Kitchen Reface

[DAG]

Alright folks,

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read my post.

I am about to move from a flat to a house, the kitchen that's in the house at the moment is not in bad condition but we basically want to change it to the kitchen we have at the moment.

I think I can just upgrade the facings and tile the same as before, I believe this will be pretty straight forward as long as I have to correct size doors, hinges etc.

My question is has anyone done this as a home DIY project and give me any tips on what not to do etc?

Cheers!

 

[kbdiy]

You can get replacement doors/ drawer fronts etc from a number of companies who specialise in that. Just google kitchen door replacement and see what comes up locally.

If you can find out where the units came from then you may also be able to just go a buy doors etc off the shelf but that may be a bit more of a long shot.

 

[DAG]

Cheers!

I am going to be busy soon so trying t get all the advice I can!

Thanks again!

 

[kbdiy]

Before you do anything, make sure the units are worth upgrading. Until you have had a good look round inside, especially around sink units or any near water connections, you can't be sure they will be worth spending money on,

Look for signs of water damage - staining, blown (swollen) carcases and damage to joints. If all good then carry on with your plans. If only minor then possibly consider individual carcase replacement then get new doors etc. Just don't rush into buying doors without thorough checks.

 

[DAG]

That's brilliant and exactly the info I was looking for! I will go back to the wife and let her think I thought of that!

Thanks again!

 

[alan333]

Make sure your doors are standard sizes - most kitchen doors are, but not all (I think Ikea ones are different for example).

The hinge fixing points/centres are a bit different depending on manufacturer - some online suppliers will make the hinge holes to suit your measurements, or sometimes you can move the hinges up or down a bit to suit, but only if the cabinet has a good face to screw into at the relevant new point.

Drawer fronts might be screwed on differently, making them difficult (but not impossible) to align straight/even.

If you have any cabinet ends visible you might need new ends to suit your new colour (or new "faces" to stick to them).

Similarly the facing edges of the cabinets (the edge you see when you open a door) might need iron on edging to suit your new colour.

You might need/want new kick panels below the cabinets, meeting the floor.

As a point of interest, we fitted a new kitchen (and a different layout) into our house shortly after moving in and we would have fitted it a bit differently if we had lived with the old layout for a while first. Take time to consider things that will bug you later, for example you might spend lots more time sitting in your new kitchen than you did in your flat so ambient lighting might be important. Or that small cupboard in the corner would be better swapped with the big one at the other end etc. Or you might want built in appliances, or an American style fridge freezer instead of a whole cabinet run etc.

 

[DAG]

That might be a good idea! We are actually going to have Gas central heating fitted first so this actually frees up space in a massive kitchen cupboard where the old copper boiler sits, that could add another 2 meters to the kitchen size overall.

Good suggestion!

 

[DIYHomefit]

Definitely check to make sure the carcases are in good condition, providing they, as the other have suggested, just search for replacement kitchen doors. There are also a few companies who will provide made-to-measure door fronts so you aren't restricted by the size of the existing carcass. Also if the majority of the kitchen cabinets are in good condition, but maybe you need to replace one or two, there are companies who can provide replacement carcasses along with replacement doors and even handles too. So you can order the whole lot from one company.