Removing Kitchen Cabinets

After years of use, along with grease from cooking, your kitchen cabinets may not be in the best shape. Old or messed up cabinets can give your kitchen a bad look and this is when new ones should be installed. Before this can happen the old cabinets will need to be removed. This can be done without much trouble and with the help of just one other person. Removing the old cabinets yourself is also less expensive so you can spend more on new cabinets. Here are helpful tips.

Instructions

1

Turn off the water to the kitchen sink. Disconnect the pipes and remove the kitchen sink, making sure that there is no water left in the drain. Keep the towels near in case of water spillage. Unplug and disconnect any large appliances that are in the way and move them. Using a dolly to move stoves or dishwashers can help keep your back from getting hurt.

2

Clear off the top of the counter-top. Move all small appliances into another room. Take out any drawers in the cabinets and remove the cabinet doors from the top and bottom cabinets. This will make removing the counter-top easier.

3

Take off the back splash. The back splash usually runs behind the sink and along the length of the kitchen counter. Some back splashes are caulked, and if this is the case then break the seal with a utility knife. Carefully pry the back splash away from the wall as paint or wallpaper can get messed up.

4

Pull up the counter-top. Remove the screws securing the counter-top to the cabinets. You may need to get up underneath the cabinets to do this. Once all the screws are removed, place them in a Ziploc bag. Now pull the counter-top off and make sure that it is out of the way.

5

Remove the base cabinets. Base cabinets should be removed first so there will be room to work when taking the top cabinets down. Unscrew all screws holding the cabinet to the walls, floor or other cabinets. You may also have to remove the baseboard. Once this is done take the lower cabinets out of the kitchen.

6

Get help to remove the top cabinets. You'll need someone to hold the cabinets up while you take out all the screws. Don't try to pull the cabinet off by rocking it, as you may damage the partition wall. If the cabinet doesn't come away easily from the wall, look for any screws that might have been missed and remove them.