Buying a new kitchen set takes a lot of time, effort and money. And why buy a new kitchen set if the old one can still please you for a long time. You just need to replace the kitchen facades.
So - Replacing kitchen facades is suitable for those who simply want to update the decor or have decided to make renovations in the kitchen or living room, and we replace furniture facades not only on the kitchen unit, but also replace facades in the furniture wall, hallway, etc. We also replace:
- Kitchen countertops
- Apron
- Skirting boards
- Furniture fittings
- Kitchen buildings
Do-it-yourself replacement of kitchen facades
Restoring kitchen facades is not difficult
New facades may not necessarily be made in the same style as the previous doors of the set. When replacing facades, the customer can completely change the concept. For example, having made a renovation and changed the overall color scheme of the interior, even the design of a small kitchen, a person wants to change the classic “wood” facades to high-tech facades, while some “solid” facades are supposed to be replaced with doors with glass through which one can see some souvenirs or just a new beautiful set.
Replacing facades can really both refresh the design and make it relevant in a new interior. The only thing left to do is choose the material, color and take measurements. Currently, you can order facades in a variety of colors and from any variety of materials offered by manufacturers.
But not all furniture facades are intended for use in the kitchen, and in order to use them in such a room, the facades must meet the following requirements:
- Some cabinets in the kitchen are opened more often than others, and some of the facades are opened several times a day. This means that the facades should not sag, and the hinges should have an increased working life.
- Facades must be moisture resistant, and their care must include the ability to wipe them with a damp cloth.
- The facades of the modules that are located in close proximity to the stove and oven must withstand high temperatures.
- Ability to withstand mechanical damage.
Video: how to replace the facade film on cabinet doors
How to make furniture facades:
How to care for new facades
Correct care is determined by recommendations for a specific material:
- Chipboard and MDF are regularly wiped with a damp cloth;
- the array must be protected from the sun; chlorine products should not be used;
- glass surfaces are cleaned with products that do not leave streaks (abrasives and brushes are not used);
- varnished and laminated doors are cleaned with a suede cloth.
No products with acids or alkalis or brushes that scratch surfaces are used on any facades.
Materials
Several types of facades meet the above requirements, and the choice in most cases will depend on the financial capabilities and tastes of the person. But when choosing, you should not proceed solely from considerations of economy, purchasing budget options, since cheap and low-quality options will soon have to be changed again.
One of the most expensive is wooden, but it is advisable to use such a material for replacement only if you also had wooden facades before and for some reason they no longer suit you.
Wooden facades must be restored carefully.
But since this material is wear-resistant and can last quite a long time, doubts arise about the need to replace old facades with new ones (in addition, often even damaged facades can be restored). It makes sense to replace another type of facade with wood, and this can be justified by the fact that you decided to give your nondescript set a rich look, corresponding to a new expensive renovation. Another option is painted MDF facades: they are quite durable, look bright and unusual and can adequately withstand all the loads possible in the kitchen. This is a good choice if you decide to update your kitchen design: due to the large selection of colors, MDF facades are easy to choose for any countertop and for any interior.
The undoubted advantage of MDF is that it does not absorb moisture and odor, unlike chipboard cabinets, which means you can safely wash them and not be afraid that the kitchen will constantly smell of burnt fat or fish (which are not actually hanging in air, but are actually absorbed into furniture and curtains).
Such facades have few disadvantages:
- Impacts on such facades leave dents and chips;
- The cost of painted MDF facades is higher than if they were covered with PVC film;
MDF in film looks a little more “modest” than painted facades, but for some people such moderate tones will be just to their liking.
Over time, the coating fades when exposed to direct sunlight in a kitchen located on the sunny side.
Modern production technologies make it possible to quickly produce different sizes according to individual orders, but if previously you had to pay extra for this, now the production of non-standard MDF facades is carried out without increasing the cost. PVC film is resistant to most detergents, but like enamel, the film will fade in the sun.
When ordering facades in PVC film, it is recommended to immediately inspect each facade from the back side: at the junction with the compensation plastic (especially at the corners), small gaps may remain or the film may peel off slightly. Under the influence of high temperatures or steam from cooking food, this film will continue to peel off, but unlike melamine edges, it will not be possible to glue PVC with an iron. Make sure it hangs away from the burners or hob.
Plastic (postforming) is the most common type of kitchen facades, since in terms of price and quality such products are the “golden mean”. Their advantages are obvious:
- Resistant to temperature changes and exposure to sunlight;
- Strength and durability;
- Ability to withstand cleaning using aggressive detergents (except for those containing abrasive particles).
Separately, it is worth mentioning the frame facades. This is a frame made of aluminum or MDF frames with sawn grooves into which you can insert any material of appropriate thickness - from glass to plywood.
There are three main advantages of such facades:
- They are very inexpensive.
- You can insert any material at your discretion into such a frame.
- It is easy to assemble such a structure yourself if you have a drill, a screwdriver and a square to maintain angles of 90 degrees.
Usually, glass is inserted into such facades, but in this case, in the average kitchen there are no more than two or four of them, since not everyone wants guests to see through these glasses not only beautiful dishes for celebrations, but also nondescript pots. If you use opaque materials, this option is acceptable.
