets replaced quickly should make a different choice. Also, these cabinets are generally more expensive than other options. The high quality and customization of this cabinetry can make them much more expensive than other stock or semi-custom cabinets.

Stock Cabinets: The biggest advantage of stock cabinets is that they are readily available for installation. Many home improvement stores and big box retailers sell stock cabinets that can be picked up or delivered within a week or two. Manufacturers of these cabinets offer a variety of styles and colors that will match your home décor and compliment your style. Homeowners like these cabinets because they are very affordable and easy to find.

These cabinets are a one-size-fits-all solution to your kitchen storage needs. If you have an irregular room or need modifications, these cabinets may not be the best choice for you. Typically, stock cabinets are made from lower quality materials and will not last as long as custom cabinetry.

Semi-Custom Cabinets: These cabinets are a good compromise between custom and stock cabinetry. Semi-custom cabinets are stock cabinets that a consumer can modify to meet his or her individual needs. There are a variety of size and style options available that let the homeowner create a kitchen layout that caters to his or her tastes and lifestyle. With so many options and modifications available, the consumer can create the kitchen of his dreams that is unique and personalized for his family.

Because of the modifications available, these cabinets are not constructed until the order has been placed. As a result, it may take longer to receive these than stock cabinets, but not as long as custom cabinets. The cost of semi-custom cabinets depends greatly on the options you desire. The consumer has a lot of control in determining the style and layout of these cabinets.

When choosing cabinets, you want to make sure that you are getting a high quality product at a fair price. Shop around until you find a cabinet retailer that is knowledgeable and experienced.

Travis Parrish is the owner of Distinctive Designs, Inc. in Greensboro, NC, a full-service cabinetry design firm that specializes custom cabinetry design and installation.

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Removing Older Site Built Cabinets

Periodically, we will have to remove an older set of kitchen or vanity cabinets that were fastened together and installed using nails rather than screws. If this is the case with your remodeling project, you WILL NOT be able to save the cupboards to be installed somewhere else. When you are finished taking them out, there will only be a pile of parts and pieces.

Take a flashlight and search inside your cupboards. If you do not see any screws, then this method of removing cupboards is for you.

Tools Needed:

• Hammer
• Small Single Handed Sledge Hammer
• Pry-bar
• Gloves
• Safety Goggles
• Razor Knife
• Reciprocating Saw
• Jig Saw
• Skill Saw
• Assorted Screw Drivers

Steps for Removing Old Cabinets

1. Shut off the water supply to the sink faucet and the power supply to the range, dishwasher, hood vent or space-saver microwave.
2. Remove the sink and all of the appliances. You may need another person to help with the sink. Most older homes have cast iron sinks and they are super heavy. I’m not joking here, DO NOT try to take a cast iron sink out alone.
3. IMPORTANT: While you are trying to remove cabinets, be careful NOT to pry against the walls too hard. Most likely, they are made out of drywall or plaster board and are somewhat fragile. Try and remember to just pull things away from the walls-rather than prying against them.
4. Cut all of the caulk lines everywhere that they are adjoined to the cupboards and counters against the walls, floors or ceilings.
5. Put on your safety glasses and cut large sections of the Formica countertop, oversize base cabinet bottoms, face-frames and toe sections into smaller pieces. You can do the same with the upper cabinet bottoms that are large as well. Do this with whatever saw you feel the most comfortable using.
6. If the backsplashes are only three quarters of an inch thick (3/4″), they are glued to the wall with liquid nail. Insert your putty knife between the wall and splash, then drive it downward using the force of your hammer. Continue to do this in several places until it comes loose from the wall.
7. If the splashes are thicker than three quarters of an inch (3/4″), the chances are really good that they are attached to the countertop. There is no need to wedge the putty knife behind if they are attached to the top.
8. With your gloves and safety glass on, you can begin the removal process by hammering the countertop in an upward position. Once it has begun to loosen, you can use the pry-bar to lift it higher. I can almost hear the squeaking sound of the nails already! Eventually, you should reach the point where you can grab it with both hands and pull it off of the cabinet.
9. Take all of the drawers out from their respective locations.
10. Using your hammer and sledge hammer, dismantle all of the cabinetry parts. Start by banging on a finished ends, then the face-frames, next pry on the bottoms and lastly the backs. The cabinets should remove rather quickly if you follow that pattern. Any time a cabinet part is difficult to remove, cut it into a smaller piece. Most of these old kitchens were manufactured using pine and plywood. They also were glued together with carpenters glue. This can make them stubborn to get apart sometimes.

You should always be on the lookout for roaches. Who knows, if your lucky, you may find an old newspaper article from the late 1950s. I retired when I discovered an old safe that had a million dollars stashed underneath the toe base of a kitchen cabinet in Hollywood. I think the home originally belonged to Jed Clampet of the Beverly Hillbillies. Having a little fun during the project is a good thing!

The trick to making all of this easier is to cut as many parts into smaller pieces before you start ripping them out. This will make it easier for the trash man or for you when carrying the parts out of the house and throwing them in your trash containers.

