How To Change Your Kitchen Cabinet Molding
Posted on: 5 May 2018
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Kitchen cabinets are often one of the most important style features in the room. That is, the design and finish of your cabinet can largely inform the overall style of the room that it is in. And, just like any other style feature, cabinets can start to look outdated if they are not changed and upgraded over the years. When it comes to built-in cabinets, it is really the doors and molding that define the style. If you look at the actual cabinet box, it is usually just square and rather plain. So, if you replace the doors and decorative molding or trim around the cabinet, you are basically going to redefine the style of the system. This article shows how you can replace your molding to modernize your cabinets and make them look much more stylish.
Remove the Old Molding
The first thing you need to do is remove the molding without damaging your wall or cabinet. To do this, you will first need to cut through the caulk line along the seam between the cabinet and the wall. Use a razor blade to make this precision cut. Then, you can hammer a small flat head screwdriver into the gap that you just cut, and use it to pry the molding away from the wall. Basically, you want to pry the molding off of the cabinet without damaging anything.
It is very helpful if your new molding is a little bigger than your old product. This way, it will cover the caulk lines and paint markings from the previous piece of molding. If your molding is smaller or the same size, you might have to do a lot of extra work to hide the signs of the old product.
Install the New Molding
The next thing you need to do is install the molding. Molding installation is simple if you have a pneumatic nail gun and a miter saw. A miter saw can make compound cuts in order to create the 45° angles where the two pieces of molding meet at a corner. If you have never used a pneumatic nail gun, you might be a little bit intimidated, but don't worry; they are easy to use, and you can always practice on a spare piece of wood. The trick is making sure that the pressure is just right. If the pressure is too high, the nail goes all the way through the wood. If it is too low, the nail head will stick out. It is also smart if you try to nail, if possible, through the thickest part of the molding. You want to shoot nails into the cabinet, and into the actual wall, so the molding will stay put.
To learn more, contact a company like Guthrie Kitchen & Bath Plus LLC.