Can You Replace a Cabinet's Grating?

Aesthetics

• If you have only one cabinet in the room, you can replace the grating with almost anything. Jury-rigged replacements for grating include cardboard, wood or glass. Cardboard and duct tape may prevent further damage to the grating while you hunt for something more appropriate, but that solution lacks eye appeal. Damaged items drain your energy, according to feng shui consultant Ayse Nilgun Kaya. A jury-rigged replacement only calls attention to the damage.

Attractive Replacements

• A punched-tin panel preserves the airflow that the grating permitted, depending on how elaborate a design you use. It also restores or increases the value of the cabinet. Increased value of fixed cabinets increases the value of your home, an important point when seeking a loan or attempting to sell.

  Woven panels made from the same material as the original grating also restore lost value. Painting or staining grating to make cabinets match may lower value, however.

  You can create your own etched glass panels using acid solutions or sandblasting to create the designs. Where the acid or the sandblasting makes contact, the glass turns frosty, while covered portions remain clear.

Panel Construction

• The construction of the cabinet door determines how easily you can remove the damaged panel. While cutting a damaged grating from the frame may take less time, it leaves ragged edges that must be smoothed. If the panel was sandwiched between two layers of whatever material was used to construct the cabinet door, taking the layers apart may not be possible.

Disassembly

• If the hinges have visible pins, you can tap the pin out using a center punch with a slightly smaller diameter than the pin. TheFamilyHandyman.com suggests using a nail if you do not have a center punch. For other types of hinges, open the door and remove the fasteners holding the door to the hinge.

  For grating in cabinet walls, you may have to completely disassemble the cabinet. Cabinets constructed with glued dowel and pin or mortise and tenon joints may crack or split when disassembled, resulting in a need to replace the damaged parts.