Reusing Cabinets? Can it be done easily?

15 years ago

I am thinking of re-using some of my cabinets -- probably painting them, hopefully putting some new doors and draws on. The kitchen was done in the 90's and I have no idea what brand of cabinets was used except that I think it was a Lowe's or Builders Square special.

Caveat: I cannot do it myself.

Question: If the cabinets are stock sizes, are doors or draws generally interchangeable?

Will a cabinet seller sell me doors? Or drawers?

Related question: Can cabinets be uninstalled and moved without wrecking them? I don't know if they were installed correctly but given correct installation, can they be taken down in one piece?

Any other information or advice about reusing would be appreciated.

Suzanne

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

CEFreeman
15 years ago
Yes, if you buy the drawers/doors for, say, a 18" wall cabinet, they'll generally fit another. The thing to look at is the overlay.

For example, the current trend is for full overlay, which means you see very little of the cabinet (1/4") underneath it. So for an 18", you'd get a 17 3/4" cabinet door.

If you were going for standard overlay, which shows more of the cab underneath it, you subtract 2". So, an 18" cabinet would need 16" doors. (A 36" cabinet would have two doors. 36/2=18, so you'd look for doors that fit 18" cabinets.)

But you can say this to your door/drawer vendor. They'll know immediately without you supplying confusing measurements. As long as your cabinets are standard sizes!

I have built my entire kitchen out of a reuse center, CL, Freecycle, generous remodeling people, off the side of the road and from scratch myself. It's a total of 21 cabinets, uppers and lowers in the kitchen, and I'm working on 16' 10" of cabinets along a bedroom wall.

The boxes/carcasses are pretty standard. Therefore, the doors can be purchased that way.

The cabinets given to me I took down and brought home myself. You have to be careful, of course, but it isn't that hard. I've also hung them at my house myself, using all kinds of creative ways to get them up on the walls. I'm 5'2", so lifting the two 42" uppers were a chore. BTW. I built one and got one at a reuse center. I paint, and they look completely the SAME as each other. That was my goal.

I've built some of my doors, but admit that I am probably going to buy some of the doors I like better. It's not worth my time, even on the incredibly nonexistant budget I have. I'll just save my $$. :)

Oh. That answers another question. Yes, they'll sell you those, but you have to look online for someone who does it as a matter of fact. Some of the RTA sites. I can give you some that I've talked to who have been great.

If you're really trying to save money, do the paint right. Sand, prime with an oil based primer and use Cabinet Coat for your paint. There's nothing better or more durable.

Easily? Not for me, but do-able? yes. Does this meandering answer address any of your questions?
CEFreeman
15 years ago
I woke up at 3:00 in the morning and realized I gave you the wrong overlay dimension. The Full overlay door is 1/2" smaller than the cabinet size.

Sorry about that. I was tired & could see it in my head!
Related Professionals
Rolla Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Longview Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Waterloo Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Newburyport Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Detroit Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Hot Springs Kitchen Remodelers · Frisco Kitchen Remodelers · Farmington Kitchen Remodelers · Natchitoches Custom Countertops · Starkville Custom Countertops · Burlington Custom Countertops · Milwaukee Custom Countertops · Sheboygan Custom Countertops · Ontario Custom Countertops · Kennewick Custom Countertops
John Liu
15 years ago
As said, you can order new doors and drawer boxes/faces, to facelift existing cabinet boxes. You can put drawers in a space that used to be shelves/doors, or replace fixed shelves with rollout shelves.

You don't actually have to remove the cabinet boxes to do this - though it is always nicer to work on stuff on the garage workbench rather than laying on the floor in the kitchen, especially when you start spraying paint.

Removing the typical cabinet is usually easy. Base (lower) cabinets usually sit on the floor, sometimes on a separate base that was placed on the floor, leveled/shimmed, and screwed to the sole plate (the flat 2'' x 4'' that is the base of the wall framing). To attach the cabinet to the wall, there is usually a cleat (long flat wood piece) screwed to the wall studs just below counter level. The back of the cabinet box is screwed into that, usually the screws go through a reinforced portion at the upper edge of the back. Upper cabinets are usually hung from a similar cleat, maybe two. If the cabinet goes to the ceiling, there may be a cleat screwed to the ceiling joists, and screws through the top of the cabinet box into that cleat. Basically you open the doors, remove the drawers, lift out any shelves, look for screws in the back of the cabinet box, and unscrew them. If it is an upper cabinet, have something supporting the cabinet box so it doesn't fall. Don't assume the last screw will hold the cabinet up!

When replacing the upper cabinets, build a platform from 2x4 that has the same height that you want as your counter-to-upper-cabinet clearance. Place that platform on the counter. Set the upper cabinet on that. You can then fasten the cabinet to the wall without struggling.

If you are going to change out the counter and the existing boxes are nothing special, you might want to price out new cabinets, especially from IKEA. Compare to the labor of fitting new doors and drawers, new hardware and maybe new hinges/slides, and finishing/painting. If you are going to hire someone to do this, reducing the labor charge may be the most important thing. Getting the old cabinet boxes out could also give you the opportunity to do other upgrades like undercabinet lighting, more outlets, and so on.

Be careful. Before you know it, you'll be gutting the entire house and digging a swimming pool. It won't be my fault!