How to choose materials for facades:
Selection of accessories
Sometimes you can just paint the facades
In most cases, along with the facades, some of the fittings are also replaced: handles and hinges. When choosing new pens, you can rely entirely on your own taste and proceed from how they will look against the general background.
When choosing new handles for facades, you need to take into account that they come in different sizes - from small “mushrooms” to large rail handles. But most Russian manufacturers adhere to two standards in their concepts: handles with a running distance between the distances for mounting bolts of 96 and 128 millimeters. Sometimes, when ordering ready-made facades, customers ask for an additional fee to drill holes for the fittings in the same way as on the old doors. In this case, it is necessary to choose handles-brackets based on this. The situation is a little worse if the customer decides to make these holes himself, chooses new handles of a larger or smaller size, but, out of forgetfulness, drills the holes according to the old pattern. In this case, the purchased handles can be exchanged for suitable ones, but what to do if this model provides only one standard, and besides, you liked them?.. Regarding furniture hinges, there is no definite answer, and when choosing, the main thing is not to focus on the manufacturer (since there are currently a lot of them), but on cost and quality. Standard hinges for kitchen fronts have a cup diameter of 35 millimeters. There is also a standard of 26 millimeters, but such hinges are designed for light frame structures, and they will not support the large weight of a wooden or plastic facade.
Before purchasing, the loop must be opened and closed several times by hand: the cup’s movement should be smooth, there should be no extraneous sounds, clicks or squeaks. As for the cost, you shouldn’t buy hinges cheaper than one dollar apiece: these are short-lived fittings designed for a small number of openings.
Assembling drawers
Having assembled the base of the cabinets and cabinets, we begin assembling the drawers:
- The assembly principle is similar to the operations just performed. We assemble the frame of the boxes from three components, insert wooden dowels that will tighten all sides. At the end, the hexagon is taken to work, which will tighten the structure with screws.
- We insert a sheet of fiberboard of a suitable size into the groove of the drawer - your drawer now has a bottom!
- We secure the façade using special ties.
- Find guides with rollers in the kit - they must be screwed to the bottom of the sides so that the rollers are at the back.
- Once you install the handles on the kitchen fronts, you can try to insert the drawer into the cabinet, lifting it up a little. Thanks to the rollers, the drawers should slide easily along the guides.
- Installation of door closers on kitchen drawers is optional.
Stages of work on the reconstruction of kitchen furniture
Interesting drawings will brighten up the kitchen
If you do not want to change the hinges, you must remove the old facades by unscrewing the hinges themselves from them. Otherwise, the hinge together with the door is unscrewed from the module body. If you already have ready-made new facades, you need to drill holes in them for handles and hinges. This is easy to do yourself, the main thing is to accurately measure all the distances at which the holes are drilled. This is especially important for the recesses in the facade under the hinge cup: an error of two to three millimeters will result in the door being impossible to screw into place. Next, the hinges are screwed onto the facades, and they are installed on cabinets and tables.
At this stage, some are horrified: how is it that new facades with new fittings hang crookedly? The thing is that the hinges need to be adjusted after being attached to the modules. The video shows in detail how to do this.
Assembling a kitchen cabinet and cabinet
We start creating a kitchen composition by assembling cabinets and cabinets:
- Using self-tapping screws, we fasten the fastenings for one or two doors (depending on the model) to the side walls.
- We fasten the runners for the retractable modules into pre-prepared holes. It is better to do this at the very beginning of the process, as difficulties may arise later.
- If you notice blind holes in the workpieces, this is very good. Feel free to insert wooden dowels into them! They are responsible for the even frame and make the structure strong.
- We connect the frame and tighten it using a hexagon and furniture screws. We close the hole in the screw with a decorative cover to match the color of the headset.
- We screw the legs, achieving a comfortable height.
- After assembling the frame, cover the back wall with a sheet of fiberboard using small nails.
- If the cabinet is wall-mounted, install mounting hardware on the back wall. Adjustable awnings are used for this. They are attached inside to the side walls of the cabinet close to the upper corners.
Installation of doors and installation of handles on kitchen facades will be postponed for now..
How can you transform your headset?
If you want to replace the doors, but there is no way to invest money in buying new ones, the doors can be transformed in other ways:
- The simplest thing is to cover them with self-adhesive film . The disadvantage of this method is that such a film can only be glued to smooth facades without relief; it is better suited for economy kitchens. This option will not work for wood or MDF with milled patterns, but it will work for postforming.
- The facades can be decorated with decorative strips, which can be purchased at furniture stores. These are narrow chrome or gold self-adhesive skirting boards, using which you can create various patterns on the facade. But this decor is not flexible, so you won’t get rounded curved shapes - only straight ones.
- Solid wood facades can simply be repainted by first cleaning off the old coating or carved elements, but this method will require the cost of paint and varnish.
Video: Restoration of kitchen cabinets
When restoring by painting, the surfaces are sanded and degreased. The paint is applied evenly and neatly. It is advisable to apply several layers of paint. It is important to wait until the previous layer has dried.
When covering with film, the doors are removed from their hinges and placed horizontally, all irregularities and nicks are removed. Be sure to degrease surfaces. For cutting the film, accurate measurements with a margin of 2 cm on each side are important. There should be no bubbles left when gluing. A roller is required for leveling. It is better to buy new accessories.
