How to Redo Old Kitchen Cabinets
- 1). Take all the old doors off of the cabinets and measure the doors. Give the measurements and the new color of the cabinets to the company that will manufacture your new doors. New cabinet doors will allow you to ensure that they will match the color of the cabinets, as well as give the cabinets a more updated appearance.
- 2). Remove dirt and grease from the surface of the cabinets by wiping them down with trisodium phosphate (TSP) and allowing them to dry.
- 3). Lightly sand the cabinets with 150-grit sandpaper to scuff up the surface, then wipe the dust away with a tack cloth. This will help provide a better grip for the new cabinet surfaces.
- 4). Measure the sides of the cabinets.
- 5). Cut plywood panels to fit the sides of the cabinets and attach them to the sides of the cabinets with carpenter's glue. Drive 2d finishing nails into the sides of the cabinets every 4 inches around the perimeter.
- 6). Drive the heads of the nails beneath the surface of the plywood with a hammer and nailset, then fill in the holes with wood filler.
- 7). Measure the boards that constitute the front edges of the cabinets. The vertical boards are called stiles, and the horizontal boards are called rails.
- 8). Cut strips of veneer a 1/2 inch wider and 2 inches longer than the stiles and rails.
- 9). Line up one of the veneer strips to one of the stiles, making sure it overlaps all of the edges of the stile, and attach the veneer strip by peeling away the backing paper and pushing the strip against the stile. After you've peeled away all the backing paper, push down on the stile with a block of wood to remove any air bubbles and make sure that the veneer is firmly attached to the stile. Repeat this process for the stile on the other end of the cabinet.
- 10
Trim the excess veneer from the stiles with a utility knife. - 11
Cover the rails with veneer strips using the same method that you used to cover the stiles, making sure that you overlap the stiles on both sides. - 12
Cut through the overlapping layers of veneer where they intersect with a utility knife. Use a straightedge as a guide while you cut. - 13
Lift up the rail veneer at one of the points where the rails and stiles intersect and peel away the veneer covering the stile with a razor blade. Press the rail veneer back down. Repeat this step at all places where the rails and stiles intersect. - 14
Screw the new door hinges into the cabinets. - 15
Attach the new doors to the hinges. - 16
Mark where the handles and doorknobs will be attached to the new doors and drill holes for them. - 17
Attach the handles and knobs to the doors.