When it comes to redesigning your kitchen cabinets there are some hard and fast rules to which you must adhere in order to ensure the work is done properly. Whether you’re doing the job yourself or you’ve decided to hire a professional service for cabinet refacing in St Louis, it’s always good to be fully aware of the best practices that come with this type of home project.
So, here are the things you should keep in mind as you redesign your cabinets, following these best practices will make your kitchen look great and offer improved functionality for your storage needs.
Give Yourself Enough Time
The last thing you want to do is rush this work. So best practices dictate that you allow for ample time to do a quality job. Too many do-it-yourselfers are under the impression that cabinet redesign is something that can be polished off in the span of a weekend. But don’t kid yourself, spending ample time on attention to detail is the only way to go. Best practices dictate that you dedicate at least a week to get everything right.
Remove All Doors and Drawers
Best practices dictate that you remove all the doors and drawers before you get to work. This is something that many do-it-yourselfers fail to do before they begin the job because they are under the impression that cutting this corner will make the job go by a lot faster. Nothing could be further from the truth and the only thing you will succeed in doing is ruining the appearance of your cabinets.
Thoroughly Clean Your Cabinets
You are refinishing your cabinets and that will require the surfaces to be fully cleaned in order to properly perform the work you intend to do. Best practices dictate that you remove the years of gunk and grease that have built-up on your cabinet surfaces. Look around your kitchen, you may find that grease layered over certain cabinet areas that are located closer to your stove. The effects of your cooking are going to be found most prevalently above that appliance in particular.
So, get a de-greaser and get to work. If you are planning on re-painting or applying a whole new finish to your cabinets, you must remove that top layer of grime, otherwise the paint or finish will never bond with the surface of the wood and the whole thing will just look awful.
Check the Condition of Your Cabinets
Some DIY-ers (and even some professionals) will overlook or altogether skip this step and it’s a big mistake. Best practices dictate that any cabinet that is about to get redesigned should first be inspected for damage and proper functionality. Doing so ensures that your cabinets are going to remain useful for as long as you own them and you’re not resurfacing or refinishing broken cabinets that are just going to be removed and replaced in a year or so.
Therefore, be careful to check that all doors open and shut correctly. Drawers slide in and out and close fully. Don’t forget to inspect inside the cabinet boxes for any cracks, holes, or other signs of damage. If your cabinets can’t hold the things you need, then what good is redesigning them? Spend that money on replacing those worn out, broken cabinets instead.