Anytime you remove old kitchen cupboards, be prepared to find things that need to be replaced or repaired. It’s not uncommon for there to be water damaged areas where mold has been growing. Sometimes places where leaks were years ago are found on the ceilings. Outside the cost of your new cabinets, have a little extra set aside for unexpected repairs.

For a video demonstration, follow this link to learn more on how to Remove Cabinets.

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Finding the Right Kitchen Cabinet

With the number of home sales dropping, and the tighter restrictions in the mortgage industry, many homeowners are finding it harder than ever to sell their homes and upgrade to a larger home. Because of this trend, home renovation projects are on the rise as homeowners are finding ways to make their current homes more livable, while adding value to their home at the same time. The easiest way to add value and create the feel of a new home, is to renovate your kitchen.

In a kitchen renovation, the kitchen cabinets represent the largest expenditure in your remodeling budget. Since they are the centerpiece of your kitchen, many of the other decisions about your kitchen will be based off of your cabinet choice. Your countertop, appliance, and hardware decisions will depend on the style and layout of your kitchen cabinets.

The biggest issue with traditional, store bought cabinets is that it could take 8-10 weeks before delivery, so it is very important to make your cabinet selection prior to do starting any demolition or remodeling of your kitchen. There are cabinets available on-line, that could be delivered within 2-3 weeks, but it will depend on what style and construction you are looking for. We will talk about the differences in cabinets later on in the article.

Before looking at cabinets, it is important to come up with a target budget and a basic floor plan or layout. With the average kitchen remodel costing $40,000-50,000 it is important to accurately calculate all of the expenses involved with your project. While it may seem like a challenging project, even a DIY Homeowner with minimal experience can design and layout their own kitchen with accurate measurements and a couple of templates. This could save you a significant amount of money by not using a kitchen designer.

In the event that you think this is a project that you are comfortable tackling, you can either use a kitchen designer or go to one of the home improvement centers and take advantage of their free design services.

There are several factors that are going to affect the cost of your cabinets: cabinet brand, construction, wood type, and features. It is important to research all of your options. What you will find is that a higher price doesn’t always correspond with higher quality, and some of the lesser-known cabinet lines will actually have a stronger construction.

There are however, a few general kitchen cabinet buying tips that may help you in your kitchen cabinet research.

Kitchen Cabinet Wood Choices

Whether you are buying custom made cabinets, stock cabinets, or RTA cabinets, they will all offer a wide range of wood choices. Solid hardwood cabinets, such as Cherry, Maple, Birch, Hickory and Oak typically cost much more than laminate or veneer finished cabinets.

Face Framed Kitchen Cabinets

Face framed kitchen cabinet construction is the most prevalent kitchen cabinet construction type in the United States and usually it is lower cost. This construction technique involves the building of a kitchen cabinet face out of hardwood pieces. Typically the cabinet face is constructed using several 1″x 2″ vertical and horizontal hardwood pieces. The face frame is then married to the front of a particleboard or solid plywood kitchen cabinet box. It is highly recommended that you try to find cabinets that use solid wood or solid plywood for the cabinet box.

Particleboard and Fiberboard will have a tendency to sag or warp over time from moisture. Even mid-priced RTA cabinets are available that are made from solid Plywood sides. Hardwood or veneered/laminated cabinet doors and drawer faces, are then attached via hinges and roller mechanisms to the face frame and cabinet box.

Frameless (European-Style) Kitchen Cabinets

Frameless kitchen cabinet construction is becoming increasingly popular today as frameless kitchen cabinets are considered to be more contemporary. With frameless cabinets there is no face frame. The kitchen cabinet doors attach directly to the sides of the cabinet and are secured with pins and dowels. The advantages of this type of construction, is that there is wider access into the cabinet space and the hinges are completely hidden. Typically “ready-to-install” kitchen cabinets are constructed in this manner.

Kitchen Cabinet Finishes

There are many Kitchen cabinet finishes to choose from when using natural woods. Cabinet finishes include stain, paint and glazing options. In addition there are my types of distressing techniques that can also be employed on kitchen cabinet surfaces. Some options include Rasping, Antiquing and Rub-through.

There are also many types of laminates that you can choose from.

Kitchen Cabinet Sizes

Kitchen cabinets come in a variety of standard shapes and sizes, however custom sizes can also be easily specified and manufactured – at a price. Standards kitchen cabinet sizes, known as stock cabinets, are usually much more affordable then custom or semi-custom cabinets and usually have shorter lead times. Most manufacturers, unless custom built, stock universal sizes so if you have a kitchen designed at supply store or by a designer it will usually be transferable to another cabinet line.

Kitchen Cabinet Quality

If you plan on living in your home for many years, do not skimp on your kitchen cabinets. They are constantly used and abused, and only the sturdiest will stand the test of time.

The best kitchen cabinets employ solid frames, doors and drawers and are fully self-contained (closed backs), with reinforced corners. As I mentioned before, it is important to look for cabinets that have a plywood box versus particleboard or fiberboard. This is why it is important to look at all of the cabinet lines that are available, even cabinets that are sold on-line.

I have been able to save thousands of dollars on discount kitchen cabinets by buying RTA cabinets If you are interested in finding out my secrets, go to my Kitchen Cabinets article at Hubpages

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