Your kitchen cabinets take up the most real estate in the room. This is why the state and design of your cabinets can really impact the overall functionality of your kitchen.
Perhaps your kitchen cupboards have been recently damaged or you have been putting off a few cabinet maintenance tasks and you need help with your cabinet repair to-dos.
Whatever the case may be, there are a number of important factors in deciding if you should replace or repair your cabinets—and what kinds of repairs are best suited for your existing cupboards.
While there is a lot to learn about repairing your cabinets, our expert team has created this blog post to walk you through what you need to know to fix-up your cupboards. Read on to discover when it’s worth repairing your cabinets rather than replacing them, the DIY steps to some basic cabinet repairs and when to call the pros at Mr. Handyman Dallas.
Should You Repair or Replace Your Cabinets?
Before diving into cabinet repair, it’s important to understand if you should repair them in the first place. If you answer “no” to the following question, then it is well worth taking the time to refinish or paint your cabinets instead of replacing them completely.
ARE YOUR CABINETS SERIOUSLY DAMAGED FROM WATER?
If your cabinets have light water damage, say you spilled a glass of water in your wood cabinets and they have warped slightly, then you may still be able to undertake cabinet repairs. However, if your cabinets no longer close properly, they are bubbling on the inside or outside, or the wood has started to blacken, then you may want to consider replacing your cabinets instead.
THE OVERALL FUNCTION OF YOUR CABINETS IS FRUSTRATING
No matter how beautiful your cabinets might be, if the design and flow of your kitchen is just not working for you, you might want to replace your cabinets. For instance, you will likely need to replace your cabinets if they are:
- Difficult to access.
- Out of your reach.
- Open incorrectly or consistently get stuck.
YOUR CABINETS HAVE DISCOLORED
If you are noticing black, green or white discoloration around your cabinets it is time to get new ones. Unfortunately, your cabinets have been damaged beyond repair and your only choice is to track down the source of the discoloration, find a way to prevent further discoloration and install brand-new cabinets.
Common Cabinet Repairs
Sometimes your cabinets have slight damage that can be easily repaired by either you or the expert technicians at Mr. Handyman Dallas—helping you avoid having to replace your cabinets. Common problems with cabinets that are easily solved by our skillful team include:
ADJUSTING HINGES ON MISALIGNED DOORS
If your cabinet doors are not aligned correctly, it’s most likely that either the side screw, the depth screw or a screw that moves the cabinet up or down needs to be adjusted:
- The side screws impact whether your cupboard doors are properly aligned to the left and to the right.
- The depth screw impacts how far back or how far forward your cabinet door is.
- Some cabinets are built with a screw that moves them up or down. If this is not the case and one of your doors is higher than the other, you will have to adjust your cabinet by loosening the mounting screws.
In each of these instances, you will have to find the correct screw that impacts the alignment problem you are trying to fix. Then, simply tighten, loosen and adjust your cupboard doors as you see fit until they are realigned.
REPLACING LATCHES THAT NO LONGER CLOSE CORRECTLY
Most new cabinets have self-closing hinges that keep the doors shut. However, some cupboards use magnetic or roller catches. Should any of these latches become damaged, you have two options to fix them:
- Replace the latch. Simply visit your local hardware store, buy a new latch, unscrew the old latch, and screw in the new latch.
- Adjust the latch. If the latch seems fine but your cupboard doors are still not closing, you might have to fiddle with the catch a bit until it works again. Loosen the screws holding the catch in place, move it in or out, and retighten the screws. Repeat until the latch works correctly.
ADDING BUMPERS TO EXISTING CABINET DOORS
This cabinet repair solution is truly a breeze. To prevent cabinets from banging shut, purchase a pack of peel-and-stick door bumpers at your local hardware store. Then—ensuring your cupboard doors are clean so the bumper sticks—place one bumper at both the top and bottom corners of the cabinet door.
GLUING LOOSE CABINET KNOBS
Is your cabinet knob loose even though you have tried tightening the screw? If so, this indicates that the problem is with the screw itself. But before you get worried that you will have to buy new knobs or that the screw is scratched, try gluing the knob first. To do this, select a thread-locking adhesive and apply a small amount to the screw. Then, slid the knob back onto the screw and let it dry.
If you want to replace your kitchen knobs in the future, the adhesive will break when you use a screwdriver.
FILING STRIPPED SCREW HOLES
While a stripped screw hole may seem like a hassle to fix, it is actually fairly easy to repair. First, remove the screw and the cabinet door knob. Then, dip toothpicks in wood glue and place as many as you can into the hole. Break off the tooth picks and wipe away any excess glue. Then simply reinstall the door knob by screwing directly into the toothpicks.
TOUCHING UP NICKS AND SCRATCHES
Do you have unsightly nicks and scratches in your cabinet doors, but not enough to justify refinishing the cupboard entirely? Instead, use a stain-filled touch-up marker to color in the scratches. Simply dab on the stain and wipe away any excess.
*Pro Tip: Use a stain that is slightly lighter than your existing cabinets. Cabinet scratches absorb stain very easily, so it is possible that they may look darker than the rest of your cupboard doors if you do not use a lighter stain.
