Most people are aware of the fact that cabinets are a very important part of the kitchen. One of the effective ways of dramatically changing the look of your kitchen is to introduce some change in the cabinets or repair the broken ones. A good cabinet is capable of turning your kitchen around while a faulty one has the power to drive you crazy. It is the little things in the kitchen that can be highly infuriating, like the loose door knobs, the misaligned cabinet doors, worn out drawer slides and so on. Therefore, if you find that you are growing frustrated with the cabinets of your kitchen then this is a strong indication that you should look for cabinet repair options for the better.
Here are some DIY cabinet repair options:
1) Getting Rid of Banging Cabinet Doors
Tired of the annoying slamming each time you close your cabinet? Well then you should try the following solution:
a) Purchase a pack of peel-and-stick drawer or door bumpers. These look like round miniature spongy discs.
b) Clean the area of the cabinet where the bumper will be placed and allow it to air dry
c) Stick the bumper on to the cabinet door, one at the top corner and the other at the bottom corner
Estimated Cost: Only $2 for a packet of 20 bumpers.
2) Replacing worn out cabinet drawer slides
Dealing with broken rollers, bent slides and jammed rollers? Well then you need to replace the slides. This is a relatively simple procedure and yet people make frantic calls to the carpenter in order to get their drawer slides replaced. The following step-by-step guide should see you through this easy process:
a) Purchase an identical new slide or one that is as close to the old slide as possible, this makes it easier to replace. You can also bring the old one along as a sample when you go shopping for new slides
b) Simply pull out the cabinet drawer with the worn out slide and flip it upside down
c) Using a suitable screwdriver, unscrew the old screws holding the slide in place
d) Clean the slot and place the new slide
e) Screw the new slide in place tightly
Estimated Cost: Depending on where you shop, the slides can cost anything between $5-$15 for each drawer.
3) Repairing Loose Cabinet Knobs
Cabinet knobs which revolve around are one of the most frustrating things to deal with, even though they are seemingly harmless. You can put a permanent stop to this annoying problem by following this step-by-step guide:
a) Purchase a permanent glue like Thread Lok
b) Unscrew the loose knobs and wipe the screw that is jutting out of the cabinet door or drawer with a clean rag
c) Put a drop of two of the adhesive or permanent glue
d) Screw the knob back in place
This would take about 2-3 hours to dry completely. Once dried, the knobs would be held in place and they won’t be loose anymore. The knobs can come off easily by applying some force using a screwdriver.
Estimated Cost: Thread Lok costs somewhere around $3; other permanent glue cost just about the same.
4) Adjusting and replacing faulty cabinet latches
Different kinds of hinges or catches are used for holding the cabinet doors shut. These can be a self-closing one, a roller one or a magnetic one. If your catch no longer keeps the cabinet door shut then it is time to repair it or replace it if it is beyond repair.
Replacing
a) Unscrew the two screws holding the catches in place
b) Take out the old catch and put the new one in place
c) Put the screws back in place to hold the new catch firmly
Adjusting
a) Loosen the screws of the catch and move the catch in or out
b) Tighten the screw to see if the door shuts tightly
c) If it does then leave it at that otherwise loosen the screw and move the catch in/out again until it is perfect
Estimated Cost – Each catch can cost anywhere between $3-$5.
Addressing these common cabinet problems is not really a herculean task, it simply requires investment of some time and money. Also, one should be willing to put in some effort in order to carry out these DIY cabinet repair options.
