How to remove kitchen cabinets and countertops

Read more: How to remove crown molding from kitchen cabinets

Learn how to Tear Out Your Cupboards

Are you trying to replace your kitchen, however don’t have the time or price range for a full-on rework? Fortunately, there’s a easy method to give your kitchen a facelift with out breaking the financial institution — take away and change your cupboards.

Reading: How to remove kitchen cabinets and countertops

Whereas changing the cupboards will not be one thing that you’re comfy with, eradicating them is one thing that could be a easy job in case you have the time to knock it out. All it takes is somewhat finesse together with your pry bar and some precautions to keep away from injury to your counter tops and flooring. Click on a step within the listing under to leap to the place you need assistance, or learn on to begin at the start.

PROJECT DIFFICULTY RATING: Newbie

Read more: How to remove crown molding from kitchen cabinets

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Cupboard Elimination Prep

• Collect Instruments
• Prep the Space
• Disassemble Cupboard Fixtures
• Take Off Trim and Seals

Take away Higher Cupboards

1. Place Helps
2. Detach Cupboards
3. Unfasten Cupboards
4. Take away the Cupboard

Take away Decrease Cupboards

1. Raise Out the Sink
2. Take away Counter tops
3. Detach Piping
4. Unfasten and Take away Cupboards

Read more: How to remove crown molding from kitchen cabinets

Learn how to Take away Cupboards From Your Kitchen Partitions

The method of eliminating cupboards isn’t a tricky one in itself. When you’ve got a free weekend and a fundamental toolkit, you’ll be good to go. Earlier than leaping in, although, you’ll must resolve what you wish to do together with your previous cupboards. Should you plan to donate or reuse the cupboards, you’ll need to watch out always to keep away from splintering the wooden or shedding components. The job is mostly a lot simpler once you’re throwing the previous cupboards in a dumpster.

Able to get began? Learn on to see what it’s essential get the job began.

Cupboard Elimination Prep

Collect Instruments

A lot of the instruments it’s essential eliminate your cupboards are present in your fundamental toolbox. That’s a very good factor, as a result of it means you may get your undertaking began everytime you’re prepared with out having to run to the house enchancment retailer for particular tools.

Cupboard Elimination Instrument and Provide Record

Instruments Provides

• Pry bar
• Putty knives
• Utility knife
• Hammer
• Drill
• Screwdriver
• Measuring Tape
• Wrench
• Reciprocating Noticed
• Step Ladder

• Gloves
• Goggles
• Tarps
• Spare 2x4s (for supporting wants)

That is additionally a very good time to think about the way you’re eliminating the particles. Should you’re saving the cupboards, ensure you have an area cleared to retailer them or a car prepared for transportation for donation. Should you’re tossing them, a ten yard roll off dumpster is a handy choice that comfortably suits in most driveways.

Read more: Bags to keep food hot

Decide one other step

Prep the Space

It’s time to get began, however don’t bounce proper into demolition mode. There are some things it’s essential do earlier than the screws begin popping out. These duties aren’t laborious, however they’re vital to a profitable undertaking and can assist you to maintain the world clear and arranged as you’re employed:

□ Empty out your cupboards.

□ Clear all the things from the counter tops.

□ Shut off utilities to the kitchen.

□ Cowl the ground and counter tops with tarps.

Read more: Bags to keep food hot

Decide one other step

Disassemble Cupboard Fixtures

It’s time to disassemble the cupboards. Begin with something which may transfer or get in the best way once you begin eradicating the physique of the cupboards. This contains:

□ Doorways: Unscrew the bracket from the cupboard physique so the hinge stays with the door.

□ Cabinets: Both unscrew the bracket from the cupboard physique or just elevate the shelf from the help peg.

□ Drawers: Pull the drawer all the best way out, then elevate and proceed pulling. If that doesn’t work, you’ll must detach the sliding bracket from the drawer.

Professional Tip: Label every drawer, shelf and door with a sticky word or painters’ tape in the event you plan on reusing or donating the cupboards so the place every merchandise belongs.

Read more: Bags to keep food hot

Decide one other step

Take Off Trim and Seals

It’s time to take away the items of wooden framing that be part of the cupboard with the ground or wall. The trim is usually ornamental and doesn’t contribute to the cupboard’s attachment. The most typical stuff you’ll need to take away are molding, trim and caulk. Fortunately, they’re all fairly easy to eliminate.

□ For caulk: Use a utility knife to sever the connection between the cupboard and different surfaces.

□ For molding and trim: Use a hammer to wedge your pry bar behind the trim and pull it away.

Professional Tip: Should you’re making an attempt to avoid wasting the trim, make sure to work slowly and in gradual sections. Nonetheless, in the event you come to a crossroads the place one thing has to interrupt, let the molding crack. It’s far cheaper to switch trim than a cupboard.

Whereas this may look like a step you possibly can skip, don’t. Should you fail to take away these attachments now, you’ll be compelled to do it afterward when your cupboards are not affixed to the partitions with screws, making it a extremely harmful scenario.

Read more: Bags to keep food hot

Decide one other step

Take away Higher Cupboards

It’s formally time to get to the heavy work and take away the naked bones of the cupboards. So, get your hammer, drill and screwdriver, choose the left or the precise finish of your cupboards and get began.

