Kitchen Cabinet Installation vs. Refinishing Your Cabinets Yourself

A kitchen cabinet installation can be one of the most significant aspects of your kitchen remodel. Most people spend a vast amount of time considering what they want to do with the kitchen counters and the floors. However, your kitchen cabinets also play an essential part in the aesthetic appeal of your kitchen. Here is a good way to think about it. Anytime you reach for anything in your kitchen that is out of sight and out of mind, you are going to need to reach into the kitchen cabinet. You want to make sure that your kitchen cabinet installation is extremely functional so that you can get to the things you need to get to with the least amount of effort possible. By the same token, your kitchen cabinets occupy a place where they have the largest amount of painted, finished, or stained surface in the entire kitchen. How you decide to do your kitchen cabinets, during your kitchen cabinet installation, can directly impact how your kitchen looks and feels.  If we haven't gotten your attention by now, you should walk into your kitchen and realize what an impact your kitchen cabinets have on how you react to the space.

Very often, when people are going through a renovation, they pause when it comes to replacing the kitchen cabinets. This is because there are too many do-it-yourself shows out there that have people believing that they could actually refinish the kitchen cabinets without any problem. It is important to point out that if you're going to refinish your kitchen cabinets you're going to need the  expertise that is usually reserved for carpenters and contractors. However, if you decide to give it a try, you should know that is a long and tedious job and could end up completely botching your kitchen remodel. It is highly advisable, in the event that you want to resurface your kitchen cabinets, that you speak with an expert who knows exactly what it's going to entail to make sure that your kitchen cabinets look exactly like the rest of the kitchen.

If, however, you decided on a kitchen cabinet installation you are going to get brand new kitchen cabinets that are specifically designed to fit in with the rest of your kitchen. This also allows you to customize a kitchen cabinet installation so that you get the space, functionality, and aesthetic value that you so desire. There are literally no limitations, other than space and how the cabinets can fit into the space, when it comes to getting a brand new kitchen cabinet installation. In fact, we will be able to put on those fine finishing touches that make it exactly the way you want it to be. The truth remains, that no matter how well you refinish your kitchen cabinets, they are never going to be the same as a brand new kitchen cabinet installation. When you get brand new kitchen cabinets you're also getting a brand new internal surface upon which your dishes and food are going to sit.

Go From Retro to Glam With Our Kitchen Cabinet Installation Services

You know that you need kitchen cabinet installation when your cabinets have a 1970s retro vibe — in a bad way. Ugly brown cabinets that are hung too low and have very little depth seemed to have plagued the 1970s and are still in many homes today. While they were built to last, their functionality and aesthetics are more than lacking. We have gotten calls from many homeowners who simply can no longer take having to stack cereal boxes sideways or keep syrup on the counter because none of the cabinets are tall enough to fit them. This is on top of the serious inconveniences caused by not having enough storage for pots, pans, or virtually anything. Since the cabinets from this decade happened to be incredibly shallow and short, they really don’t work for modern families. The good news is that you can kiss the 70s goodbye by having us remodel your kitchen and install functional kitchen cabinets.

Signs Your Kitchen Is a Little Too Retro

#1 - Your Lazy Susan is masquerading as a pantry.

If you have a tiny corner cabinet pretending to be a pantry, it is time for a remodel. These Lazy Susans take up too much space, and the older ones don’t fit much at all, certainly not enough for the modern family.

#2 - You can’t see under your cabinets.

The lack of visibility is fairly common in retro kitchens. While they may have been designed for your four-foot grandma, if you are taller or your spouse is, the low hanging cabinets are likely causing more frustration than they are worth.

#3 - Your cabinet liners are orange and brown flowers.

Perhaps these were changed when you bought the house, but if your cabinet liners look like they took a page from That 70s Show, it is clearly time to schedule a new kitchen cabinet installation. As they say, out with the old and in with the new.

