If you want to give your kitchen cabinetry a quick and affordable upgrade then replacing your existing kitchen cabinet handles and drawer knobs with new ones will do the trick. If you want to install cabinet hardware like a pro, follow this handy guide.
Get the Hole Right
- To avoid using the incorrect hole accidentally, apply covering tape and poke through only the ones you need.
- Make use of a hand tool like an awl instead of a pencil to mark the holes. It will prevent your drill bit from gliding off the mark, even if you’re drilling into a hard vinyl wrap coating.
First Try Temporary Fix
- After drilling the holes if you realise that the handle creates a blockage when the door stays open or is too high for convenient use then would be too late.
- Using Blu-Tack, stick on a few handles to make sure they remain correctly positioned, then mark the locations and determine the most suitable holes to use on a handle jig.
Handle Jig
- Unless you need to change just one or two handles, measuring and marking the location of every hole one by one would become a tedious and time-consuming affair.
- You can use a handle jig to speed up the job and maintain accuracy.
Adjusting Handles
- For centring knobs on timber-framed cabinet doors, use the top of the base rail as a guide or the lower hole of two-screw handles.
- To create a nice visual balance, adjust the handles with the centre line of the stile.
Tighten the Screws
- One-screw doorknobs come with a disadvantage, as they will get loose and begin unwinding themselves gradually.
- Before winding on the knobs, use a thread sealant such as Loctite on the machine screws, which will prevent this from happening.
Avert Breakout
- If you’re noticing issues with a breakout on the back of your kitchen cabinet doors, then straight away assemble a two-sided jig to slot onto the border of the door when you drill.
- It is imperative to get a tight fit, so make use of timber piece for the middle part, which has the same thickness as the cabinet door.
Fill Timber Holes
- When changing old door handles with new ones of a different size, it is difficult to hide mistakes or fill holes in timber cabinetry without being seen.
- To get the best match, take one of your doors with you to the hardware store and select three small tubs of tinted putty, one to blend with the darkest grain, one blend with the lightest, and one to balance between the two.
- Mix the three colours and make a custom shade that will hide any hole completely when you fill it.
Drawer Faces
- Well, door handle jigs are not always the most appropriate option to mark holes on drawers. That’s because faces of drawers can often be oversized or would need handles in a non-standard location.
- The solution is to measure and mark hole locations carefully on an offcut of plywood then fasten it to a second offcut with adhesive and screws.
Halt the Knob from Unwinding
- Thread sealant can help keep a knob from unwinding from its screw, with use and time, it can turn slightly.
- It may not exhibit an issue with round knobs, but oval and rectangular ones can look terrible.
- To help them to stay stationary, add a speck of super glue to the back before twisting in the machine screw.
Final Words
If you’re looking for beautiful and durable kitchen cabinet handles, knobs, hinges, taps or any other kitchen hardware products to give a quick face-lift to your tired kitchen, order them online from the established and the most trusted company in Australia.
