Refacing Kitchen Cabinets

If your kitchen cabinets have become dingy and outdated, you can give them a facelift with a new finish--and you can do this at a fraction of the cost of new cabinets.

Materials:

cabinet doors, drawer and faux fronts
drawer track wheels and associated screws/hardware
veneer siding and spray adhesive
adhesive-backed veneer
drill
degreaser
denatured alcohol
lint-free cloths
tape measure
150-grit sandpaper
pneumatic nailer
all-purpose filler and putty knife
laminate cutter
1-inch screws

Figure A

Steps:

1. The first thing you'll want to do is take good measurements. Measure the width and height of the door openings (add one inch to the openings to allow the doors to overlap), the face frame where you will put new veneer, the ends of the cabinets and drawer fronts (figure A). Count the drawers and doors and note them for the supplier.

Figure B

2. Unscrew the door hinges from the cabinet and remove the doors. Pull out all drawers and remove all cabinet moldings from the bottom (figure B). Clean the cabinets with a degreaser--not a solvent. Use a denatured alcohol to wipe down the surfaces. Use 150-grit sandpaper to roughen the surface that will be faced with veneer. Wipe down to remove any dust and grit.

Figure C

3. Dry fit the pre-cut pieces of veneer to ensure a proper fit (figure C). Apply spray adhesive to the back of the panel and also to the surface to be covered. Fit the piece, then secure with a pneumatic nailer. Repeat this step for all cabinet sides and also underneath the wall-mounted cabinets. Fill in gaps between the veneer and wood with all-purpose filler. Once dry, sand any rough areas of filler.

Figure D

4. Make measurements for the cabinet fronts and then use a laminate cutter to cut the adhesive-backed veneer to size. Cut a little wider and a little longer than the face frame you are covering. Starting on the left side of the cabinet, remove enough of the backing to anchor the strip, then align it flush and square to the face frame. Next, lightly press down and, working downward, press down the laminate and slowly remove the backing (figure D). Use a wood edge to apply pressure and increase the bond. Trim the overhang with a utility knife.

Figure E

5. Secure hinges to doors. Secure hinges to frame (figure E) with a drill and screws.

Figure F

6. Center your new drawer front on the drawer box (figure F). Attach with one-inch screws driven from inside the box. Place and attach the track wheel and slide the drawer in place.

Figure G

Attach a false panel under the sink. After the drawers and false front are in place, you are done (figure G). The cost of the project is around 650 dollars and will take two days to complete.