Kitchen cabinets and drawers see a great deal of activity on a daily basis. With cabinet doors opening and closing, drawers sliding in and out, and regular daily activity over time, the joints will weaken and sometimes parts may even break. Even if you chose a high quality ready to assemble cabinet, you’ll likely face small repairs. If the drawers break, there are easy ways to tackle the fix on your own with a little handiwork and inexpensive replacement pieces. Here’s what you need to know.
Assessing the Damage
First, look at what actually needs fixing or replacing. There are two issues that come up often. Due to pulling and slamming, the drawer front piece may crack or splinter; making it so the drawer doesn’t close completely anymore. On the other hand, your drawer slides may have eroded or broken through excessive use. Replacing slides can be relatively easy and painless. When it comes to drawer fronts, depending on whether you have solid, applied, or false drawer fronts, this will dictate the type of work involved in replacing them.
Finding New Pieces
You have a few options to consider when fixing your kitchen cabinet drawers or slides. Search for similar styling or finish of drawer front pieces or go for something new and different to change up the style of your whole kitchen area. While with drawer fronts you’ll be limited to varying finish or wood type, drawer slides offer more options. If you desire soft-closing slides or side mount slides instead of bottom, you can choose different types of drawer slides to fit your needs. Browse CS Hardware to match drawers and slides to your RTA cabinet set.
The Switch
Take apart the drawer parts that require fixing. If you’re replacing the drawer slides just remove the drawer first before unscrewing the slides. Remove the broken, cracked, or old slide carefully and discard it properly. Make sure to read or look up instructions for installing your new drawer slides or drawer front. If you end up replacing the other parts of your drawer, such as the bottom or side panels, take exact measurements to ensure a seamless fit.
New Accents
When you’re re-installing the drawer or pieces, you can also consider some aesthetic updates. Install new updated drawer pulls or knobs to add some extra character to your drawer and kitchen cabinets. Make the switch to iridescent crystal knobs or bring an antique feel with decorative wrought iron pulls. Additionally, you can consider wood appliqués or medallions for extra decoration. Simply use wood glue to attach the appliqué of your choosing, whether it’s a floral design, star, or other intricate hand carved design. Maintaining the look of your kitchen as well as the functionality of all its pieces can become a fun project.