Author: James Zoppetti

Cabinet doors are opened and closed daily as you grab dishes, glasses, and food, which can eventually lead to them becoming loose and sag.

When your cabinet doors no longer close as they used to, it’s time to figure out how to adjust the cabinet hinges back to their original functionality. Before you can do that, you need to determine why the cabinet doors are loose.

Common Ways Your Cabinet Doors Can Become Loose

One way they can become loose is the hinge screws on the cabinet, and the door can loosen over time. In other cases, the hinge holes can become stripped, making them too big for the screws. Additionally, the cabinet door may be too heavy for the current hardware, causing it to sag or become loose. It may also be that you are putting too much of your weight on the cabinet door while it is open.

How Can I Repair Loose Cabinet Hinges?

To repair loose cabinet hinges, you need to start by opening the cabinet door and then use a screwdriver to tighten and adjust the screws that hold the hinges on.

Close the cabinet door to check the alignment and tension of the hinges. You may need to continue adjusting the screw on the cabinet and the door until it is tightened and closes correctly.

What Do I Do If The Cabinet Door is Sagging?

If your cabinet door is sagging, you may need to replace the current hardware with new hinges that can fully support the weight of the cabinet door.

After you have put the cabinet doors back on, you need to keep the hinges clean and the screws tight for the best performance. Avoid aggressively opening your cabinet doors or putting weight on the hinges while you are looking inside.

What Can I Do If the Hinge Holes are Stripped?

If the holes are stripped, you will first need to remove the hinges from your cabinet. Take wooden toothpicks and dip them in wood glue. Stuff these toothpicks into the holes. Be sure to stuff the holes with as many toothpicks as you can.

Once the holes are filled with toothpicks, break off the excess toothpicks to make them flush with the cabinet. Allow the glue to dry, and then reattach the door and screw the hardware back in.

You can also replace just the kitchen cabinet doors! Or get your cabinets refaced!

Looking for a Way to Refresh Your Cabinets? We Can Help!

At Desirable Kitchens and Refacing, we can reface your cabinets and give them new life! Our experienced team will work with you to learn your style and goals and help you refresh your cabinets without the need to replace them! Contact us today to learn more!

You can also read about other common issues with kitchen cabinets

Cabinet refacing is a big job, and one that you want to make sure is done right. Refacing your kitchen cabinets can refresh your space and help you update the look of your kitchen without having to replace your current cabinets.

Four Mistakes To Avoid When Getting Your Cabinets Refaced

Not Hiring A Professional For Cabinet Refacing

Cabinet refacing is not a do-it-yourself project. You need to hire a professional who has the experience and knowledge to do the job correctly. Trying to save money by doing it yourself will likely end up costing you more in the long run. It may end up looking worse! It is not simply installing new cabinets, it is the replacement of veneers and other components that are cut to cover the existing cabinet finish.

Not Preparing The Cabinets Properly

Once you’ve decided to have your kitchen cabinets refaced, the first step is to remove all of the doors, drawers, and hardware. This can be a time-consuming process, but it’s important to do it right. Otherwise, you risk damaging your cabinet boxes during this phase of the refacing process. This is still the simplest part of cabinet refacing, and you may be encouraged to continue, but the greatest difficulty is in the measuring and cutting.

Not Measuring Your Cabinets Properly

Before you start the refacing process, you need to take accurate measurements of your kitchen cabinets. This will ensure that the new doors and drawer fronts fit properly. Not measuring correctly is one of the most common mistakes made when refacing kitchen cabinets. This is where you will waste the most money.

Not Ordering Enough Material

When ordering material for cabinet refacing, always order more than you think you’ll need. It’s better to have too much material than not enough. This can be costly, however. If you run out of material in the middle of the project, it can be difficult to match the finish and style of the existing cabinets. If you are new to the process and not a professional cabinet refacer you will likely waste more product.

Kitchen Cabinet Refacing Services in Pittsburgh

Avoid these four mistakes, and your kitchen cabinet refacing project will go smoothly. Hiring a professional, preparing your cabinets, taking accurate measurements, and ordering enough material are the keys to success. With a little planning and attention to detail, you can have the kitchen of your dreams!

Work with Desirable Kitchens and Refacing today to refresh your kitchen!

If you’ve been thinking about refreshing your kitchen with a remodel, then you may be wondering if this type of home construction requires a permit.

As your top choice for kitchen remodeling in Pittsburgh, we have designed and built a variety of kitchens throughout the area. Using our expertise, we’ve put together a guide on the kitchen remodeling process.

Why do I Need a Permit?

Permits are used by your city to regulate construction. They are used as a way to govern the city safely while also ensuring energy conservation. While they can be inconvenient, not having the proper permits can cause your project to be delayed.

