New cabinet doors and pulls transform outdated kitchen cupboards.
You open them, close them, slam them, peer into them and, sometimes, clean grimy hand prints from their faces. When you factor in the years they've been on duty, it's little wonder that they accumulate the scuffs, scratches and dents that make them beg for a remodel. Replacing the whole cabinet is pricey, and often unnecessary. If your cabinets are still in good shape, swapping the door fronts for updated, more stylish doors makes the cabinets look brand new. Add new drawer pulls to match the cabinet knobs, and the look is complete -- without the higher price tag.
Hanging Cabinet Doors
Measure up 2 inches from the bottom of the cabinet door edge and mark a line if you are installing completely new hinges on the cabinet. Repeat at the top of the door, measuring down 2 inches and marking. Divide the remaining space equally if the door is taller than about 30 inches, and mark the middle. These marks will determine the hinge positions.
Attach the hinges to the cabinet door according to the positions previously marked. Use the screws included with the hinges, if available, or other short screws. Take care not to drive them through the cabinet door face.
Run a tape measure, vertically, along the cabinet opening on both sides. Make light pencil marks to show where the top and bottom edges of the cabinet door will be when centered over top. Run a strip of masking tape across the top lines to guide the current door placement plus any additional doors.
Hold the cabinet door in place, aligned with the tape guide. With the door flat against the cabinet frame, find where the top hinge rests against the frame. Run strips of masking tape along the bottom and top of the hinge to notate the position.
Swing the door outward and extend the hinges as if they were already attached. Align the top hinge on the door with the hinge mark outlined with tape. Drill pilot holes through the cabinet base to match the hinge screw positions. Drive screws through the holes.
Work down the door, securing the middle hinge if you have one, followed by the bottom hinge. Securing one hinge at a time prevents careless mistakes and avoids binding the hinges during attachment.
Attach additional cabinet doors similarly. Remove all masking tape when finished.
Installing Drawer Pull Knobs
Measure the drawer front, both width and height, and record the measurements. Make a cardboard cutout of the same dimensions to perform a dry run of the installation, if desired. Then perform each step on an actual drawer.
Divide the drawer height in half and mark, horizontally, with either a faint pencil mark or a strip of masking tape. This line shows the center of any knob or pull, whether a single knob or a pull that attaches in two places.
Measure and mark the drawer center point, width-wise, for a single knob pull. Divide the width in half and find that point along the horizontal mark previously made. If the pull attaches at two points, measure the width of the pull. Find the same drawer center point, and measure to the left half the pull's width and to the right likewise.
Divide the drawer in half, width-wise, and run a strip of tape vertically to mark off both sections if the drawer has two separate pulls. The drawer is now marked into quarters with a horizontal line running side to side and a vertical line separating the two halves, width-wise. Repeat the previous step, finding the center point on either half -- the point where the middle of the drawer, horizontally, meets the vertical center of the half drawer involved. Install a single pull at this point; measure out half a drawer pull on either side of this point for a pull that attaches in two places.
Drill the drawer front as indicated. Run the drill bit completely through the board. Hold each pull up, in turn, aligning the screw opening with the hole. Insert screws from the inside of the door, and drive them through the wood into the back side of the pull. You may have to wiggle and move the pull slightly to find the opening. Hand tighten -- don't overdo it or you can strip the pull or damage the drawer face.
Things You Will Need
- Tape measure
- Masking tape
- Drill
- Screwdriver
Tip
- Install cabinet door pulls similarly, if needed, first finding the proper placement then drilling the holes. Drive screws through the interior of the door into the back of the knob or pull.
- If you're using the old hinges that are still attached to the base cabinet, hold the door up with the hinges extended to touch the door. Keeping the door centered over the opening, attach the hinges as appropriate.
Warning
- Wear safety goggles when using a drill to prevent flying splinters or debris in your eyes.
About the Author
Karie Fay earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology with a minor in law from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. After growing up in construction and with more than 30 years in the field, she believes a girl can swing a hammer with the best of them. She enjoys "green" or innovative solutions and unusual construction.
Photo Credits
- David Sacks/Lifesize/Getty Images
How To Install Cabinet Doors at The Home Depot
This Home Depot guide illustrates step-by-step procedure to safely install cabinet doors in your kitchen and bath. Attach the cabinet hardware to the door first,
How to Install a Kitchen Cabinet Hinge | Home Guides | SF Gate
If youre planning to renovate your kitchen cabinets, installing new hinges Align the hinge with the edge of the cabinet door. Align the top and bottom hinges,
How to Install Kitchen Cabinet Doors & Drawer Pulls | Home ...
1. Measure up 2 inches from the bottom of the cabinet door edge and mark a line if you are installing completely new hinges on the cabinet. Repeat at the top of the
How to Install Kitchen Cabinet Doors | Today's Homeowner
How to Install Kitchen Cabinet Doors Installing new doors on your existing kitchen cabinets can be easy if you know how. Watch this video to see all of the steps
Do It Yourself - Kitchen Remodel IX - Cabinet Door Installation
Installing the new matching cabinet doors for the base cabinets. Check out our new blog at http://www.thediyhouse1.blogspot.com.
How to Install Cabinet Door Hardware : How-To : DIY Network
Adding interesting cabinet hardware is a great way to add character to a kitchen while saving money - and it's easy to do! Learn how to install it yourself with these
How To Install Hinges On Cabinet Doors Accurately - Euro Style Hardware
I don't install Euro type hinges very often, so I don't own specialized tools for it. In this video I show a simple low investment way to precisely set
How to Install Cabinet Doors and Drawers : How-To : DIY ...
We repainted kitchen cabinets then attached new hinges, assembled the drawer fronts and added new hardware. See how we did it.
How to Install Concealed Euro-Style Cabinet Hinges | This ...
We'd like to install cabinet doors with concealed hinges. How do we do that? Unlike the butt or knife hinges often used in kitchen cabinets,
How to install a cabinet door - Instructables.com
Installing a cabinet door is a very easy and functional activity and can be done with the I refaced my entire kitchen using doors from http://www
Travelling is my life
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon