Changing Kitchen Cabinet Doors

Thinking about changing the look of your kitchen by installing new doors? Do you want to do it yourself (DYI)? There are a few things you will need to learn prior to taking on the project. I’ve written many articles that are linked in this post that will help you with different situations you may encounter.

Read this entire article, follow the corresponding links and learn from over thirty years of cabinet making experience how to do this home improvement project correctly.

Tools Needed to Change the Doors:

• Electric or Cordless Drill
• Hand Screwdrivers
• Assortment of Drill Bits & Drivers
• Tape Measure
• Putty Knife

Materials Needed:

• New Hinges
• New Handles or Knobs
• Screws for the New Hardware
• Wood Filler
• Sand Paper

What should you do to the cabinet faces and finished ends? I wrote an article on how to do a fast kitchen cabinet remodel that gives some suggestions for what to do with the cupboards to make them look new again. For the exposed sides of the cupboards you could install cabinet door end panels.

Options For the Cupboards:
Re-laminate with Formica or Veneer
Paint
Strip, Re-stain or Clear-coat
Perhaps Nothing-Just Replace the Old Doors

Here’s a good site that offers professional insight about kitchen cabinet doors.

Measuring
I wrote an article on How to Figure Cabinet Door Sizes a while ago. Review it and you will be able to measure for the new kitchen cabinet doors.

Where to Purchase the Doors
It’s my understanding that super centers like Home Depot or Lowe’s sell replacement cabinet doors. The places I would suggest are Doormark for Thermofiol cabinet doors and Decorative Specialists for real wood doors. If you need to get Formica Doors, have them built locally.

How to Drill them For European Cup Hinges
When changing cabinet doors in the kitchen there are many hinge options to choose from.

If you are using concealed hinges go to a local cabinet manufacturing company and have them drill the doors to match your new hinge set-up. You can purchase a special drill bit and set up a drill press to drill them yourself, but it will be much faster to get a manufacturing company to handle the task. You just need to know where you want the kitchen cabinet doors to be drilled and mark them prior to taking them to the cupboard manufacturing shop.

You may want to take a look at this article on Installing Replacement Cabinet Doors.

Drilling for the Hardware
After you change the kitchen cabinet doors, it will be time to install the handles or knobs. Do this after you hang the doors. This will reduce the possibility of errors in relation to drilling them in the wrong place.

The correct way to drill for cabinetry door handles or knobs is by making a template. You can also purchase one from a home center. It’s simply a guide that you place on each door so that you drill them accurately. You should also review this article on drilling cabinet handles in the correct locations.

While you are switching the doors here are a few Ideas for Remodeling Old Cabinets.

This is really crazy, but I’m going to suggest that you consider hiring a professional to change your cabinet doors. There’s really a lot involved in the process. Professional cabinet installers know how to adjust cabinet doors properly. This is one of the most challenging things of making kitchen cabinets look good. If they are not adjusted correctly the new cabinet doors will not look so great. There are many obstacles to overcome when you are changing the hinge style or working with older cabinets. For instance, you may encounter parts that are not square on the cupboards, but yet the new doors are perfectly square. An experience expert will know just how to handle the situation and have the tools to do so.