Why You Should Do This

It goes far beyond improving the aesthetics of your kitchen and home (although replacing your cabinets will certainly do so). If you are like most families, you live in your kitchen. Cooking is not an optional activity. It is something you must do a minimum of twice per day and sometimes all day if you have young children. Between cooking, cleaning, making snacks, doing homework, and finally grabbing your cup of evening tea, there is a good chance that you spend hours every day in this room of your home. You might as well enjoy it. Part of that enjoyment comes from the ability to easily access what you need when you are cooking, from everything having a set place in a neat and organized fashion to enjoying what you see and touch. We can make all of this possible for you, plus there are many modern features like internal organization, electrical outlets, and more that can turn a standard kitchen cabinet installation project into something that will actually improve your life.

To learn more or to finally get rid of your old cabinets, give us a call.

Five Things to Consider Prior to Your Kitchen Cabinet Installation

When planning your kitchen cabinet installation, it is time to think about the details. Remodeling your kitchen can be exciting, especially when thinking about the colors and textures you want to use and the overall design concept. Given how frequently the kitchen is used, remodeling it can make a significant impact on the look and feel of your home.

Beyond the basic design concept, you should take the time to really think about how you use the kitchen, so your remodel will provide you with a space that is as functional as it is beautiful. Here are five things to consider prior to your remodel and kitchen cabinet installation.

#1 - Where do you want your appliances to go?

The layout of your kitchen should be set in stone before demolition and certainly prior to installing any of your cabinets. Your major appliances will need a set spot, including your refrigerator, dishwasher, and sink. You should also consider where you want your small appliances to go. Things like a toaster oven, microwave, coffee pot, toaster, etc. can all have a set place in your new kitchen design and do not have to be simply sitting on the counter. Instead, they could be built-in to your cabinet design (this is often the case with the microwave). We can even create appliance cupboards for things like your coffee pot. This way, they are hidden out of view and can remain in position and plugged in for convenience's sake.

#2 - Do you entertain?

If you like to host parties, let us know. We can design your kitchen cabinets to house the items you use on a daily basis and also to store your extra plates, cups, napkins, serving platters and anything else you use in the course of entertaining.

#3 - What do you use when cooking?

If there is a certain type of cuisine that you cook or certain types of cooking utensils you use on a regular basis, these things should be easy to access and easy to reach. For example, if you use your wok daily, there should be a place for it near the stovetop. If you use your kitchen to bake, you should have storage for all your baking utensils and supplies next to each other to make your baking preparations more convenient.

#4 - How many cooks are in your kitchen?

When cooking is a family affair, it is wise to design the space to allow for multiple people to participate. Your kitchen cabinet installation plays an important role in this because we can create multiple stations that have a cooking or prep surface while providing storage space for the tools that will be needed in that area. For example, a prep station should have access to cutting boards, mixing bowls, and knives.

#5 - What else do you use your kitchen for?

We can install things like a built-in desk or place charging outlets alongside your cabinets so you can watch your favorite cooking shows on your iPad while making tomorrow's dinner. The possibilities are endless.

To get ideas for your kitchen cabinet installation, call our office today.

Why You Should Hire a Professional for Your Kitchen Cabinet Installation

When it is time for your kitchen cabinet installation, you may want to consider hiring a professional to do the work for you. At first, a cabinet installation may seem like a simple process, but it actually requires extensive skill, professional equipment, and a keen eye for design. We offer professional and quality cabinet installation services for your kitchen. 

Your Kitchen is a Highly Trafficked Area

In most homes, a kitchen is a central location that encompasses cooking, cleaning, and socializing. Even if you have a living room, sometimes you may find that everyone is congregating in the kitchen so that they can be together and work together. For a comfortable family environment that also allows you enough space to work, a professional can help you determine the best layout for your kitchen cabinet installation. 

Your kitchen is such a common room that it will receive a fair amount of attention from visitors. This being so, you will want your kitchen to look beautiful even when it is messy from cooking. Having a proper quality cabinet installation can make your kitchen look like it has come straight out of a magazine. You will enjoy impressing your family and friends with your functional, but chic kitchen cabinet outfit. 

