So you want to redo your kitchen unit doors. What do you do? Well, you could call a contractor, there are plenty out there. But what if you want to do it yourself for a lot less cost? Is it possible? Yes, it is very possible. Follow along and you can find out some tips that will give you results.
The first thing you will want to think about is how large of a project do you want to have, and your capacity to do the project. You will need some basic handyman skills and knowledge of measurements and tools. This is not a one hour job. The best thing to do first is to inspect the doors and drawer covers to see what is needed to do the work. So, you will need to detach the doors from the cabinets. When you do this, remove the hinges now so it will be easier to either replace or repair them later. Be sure to number each door and its corresponding cabinet or drawer; especially if your kitchen is over 20 years old and will most likely be custom made with each cabinet having slightly different measurements. Take measurements of each cabinet and drawer, even if it is a newer kitchen. This saves later headaches of trying to match the right door with the right cabinet. For inset doors and drawers, there will be a ¼ inch overlay you must account for. Other doors will take different measurements, but be sure to allow for the extra amount that the cover takes.
If your doors are made of a wood frame with a panel of decorative hardboard held inside, this project becomes easier. You can simply detach the panel from the frame. Again, number the panels so they match the frames you take them out of. If you want to redo the panels, there are decorative vinyl's that come in many tones and colors. If the panel is beyond useable, you can buy panels of ready made hardboard such as Laconite. Cut the hardboard using the old panels as templates. You can then paint or stain these to match your style.
If you don't have the panel and frame type, there is a different process. First you will need to choose the door type and style that you want to use. There are both free-swing doors and snap-shut doors that close automatically. If you are replacing the doors you will need to buy new hinges. There are hinges that are inset into the door, and there are those that are visible. There are also zero clearance hinges for when you have roll out shelving, and adjustability. Make sure you allow for clearances to open the doors.
Next you will need to figure out how much veneer you will need to cover the surfaces frames between cabinet doors and drawers; this will be to match the new cabinet doors. It is recommended that for every 10 doors you should have about 16 square feet of veneer.
After gathering all of the material for the project, you are ready to go. If you choose to order new doors, it may take a couple of weeks for the doors to be ready. Whether you resurface the doors yourself, or order new doors, the cost will be drawn down considerably from having someone do it for you. As long as there is proper planning, preparing and time made available for the project, resurfacing your kitchen unit doors should be a worthwhile task and provide a new enjoyment of your kitchen.
