DIY Cabinet Refurbishing

Remove the doors, hinges and any other hardware with a screwdriver.

Measure the position of the door hinge holes on the frame members of the cabinets with a combination square. Write these measurements down.

Scrape away any loose finish from the exterior of the cabinets with a putty knife.

Sand the sides, faces and edges of the cabinets lightly with 150-grit sandpaper attached to a sanding block.

Measure each surface you intend to cover with a measuring tape, and then add 1/4-inch to each measured side to allow for overlap.

Lay the veneer sheets on a flat surface. Cut the veneer to the measurement taken in Step 4 with a utility knife and a straightedge.

Apply veneer pieces over the vertical frame members of the cabinets. Peel the backing off of the bottom of the veneer piece to expose one corner of the adhesive backing. Position the piece against the frame member, and press the exposed adhesive into cabinet. Peel the backing off of the veneer piece while slowly pressing the remaining veneer into the cabinet with a wallcovering roller, sometimes referred to as a “J-roller.” Trim the excess veneer with the utility knife.

Apply veneer pieces to the horizontal frame members of the cabinets with the same method used to install the vertical veneer pieces. Overlap the horizontal pieces onto the vertical pieces, and trim the excess to produce a tight seam between the vertical and horizontal pieces.

Mark the position of the door hinge holes measure in Step 2 on the vertical frame members, and then drill through the veneer.

Remove the screws that secure the drawer fronts to the drawers with a screwdriver, and pull the drawer fronts off of the drawers. The screws are located on the interior side of the drawer. Position the new drawer fronts onto the drawers, and then install the screws.

Tighten the hinges onto the doors, and install the doors onto the cabinets.