Cabinet suggestions

[streetglider]

Recently we purchased a condominium we plan to use in the winter months only. We wanted something affordable for us and knew it would probably involve needing to make some improvements. Our first project is to do something with our kitchen cabinets. The cabinet doors are all loose and it looks like several attempts at repairing them have been made. They are a mess now. Since this forum has given me some great advice in the past about home repairs, of which I admittedly have little knowledge of, I thought I would see what you thought. My hope was to not have to go to any great expense, such as having the cabinets replaced by professionals, but will if that is the best option. I have attached some photos which show the state they are in. One cabinet had a small piece of wood attached to the inside where the hinges attach and while it is not working well, I thought it may be a start. Thanks!

 

[cvairwerks]

Maybe a changeover to surface mount hinges?

 

[kbuhagiar]

From the pictures, it appears that someone removed the original cabinet doors and replaced them with more modern doors & hinges, perhaps in an ill-advised attempt to update the look of the kitchen. (Maybe an amateur 'reface' job? Do you know if the property had been 'flipped' before?) Those hinges were never meant to be mounted in that way. Looks like the cabinet frames would need to be modified to properly accept those hinges. Not impossible, but it will require some skills, time and patience.

 

[dcg9381]

I could fix that. Remove the doors. I use an epoxy and mix it with sawdust as a "filler" that is stronger than wood. Takes a few applications to get it to fill those holes and gaps [fill, sand, repeat], but it'll provide a way to re-drill the hinge holes that's a little better than the cardboard and clapped together "patches" that they made there.

 

[KenC]

Mostly depends on the material of the styles. Lumber, ply, particle board or? If usable some patches can be applied after the damaged material is removed.

There may bases for those hinges that are intended for face frames, depends on the hinge brand.

Worst case add a block on the back of the style to extend it enough to add a frameless cabinet hinge base for that brand. Or, replace the entire hinge.
example:

 

[tarbellb]

If you didn't mind the look of exposed pockets on the backside of the doors-

Grab a new pocket hole bit that matches your new pocket hole hinges, typically 35mm
Drill new pockets in the door and relocate where you tag into the cabinet body

Not a lot of money, good hinges can be found for less then $2/EA and the bit is $10

You'll be hard pressed to fortify the cabinet body enough to improve the door action

 

[DGersic]

Recently we purchased a condominium we plan to use in the winter months only. We wanted something affordable for us and knew it would probably involve needing to make some improvements. Our first project is to do something with our kitchen cabinets. The cabinet doors are all loose and it looks like several attempts at repairing them have been made. They are a mess now. Since this forum has given me some great advice in the past about home repairs, of which I admittedly have little knowledge of, I thought I would see what you thought. My hope was to not have to go to any great expense, such as having the cabinets replaced by professionals, but will if that is the best option. I have attached some photos which show the state they are in. One cabinet had a small piece of wood attached to the inside where the hinges attach and while it is not working well, I thought it may be a start. Thanks!

It looks like you have a combination of problems here. Wrong hinge, poorly installed, as a retrofit to what looks like it was an exposed a wrap or semi-wrap hinge. I can’t tell from your pictures, but it looks like there is a partial 1/4” or so hole through the face frame too, under the hinge. I wonder what that was.

Probably the doors were replaced as an “upgrade”.

How good do want them to look? Or, how much (semi-hidden) ugly can you live with?

I would start by removing the doors and hinges. Repair, patch, and paint the door frames on the cabinet. Epoxy for strength.

If you’re lucky, the door pockets are drilled a useful size in a good location. I’d toss the hinges you have, and get some Blum face frame hinges:



If you’re lucky, the pockets you have will work with Blum hinges, and the face frame mounting holes will hit good solid wood, not the old holes and ugly from the hinges that used to be there. If you have to hit the ugly, pre-drill your holes and use the longest screws you can without it popping out the other side. You want the screws to thread in to wood, not just your repair patch.

I’m not that kind of lucky. So proceed to fill, patch, and paint the old pockets. Re-drill in a different location to mount the new hinges correctly. That also allows you to move the face frame mounting point away from the old ugly.

Alternately, buy new doors and start over. Get good hinges (Blum).

 

[kbuhagiar]

I could fix that. Remove the doors. I use an epoxy and mix it with sawdust as a "filler" that is stronger than wood. Takes a few applications to get it to fill those holes and gaps [fill, sand, repeat], but it'll provide a way to re-drill the hinge holes that's a little better than the cardboard and clapped together "patches" that they made there.

He still has the wrong kind of hinges for that cabinet, he would need to replace the hinges as well.

 

[streetglider]

Thank you all for the advice! I think I have a good idea where to start, repairing and patching the door frames. I will look for some videos on a good way to do that then replace the hinges with the Blum face frame hinges. I'm going to look at new doors as well.

 

[rharman]

The epoxy repair is what I was thinking of as well. I might go a bit further and drill to glue in some dowels where the face frame screw holes are. It'll be a better anchor than that edge grain.

 

[DGersic]

Thank you all for the advice! I think I have a good idea where to start, repairing and patching the door frames. I will look for some videos on a good way to do that then replace the hinges with the Blum face frame hinges. I'm going to look at new doors as well.

Good luck. Post pictures of your progress.

 

[PoorUB]

The particle board cabinet boxes don't have much holding power. Longer screws will probably just split the box. If you know accurately where the screws are going into the box I might drill out the screw holes and glue in a piece of 3/8" dowel, the drill a pilot hole before putting the screws. Plus use the hinges mentioned about with two screws into the box