Expensive Houseware is at Risk

When you invest large amounts of money in cookware and dining ware, the last thing you want is for those expensive necessities to be at risk for breaking. When you install your own kitchen cabinets, you may not know how to properly reinforce the cabinets so that the weight of your dishes and appliances does not cause the cabinet to come loose. If your cabinet breaks, the entirety of what is inside of it breaks too. This is especially true if you have fine china that was expensive or passed down through generations. Not only is taking a chance on losing important house-ware costly, but it is also dangerous to anyone who could be nearby if a cabinet collapses. 

The Right Fit is Necessary

When you are performing a kitchen cabinet installation, you may find that a piece does not fit into place correctly. When this happens, you will need the right tools and the know-how to shape and cut the pieces in a way that leaves them unblemished. A professional can do all this detailed work for you while also providing you with cabinets that fit and that are left unscathed. New kitchen cabinets are an investment that you don’t want to throw around lightly by trying to fix minor issues yourself. 

Replacing Old Cabinets

If you are having a kitchen cabinet installation done in an older home, you may already have old cabinets in place that need to be removed. A professional can remove your old cabinets without creating a mess in the process. We can provide you with a cleared area for your brand new cabinets. 

Don’t take your kitchen cabinet installation lightly when you can easily hire a professional to complete this complicated work for you. We are available to properly install your beautiful new cabinets in a secure and durable way. 

Kitchen Cabinet Installation is Not for the Faint of Heart

We provide professional kitchen cabinet installation so that you don’t have to worry about a kitchen nightmare.  While many people are interested in learning how to do things around the house, installing kitchen cabinets is more complicated that it initially appears.  This is due to several factors including challenges lining them up correctly and ensuring that they are properly secured to the wall.  In this situation, making a simple mistake can have costly consequences.

Instead of trying your hand at cabinet installation, we recommend working with an expert.  We can help you to design your cabinetry, build custom cabinets so that your home is beautifully unique, and install them to perfection.  Designing custom cabinets can be a lot of fun and gives you the opportunity to really let your creative side flourish.  Just like “there’s an app for that”… well there’s a cabinet for that too.  Regardless of what you are trying to store, a custom cabinet can help.  This allows for you to consider every way that your kitchen is used and have cabinetry designed for it.  For example, if you like to bake your own bread using a bread maker, we can design a “house” for it so that your machine is always plugged in and ready to go, without being visible when it isn’t in use.  The same is true for the toaster, coffee pot, rice maker and any other small appliances that you regularly use.

Simultaneously, interesting features can be incorporated into your custom cabinetry such as having plugins for your iPad built into the center island.  Though these features are small, they can make a big difference.  We can even install a hidden garbage shoot so that you can wipe the counter crumbs directly into the can instead of your hand first.  When you combine a lot of time-saving measures into your kitchen cabinet installation, life gets just a little bit easier.

Why you shouldn’t try kitchen cabinet installation on your own….

We say that this is not for the faint of heart due to the massive amounts of frustration that first-time DIY couples get when trying to remodel a kitchen.  Tearing out the existing cabinetry is a job in and of itself.  Once done, you have to make sure that the floor is flat, and the walls are prepared before installing any of the cabinetry.  Those that don’t check the floor may find that their cabinets and counters have a slant once in place.

Another common, and more costly, mistake is hanging the cabinets without finding the studs.  Drywall is incredibly thin, so thin, in fact, that you can snap off a piece without a tool, you can punch a hole through it…. the list goes on.  This becomes incredibly challenging if you are trying to hang cabinets.  Screwing a heavy cabinet that is supposed to hold equally heavy dishes into drywall is not safe.  You need to find the 2x4 studs behind the drywall and use them as an anchor for your cabinets so that you don’t find yourself in a kitchen full of broken dishes, or call to have us complete the job for you.

Common Mistakes People Make On Their Kitchen Cabinet Installation

When looking for kitchen cabinet installation services, it is important to work with a professional that knows what they are doing.  Many homeowners try to do this themselves, thinking that it will be easier than it is.  Fortunately, whether you have us create customized cabinets or order them online, we can provide the kitchen cabinet installation services you need to get the job done correctly.

