How to Take Your Kitchen Cabinets Apart

The first major hurdle that you will encounter when putting in new kitchen cabinets would be getting rid of the existing ones. This can be quite laborious, especially if you do not want to damage your cabinets or anything in the vicinity during the un-installation process. If taking apart your kitchen cabinets sounds like a difficult task for you, following the step-by-step plan below should help you out, especially if you don’t have a professional working with you.

1. Clean and clear your workplace – You’ll need a spacious workspace where you can move around safely. Clear the room of any items that might get in your way and if possible, store it in another room. Make sure the floors are clean and there isn’t anything you can accidentally slip on.

2. Take out the contents – Empty all the compartments of your kitchen cabinets and make sure that all items are put away from the work place. This includes removing all items on the countertop, including appliances which are clamped, stuck or screwed to on it.

3. Turn the gas off – Shut off the gas flow temporarily if any gas pipes go through your kitchen cabinets. Detach your gas tank and move it out of the kitchen if you are using one.

4. Turn the water off – Temporarily shut off all water pipes leading to your kitchen. Prepare some rags or a bucket to catch the remaining water in the pipes then proceed to remove the pipes from your sink base cabinets or any cabinets that the pipes run through.

5. Remove the doors and drawers – Start taking the cabinets apart, beginning with the doors and drawers and put them away safely away from the work place. If you have the time, it might be a good idea to detach the knobs and pulls first before unscrewing the doors.

6. Remove the countertop – Most countertop surfaces rest on a plank of wood that is attached to the base cabinets using screws, but there are some which are nailed and glued to the cabinets. Go into the base cabinet and unscrew or pry the nails off. You should be able to lift the countertop off. If it doesn’t come off, try tugging it off repeatedly, applying an upward force on all sides until it loosens. If you pull it off from one side with full force, it might fall of or break. Put it away from the workplace once detached.

7. Remove the base cabinets – If your kitchen cabinets are held together by screws or nails, remove these first. Next, remove the ones that fasten the cabinets to the floor and the wall so that you can detach the cabinets one by one. You will have more space to work on the wall cabinets once the base cabinets have been removed.

8. Remove the wall cabinets – Do the same for the wall cabinets: remove the nails or screws which hold the cabinets together first so you can take them down one by one. If the cabinets are nailed tightly to the wall and you are unable to pry the nail heads off, gently wedge a pry bar in between the cabinet and the wall. Put a piece of wood between the pry bar and the wall, this will serve as a fulcrum that will also protect your wall from the pry bar. Pry the cabinet off gently and just enough so that the head of the nail will be exposed once you push the cabinet back. You can now pry it out using a pry bar or a claw hammer.