When you are upgrading your kitchen, you may find your kitchen cabinets need to be cut down or adjusted to accommodate an appliance such as a fridge or microwave. With the right tools, this is something you can do yourself at home. Cutting down cabinets is a great way to have more space for appliances and it’s an effective money-saving strategy too.
Cabinets are often overlooked when kitchens are getting remodeled which means they may not fit in with the new design. Cutting down kitchen cabinets at home requires a table saw and lots of accurate measurements. The end results are great as you are essentially creating your own custom kitchen cabinets.
Main Topics
Introduction
Although it may seem daunting, it is very common for kitchen cabinets to need altering to accommodate the shape and size of the kitchen or appliances. It takes a couple of hours to cut down kitchen cabinets. It is extremely important you have the right tools for the job otherwise the cabinets can end up splitting or getting damaged when you try to cut them. A table saw is best for making the cuts as it is able to create clean cuts.
Things You Will Need
Screwdriver
Measuring tape
Pencil
Straightedge
Masking tape
Goggles
Dust mask
Table saw
Drill
Glue
Clamps
Resizing Kitchen Cabinets
Resizing your kitchen cabinets is a great way to make use of what you already have. Adjusting the cabinet doors is going to be the most challenging part of this whole process.
How to Trim a Kitchen Cabinet to Fit Refrigerator
Unscrew the cabinet from the wall and remove it
Take the door off of the cabinet
Remove the shelves and hardware from the cabinet
Measure and clearly mark where the cuts are needed
Place masking tape along the cutline to prevent the wood chipping and splitting
Clearly draw the line over the masking tape to make it more visible
Remove the face frame of the cabinet by taking out the inside screws
Set the table saw to 3/4 inches
Position the cabinet face up on the saw and align the saw blade with the line you marked
Lock the blade in position
Cut down the cabinet along the line (where goggles and a dust mask for this)
Rotate the cabinet and repeat the process until you have cut each side
Measure and cut the face frame
Measure and cut the cabinet base (if required)
Reassemble the cabinet using glue to attach the pieces together
Use clamps to hold the cabinet together while the glue dries
Reattach the shelves
Put the cut down cabinet back onto the wall
Install the refrigerator
How to Cut Kitchen Cabinets in Half
Take the cabinet down
Remove the cabinet door
Mark the cabinet to the necessary measurement
Mark the shelves
Put masking tape over the cut line
Draw the cutline over the top of the masking tape
Line the cutline up with the table saw
Cut the cabinet in half
Put masking tape over the shelf cutline and redraw the line so it is easy to see
Cut down the shelves along the measured lines
Reassemble the cupboard
Decide what to do about the cupboard doors: If the cupboard door has raised panels it may be best to buy or make a new door that fits the cupboard. If you are going to paint the doors, you can measure and cut them in a way that the raised edges still line up and then glue them back together. You could also cut the bottom of the door, then cut away the excess from the middle and reattach the bottom part to make it look as seamless as possible.
Shortening Cabinet Doors
Changing the size of cabinet doors can be challenging, particularly if the doors have a raised edge. Use these steps to shorten the doors of your kitchen cabinets in a way that looks as seamless as possible:
Determine the desired door size
Decide how you want to cut them. This will depend on the design of the door. Most people decide to cut the bottom of the door and then cut the desired length off the middle so they can then reattach the bottom and still have a seamless border. This is the way we are doing it in this guide so if you are planning a different method, take this into consideration.
Measure the bottom piece of the door you want to remove (to be reattached later) and mark it
Measure the amount you need to remove from the first mark you’ve made towards the middle of the door and mark it
Place masking tape over the two lines and draw the lines over the top so you can clearly see them
Line up the bottom measurement with the table saw
Cut the bottom piece off
Line up the next measurement with the table saw
Cut along the line and put this middle piece to one side as it is no longer needed
Glue and clamp the top and bottom pieces of the door back together, making sure they line up well.
Once the glue is dry, remove the clamp
Measure and drill evenly positioned holes into the door
Reinstall the doors
Reinstall the hardware using screws
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best saw to cut kitchen cabinets?
A table saw with a finish blade is the best option as it can give a straight, clean cut with ease and accuracy.
What to do with a gap between a fridge and cabinet?
The easiest way to handle this small space is to fill it with a painted trim piece that is the same as your cabinets. This is quick and easy and gets rid of the gap while helping complement the kitchen design.
Final Words
Cutting down kitchen cabinets is quite a common task when remodeling or redesigning a kitchen. As long as you have the right tools it is a straightforward task. The difficulty often comes when you need to cut the doors down to fit the resized cabinets. Depending on the design of the cabinet and your skill level, it may be best to buy new doors although there are ways you can cut the cabinet doors down if needed.
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