How to Replace Cabinet Toe Kick Plates
Why would you want to replace kitchen or bathroom vanity cabinet toe bases? IF you have had any extensive water damage and there is evidence of swelling, then you should replace the toe kicks. If you are certain that the bottoms of the actual cabinetry boxes were not affected, then it’s fine to only tear out the toe bases.
Tools Needed
1) Hammer Wonder-bar or small wrecking bar…some people call them cats claws
2) Small table saw, unless you are good at working with a skill saw
3) Electric drill with various bits and drivers
4) Possibly a chop or radial arm saw
5) Shop vacuum
6) Floor fan
7) Saw Zaw
8) Router
Materials Needed
1) One by thickness plywood or pine cut the height of the kitchen or bathroom toe kicks
2) Screws that are no less than two inches long.
3) Clorox Bleach in a spray bottle mixed with water
4) Formica or wood veneer stained the existing color and laminated to the new face pieces. You amy have to refinish a few base cabinet ends as well.
5) Contact glue
6) Lacquer thinner’
7) Colored Cabinet Caulking
In order to replace the cabinet toe kick plates you will need to tear off the front decorative board first. You should begin doing this with the hammer.
Tip: Keep in mind that as you are pounding away at the kitchen or vanity toe-base if a board gets wedged the wrong way it could cause the cabinetry to want to raise up. Be careful to not crack wall tiles or to damage the countertop in any way due to the additional stress placed on these areas when the cabinetry raises higher.
Many cabinet designs these days are made so that the sides of the cupboards extend all the way to the floor. This presents a problem because even though you are able to get the front toe kick plate board off, there are still boards that have absorbed water that must be removed. Just get the face-trim toe boards off first.
Once the boards are off , spray generous amounts of the Clorox mixture underneath the cabinets, everywhere underneath. Then, place the floor fans into such a position that the can blow under the cabinets to dry things out. Allow two days for things to dry out good.
Next start cutting some support pieces and wedging them underneath the cupboards. Make them the depth of the toe kick boards (cabinet sides) that are still supporting the cabinets. Wedge them into place, leaving enough room for you to get the saw-sal in place to cut off the cabinet sides. Place some screws through the bottom of the cabinet to secure the new pieces.
Once you have the new support pieces tightly wedged into position and fastened secure with the screws, start cutting off the cabinet sides with the salzaw. Once the old toe supports are cut out, add new supports to replace them.
The final two stages to be done in order to replace the kitchen or vanity cabinet to kick plates will be time consuming. This is where you will need to cut new face boards and attach then to the new pieces you just installed. You can screw then through the face or the bottom of the cabinets. You may staple them if you have a staple gun.
Once they are secured into position you are done with the toe-kick replacement. Caulk all of the gaps really well. I am sure that there are many other things you will encounter when you begin to replace the kitchen cabinet or vanity toe base areas, but just use common sense and things will work out just fine.
How to Replace Cabinet Toe Kick Plates