Here are some common mistakes people make:

• Not finding the studs.  When your home was built, the contractor would have created a frame using studs (typically 2X4 pieces of wood).  The insulation would have gone in between, with drywall secured to them.  When you look at your wall, you see the drywall and not the studs underneath.  Drywall is a thin material and should only be used to hang the lightest of picture frames.  If you try to hang cabinets without securing them to a stud, they will fall down, if not immediately, once the dishes are in place. 
• Hanging them crooked.  It is fairly easy to hang cabinets and have them come out crooked.  As the house settles, the ceiling and floors may dip slightly so you can’t do this by site alone. You need to use a level and check it frequently.  We make sure that they are straight and level when completing a kitchen cabinet installation.
• Damaging the surface or face.  If you struggle while putting your cabinets in place, it can be easy to damage their surface.  After spending money on new ones, this is a fast way to instantly make them appear old or dated. 
• Not measuring correctly.  It is important to properly measure the space so that your cabinets are the right size.  Otherwise, you could end up with a kitchen that only looks partially finished.
• Gaps.  People, that are new to installing cabinets, may find it challenging to connect them perfectly, creating gaps in between them that leads to an unprofessional or unfinished appearance. 
• Trouble opening and closing.  If the hinges are not installed correctly, your cabinets may not open and close like they should.  This is especially challenging with installing the drawers since they need to smoothly open and close.

We provide professional kitchen cabinet installation services so that you can avoid all of these common mistakes when remodeling your kitchen.  Cabinets are a significant investment into your remodel.  Whether you have them created specifically for your home, buy them online or at the hardware store, they are not cheap.  Paying money for your new cabinets then taking a shortcut with the installation is unwise.  This can lead to further damage of your cabinets or worse yet, your kitchen.  If, for example, they are hung without using a stud, you never know when the unit will fall down. When it does, someone may be hurt; your dishes broken and a hole created in your wall.  In order to avoid a situation like this, we highly recommend working with a professional that is licensed and bonded such as ourselves. 

What You Need to Know About Kitchen Cabinet Installation

If you are doing a remodel, there are things you should know about kitchen cabinet installation.  As an expert contractor, we know how to transform your kitchen into something amazing and installing new cabinetry is an important step for doing so.  New cabinets can give you the storage space that you need and make your kitchen more functional overall.

Before you get started, consider how you want your cabinets to look.  There are a variety of colors and finishes that you can choose from.  If you want to try something bold, consider going with a vibrant color to match your home or your personality.  Nothing says you have to stick with traditional shades of wood or white.  You can also have glass fronts installed on your cabinets or have open shelves in combination with standard cabinetry.  The sky is the limit so get as creative as you like and once you have decided on a color you can start to look at interesting hardware.

Before starting the kitchen cabinet installation process, you need to have a layout and a plan for your new kitchen.  This will make sure that you have the right cabinets ordered and delivered prior to starting demolition, an important step if you are still living in the home.  Be careful while removing your old cabinets, turn off the electrical and the water so that you don’t accidentally shock yourself or have water leak all over the floor. You should start by removing the drawers and the doors then pulling out the structure of the cabinets and the countertop.

When you are ready to put the new cabinets in, start with the upper wall cabinets, because it will be easier to stand in place without the lower ones blocking your position.  You can install wall cabinets one at a time, creating flexibility in where you want them positioned and the style of your cabinets overall. Before you start to screw them in, draw a straight line for where the bottom of the cabinets should be in order to ensure that they are straight and level.  You can even screw in a small board to make sure that they are installed in a straight line.

Next, install the corner cabinets.  These need to be done first in order to ensure that they are in place properly, and everything else can be put in place afterwards. Double check to make sure that it is level as you go.

This is a two person job, and we recommend working with a partner to make sure that every time you grab a new cabinet it is lined up perfectly with the old one.  It has to be level and installed with no gaps in between the two of them.  This can take time so be prepared to go slowly and try not to rush.  Continue to add more cabinets until they are all in place.

As a contractor, we are experts in kitchen cabinet installation and can save you the headache of trying to do it yourself.  We know what we are doing, and we do it well.  To learn more about your options and to discuss your future kitchen, give us a call.