If you plan to move or add plumbing, electrical, walls, or mechanical elements within the home, then you will need a permit. On the other hand, if you are refinishing or removing your cabinets, you likely won’t need a permit.

Our team at Desirable Kitchens and Refacing can help answer any permit questions you may have!

Types of Kitchen Remodeling Permits

There are various types of permits to consider. If you are doing anything related to plumbing, electrical, or mechanical, then you will need a trade-specific permit. For example, if you are changing or moving the plumbing, you will need a plumbing permit.

The next permit you may need to consider is a building permit. If you plan to remove a wall, then a building permit is required. If you’re moving plumbing and removing a wall, you will need both a building permit and a plumbing permit.

To get a permit, you need first to have a draftsman measure your property and create drawings, known as as-built drawings, which show the home as it is currently built. Using this set of plans, a plan will be created for how you plan to remodel the kitchen.

How Will Permits Affect My Kitchen Remodel?

When starting a kitchen remodeling project, it’s important to understand the timeline for a remodel. It can take 4-6 weeks to obtain a kitchen remodeling permit, and once you have the permit, you will need to have your home inspected throughout the build.

While working with your local remodeling contractor, we will be able to call for inspections as needed. Keep in mind these inspections can cause delays as we will need to schedule the inspection and then stop work until the inspection approves.

Ready to Remodel Your Kitchen? Call us Today!

Our experienced team can help you bring your kitchen vision to life while making the permit process a breeze. We are kitchen remodeling experts in Pittsburgh! Contact us today to learn more!

Having great, functioning kitchen cabinets is critical to the convenience and flow of your kitchen. Since we use our cabinets daily, they experience wear and tear, leading to these and more; common issues with kitchen cabinets.
Continue reading “Common Kitchen Cabinet Issues”

Many of you may know that cabinet refacing is a viable alternative to a full kitchen remodel.  As cabinet refacing experts, when people come to us looking for an affordable kitchen remodel, they always ask about resurfacing or refinishing. These are completely different kitchen remodeling options.

Desirable Kitchens and Refacing would like to set the record straight on the differences between cabinet refacing and cabinet resurfacing as well as explain why cabinet refacing is the best option available to bring new life to your kitchen cabinets affordably.

Comparing Cabinet Refacing With Cabinet Resurfacing

The cabinet refacing process involves replacing everything but the cabinet boxes or frames with substitutes of your choice, essentially giving you new cabinets at a fraction of the price. The cabinet resurfacing process involves removing existing paint or stain and applying a new finish to your cabinets.

Cabinet Resurfacing Only Removes The Finish

Cabinet resurfacing, also known as cabinet refinishing, will only work with solid wood cabinets with a finish like paint or stain.  This can be accomplished by using strong chemicals that remove the adhesion between the paint and the wooden or by aggressively sanding and scraping the cabinet door and drawer fronts.

The cabinet resurfacing process is time-consuming and is only a cosmetic improvement to your kitchen cabinets that will not fix warped cabinet doors, dented cabinet doors, or issues with loose hardware.

If your cabinets are in good condition and do not have ornate designs and intricate facets, cabinet resurfacing is a suitable optoin.

Cabinet Refacing Removes All But The  Cabinet Frame

During a cabinet refacing project, the cabinet doors, the drawer fronts, hardware, toe kicks, and any valances, if they are present, are all removed from the cabinet frames. This is a much better option, especially if you just want to stay with the same layout as before and your cabinet frames are still in good condition.

At this point, the cabinet frames are prepared to receive new trim, doors, drawers, and a veneer or other finishing method to make the front of the cabinet frame match the new doors and drawers.

Refacing is not as time-consuming as resurfacing, though we do recommend hiring a professional since the process can be tricky, and noticeable mistakes can have you wishing you had just hired someone with experience to do it.

Cabinet Refacing is Better Than Resurfacing

With cabinet refacing, you are essentially getting new cabinets at a fraction of the price minus the boxes if they are still in good condition. You now have the option to select completely new designs and materials for ALL of the visible parts of your cabinets, including the hardware.

You can improve every aspect of your cabinets during the refacing process with less time and less money. You also do not need to deal with the harsh fumes from chemicals involved in the stripping process of resurfacing, as well as the fumes from the new paint or stain.

Cabinet refacing also allows you to correct issues with your current kitchen cabinets. These issues can be things like misaligned doors or loose hardware. There are other common problems with kitchen cabinets that can be fixed during this process as well, such as the natural tendency for cabinet doors to shrink due to moisture and temperature changes that negatively affect the wood that makes up your cabinets.

Find out more about cabinet refacing and what is involved in the process,

Cabinet Refacing Pittsburgh

If you want to restore your cabinets, Desirable Kitchens & Refacing has been refacing cabinets for years and recommends refacing over refinishing.  Contact us on our website or give us a call at 412-515-0582 to get a cabinet refacing quote!