Should You Repair Or Replace Your Cabinets?
The age-old question of repair or replace is one that most items in your house can't escape. This includes the cabinets in your kitchen. Cabinets are often built to last for years, but at some point in time, their useful life will come to an end.
However, before your cabinet reaches the end of its life, there are measures that can be taken to extend its life. By repairing or switching out a few things, you could have your old cabinets looking good as new. How can you tell when simple repairs will do and when replacement is the best course of action?
Loose Doors: Repair
Cabinet doors that are hanging off their hinges can make the overall look of the cabinet a little poor. However, you shouldn't mistake loose doors for sagging cabinets. Loose doors can be repaired simply by changing the hinges or, in extreme cases, switching the doors. This alone may be enough to add a few more years to your cabinets.
Sagging Cabinets: Replace
When the entire structure of the cabinet seems to be sagging off the wall, this could be an indication that the wood has become soft. This isn't unusual if the cabinet is in a place with a lot of moisture. Check for other signs that the wood is indeed soft, or even rotting, and if this is the case, replace the cabinet.
Leaning Cabinet: Repair
Cabinets, especially those on the upper part of the kitchen can start to lean away from the wall after some time. This is usually because the hardware holding the cabinet to the wall is worn. In some cases, it could be because of a weak wall. The remedy, in this case, is to replace the hardware attaching the cabinet to the wall or fixing the wall.
Water Damage: Replace
When the signs of water damage have become apparent, you should give your cabinet contractor a call and start discussing a replacement. Salvaging the cabinet at this point is rarely cost-effective. Warping, bubbling, de-laminating, mold and cabinets not shutting properly are all indicative of water damage.
Cabinet Box is in Bad Shape: Replace
There's only so much you can do for your cabinets in the name of repairs. Even as you repair the cabinet, you have to consider that the structure of the cabinet is weakening. Every new hole drilled takes a little bit of the strength of the cabinet, and soon, there won't be space for more holes.
Contact a custom cabinetry company to learn more.