​8 Cabinet Repairs to Try Before Replacing Them

From loose doors to slamming drawers, all cabinets eventually need some maintenance. Before you throw it out, all your cabinets might need is one of these DIY cabinet repairs. These repairs can be a great way to give your kitchen a quick facelift before the holiday visits commence.

1. Adjust Hinges

If your cabinet doors do not exactly line up or look even, then you can adjust your hinges. You can pretty quickly correct the hinges’ depth and side screws, which will allow you to get your doors looking level and flush. If your cabinet hinges do not have depth screws then you’ll need to start with the side screws. Side screws move the door from side to side.

Sometimes your cabinet doors are flush with each other, but they are too high or low. You can realign them to all be at the same level by using the mounting screw to raise or lower the mounting plates. To do this you’ll need to loosen the screws at both hinges, slide the door up or down and tighten the screws.

If your cabinet doors do not exactly line up or look even, then you can adjust your hinges. You can pretty quickly correct the hinges’ depth and side screws, which will allow you to get your doors looking level and flush.

2. Replace Bad Catches

If you have self-closing hinges, magnetic, or rapper cabinets, then you will need to check and see if they are still in good condition. These devices can become damaged due to wear and tear, which can lead to drawers or cabinets that won’t open properly.

To fix this problem you can simply replace the catch. The catch is held in place by two screws and is fairly easy to replace. Alternatively, if the catch has been knocked out of place, you can adjust the catch by loosening the screws and moving it. You might need to readjust the catch a couple of times to get it right, but it will be worth it.

3. Add Bumpers to Stop the Slamming

If you don’t have soft-close hinges and drawer slides, then you should consider adding rubber, felt, or plastic bumpers to the back of your doors and drawer fronts. This is a quick and cheap way to stop your doors and drawer fronts from slamming into your cabinet boxes, which can lead to damage over time.

4. Lubricate Drawers

Sometimes you don’t need to replace anything to fix a squeaky or sticking drawer. You can use a spray lubricant, like WD-40, to get a smooth opening. Simply remove the drawers, spray your chosen lubricant on the tracks and rollers. Then, wipe the tracks clean and reinsert the drawer.

5. New Drawer Slides

If your drawer slides are beyond saving, then you will need to replace them. Drawer slides can be simple to replace if you can find slides that are identical to your old ones. With the new slides, you can easily unscrew the old ones and mount the new ones. This can also be a great opportunity to upgrade to soft-close drawer slides.

6. Secure Loose Door Knobs With Glue

If your cabinet knobs or handles are coming loose, you can try to tighten the screws back down. However, if you have done this many times, you might not be able to get a satisfactory hold. In these cases, glue can be an excellent solution to getting a solid hold back for your knobs and handles.

7. Cabinet Touch-Up

If your kitchen has a high level of traffic, your cabinets may have experienced some wear and tear. Nicks and scratches can distract from the beauty of your cabinets or kitchen. You can use wood-filler and stain-filler to touch up these imperfections. Be cautious not to overuse either of these products, as scratches will quickly absorb them quickly.

8. Fill Unwanted Screw Holes

While you have your wood-filler out, you can also fill in any exposed screw holes. Once you fill in the holes, wipe away any excess and then wait for it to dry. Next, paint over the hole to match the cabinet. Repeat as many times as needed.

Finishing Up

These quick and easy DIY projects can be a great way to get your kitchen holiday ready. Not only as these projects easy to accomplish, but they are also very budget-friendly. For example, adding bumpers to your cabinet doors and drawer fronts can be done for around $10.

If you are ready to start ordering or if you need some assistance, feel free to give us a call at 1-844-326-6680 or an email to info@cabinetdoormart.com. Our cabinet experts would love to help you with everything from measuring to assembly.