Save yourself money this year by giving your cabinets the facelift they deserve and do-it-yourself. This article is designed to give you an understanding and overview of the DIY project. Achieve the atmosphere you want in your kitchen and do it for a fraction of the cost.
Overview of DIY Cabinet Refacing
First, prepare the face frames and end panels for adhesive covering. Using a flathead screwdriver, remove your old doors, drawers and cabinet moldings. Remove loose coatings from the surface as depressions should be filled with wood putty and sanded smooth. With 150 grit sandpaper, lightly sand any surfaces you plan to cover with adhesive coverings and clean the surface with a mild dishwashing liquid and water. As the last part of the preparation process, remove any dust or sanding particles with a tack cloth just before your adhesive application.
DIY Cabinet Refacing instructions
Apply your cut-to-size plywood to the cabinets and panels. Next, apply wood glue to the back of the plywood, which should fit to the end of the panel and use finishing nails to secure. Sand the edges of the plywood with 150 grit sandpaper, flush to the cabinet and use a tack cloth to clean the sanding dust. Cut your adhesive strips into 2" longer and ½" wider than your face frames and apply the adhesive covering to the cabinet frames. Starting with the stiles, peel enough backing from the top of the strip to anchor with the face frame. Address your rails by peeling back the right amount of backing and overlap on both the top and bottom sections of the rails. Before you hinge the door on the frame, be sure to trim your overlap from both stiles and rails.
As your last step, prepare your old drawer box to accept the new drawer fronts and this concludes your cabinet refacing project.