Step 1: Place Helps

Measure the house between your counter tops and the underside of your cupboards. Then, lower your house 2×4 into 4 items matching the size. Place one among your lower helps beneath every nook of the cupboard you’re eradicating.

These helps aren’t meant to carry the cupboards in place without end. They’re to assist for a second in case your hand slips as you pull the cupboards off the wall.

Professional Tip: The perfect answer to maintain the cupboards from falling is to have an additional pair of palms round to assist with the undertaking.

Step 2: Detach Cupboard From Every Different

Not all cupboards would require this step since some may stand alone or just don’t join. Nonetheless, it’s a good suggestion to double-check to be secure.

Take a look at the place your cupboard touches one other one to see if there are any fasteners. Remember that they might be coated for aesthetic causes, so search for round discolorations, stickers and different indicators {that a} screw could be coated up. Additionally, solely look on the edges on the cupboards — you gained’t be eradicating any fasteners on the again of the cupboard till the subsequent step.

Read more: How to remove a kitchen faucet that is stuck

When you’ve positioned the screws, this step is so simple as unscrewing them.

Step 3: Unfasten the Cupboard From the Wall

You’ll must put your detective hat on for this step and decide how your cupboards are hooked up to the wall to maneuver ahead together with your undertaking. There are two customary methods they’re secured: screws and glue. Fortunately, figuring out what kind of cupboard you’re coping with is so simple as trying. Should you see screws, it’s essential take away them. Should you don’t see screws, the cupboards are most probably glued.

Learn how to Take away Cupboards Connected With Screws

Beginning on the backside, work your method to the highest as you take away screws with a drill or screwdriver. Bear in mind as you’re employed on the ultimate screws to help the cupboard in order that it doesn’t fall as soon as indifferent.

Make sure to look on the underside and prime of the cupboard to make sure there aren’t any screws hooked up to a hidden lip.

Learn how to Take away Cupboards That Are Glued

Start in conjunction with the cupboard and use a hammer to wedge your pry bar between the again of the cupboard and the wall. Do that in a few spots on the facet to totally loosen the glue earlier than repeating the method on the highest and backside of the cupboard.

As you loosen the glue’s maintain, make sure to maintain a good grasp on the cupboard in order that it doesn’t fall.

Professional Tip: To attenuate potential injury to the wall, use a stud finder and pry on prime of any studs that could be behind the cupboard.

Step 4: Raise and Take away Cupboard

When you imagine you’ve totally indifferent the cupboard from the wall, gently elevate the cupboard upwards after which pull it away from the wall. Make sure to do that step slowly in case there’s any residual glue that has not come free otherwise you’ve missed a screw.

As soon as the cupboard is totally eliminated, clear it out of your work zone so that you’ve loads of house to take away the opposite cupboards.

Read more: Bags to keep food hot

Decide one other step

Take away Decrease Cupboards

Whereas similar to eradicating the higher cupboards, tearing out the decrease ones requires a bit extra effort and know-how, largely due to the sink, dishwasher and counter tops. Nonetheless, don’t fear — even with all of those additional obstructions, eradicating decrease kitchen cupboards remains to be a easy DIY job to undertake.

Step 1: Raise Out the Kitchen Sink

Seize your wrench and utility knife and get began. In case you skipped the prep part, take into account this a reminder to close off your utilities to the work space. Then, unhook all of the pipes that result in the sink. After that, use your utility knife to slice by any caulk attaching the sink to the cupboard or countertop. Then, unscrew the sink and elevate it out. Make sure to place it outdoors of your work zone.

Step 2: Take away the Counter tops

Greater than probably, your counter tops shall be hooked up to the cupboards with screws and caulk. Double-check this by trying on the backside of the counter tops. If that’s the case, merely unscrew the countertop and use a utility knife to chop the counter tops away from the caulk. Then, merely elevate it off the cupboards and transfer it out of the best way. For extra in-depth suggestions, take a look at our step-by-step countertop elimination information.

Step 3: Detach Piping

This step will not be wanted for all kitchen cupboards, however can usually come into play if a sink and dishwasher usually are not positioned subsequent to one another. In these situations, the water pipes must journey by a facet cupboard wall to get to their vacation spot.

Detaching the pipes can occur in two methods relying on the kind of cupboards you’ve. In case your cupboards haven’t any again panel, use your jigsaw to chop the facet panel in order that there is no such thing as a wooden between the pipe and the wall, which is able to will let you slide the cupboard out across the pipe. If the cupboards have a again, you’ll want to make use of your wrench to detach the pipes and take away them.

Step 4: Unfasten and Take away the Cupboards

All that’s left to do is take away the cupboards. Unscrew them from their neighboring cupboards after which detach them from the wall earlier than pulling them out. For extra in-depth instructions, comply with the directions to take away higher cupboards.

Read more: How to remove crown molding from kitchen cabinets

Cupboard Elimination FAQs

You’re a Step Nearer to Your New Kitchen

Your cupboards are gone, however what’s subsequent? Will you change them with a contemporary, glossy look or was this only a step in a bigger kitchen renovation? Regardless of the subsequent step, eradicating your cupboards was a giant endeavor and a step towards your dream kitchen that you ought to be pleased with.

Read more: How to remove crown molding from kitchen cabinets

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