Kitchen cabinet hardware could possibly be one of the most used, and overlooked, aspects of one of the most well-trodden rooms in any given house. Not only must they fit in with the appearance of the kitchen, and the house overall, but they have to be useful, low-profile, and safe. While square cabinet handles with corners may go well with a side table that gets low traffic, kitchen handles must be able to stand up to the test of time, and children if you have them. How exactly should you go about upgrading your old handles to something new and refreshing?
The choice is easy at
Why Replace Kitchen Cabinet Hardware?
You might be asking, “Why would I want to replace my handles when they’ve been working just fine as is?” For some, buying handles might seem unnecessary or a waste of money, but replacing kitchen hardware follows the same sort of logic as repainting furniture. Your tastes may change. Your kitchen handles may not be what they used to be. Maybe you’ve realized that, actually, you don’t like how that knob feels and you’d much rather have a handle. Not to mention, replacing some knobs and drawer handles takes a lot less time than refurbishing a kitchen, but still gives a nice new feeling to your kitchen space.
The best time to replace your kitchen hardware is when you want a change, but your current kitchen cabinets are still in fairly good shape. As long as the cabinet boxes are intact and stable, there’s no need to buy new ones. You can potentially reface the surfaces of the cabinets alongside replacing the hardware, but do be warned that it is more time-intensive than expected, and resurfacing the cabinets costs about as much as replacing them altogether. Altogether, replacing the kitchen hardware and cleaning up the cabinets is a quicker and easier way to get your kitchen look sparkling and refreshing without the hassle of refinishing, refurbishing, and replacing the cabinets themselves.
A good time to replace the hardware is when you’ve moved into a new house or apartment and you don’t quite have enough money to remodel, but you don’t like the current appearance of the kitchen. Replacing the hardware is a small step you can get out of the way, but a step that has immediate results. If you switch the color of the handles from white to black, your kitchen will have a changed atmosphere. Even if your furniture doesn’t match, if all of your hardware matches, the space will be unified, and you’ll feel more at home.
Shopping for New Cabinet Handles
The first thing you should do is something to be done before you go shopping. Make sure to count how many knobs and handles you need so that you don’t need to visit the store more than a couple of times. Some people recommend even buying a few extra just in case something happens to one of your knobs. You should also decide if you want handles to fit the existing holes, or if you’re fine with whatever. If you want whatever, you can buy wood putty to fill in old holes so that you won’t have too many holes with your new handles. Color matching may be difficult, but if you paint over them, you can’t tell there was once a hole at all. HomCo Lumber and Hardware also carries templates for screwing equidistant holes, located in the Hardware department, so stop by and grab that while you’re here! If you want to use the existing holes, make sure to know your center-to-center dimension. This is the distance from one screw to the other. Though it may limit some of your options, you won’t spend any time using a drill to screw in new holes, so that may be a time saver worth looking into.
Once you get into the store and begin looking, there’s more things to consider. If you’ll be replacing kitchen hardware, you need something durable and something useful. You’ll be using these knobs and handles a lot, so you should get something that feels good in your hand, doesn’t create strain, and won’t hurt if you bump into it. Another note is choosing a bigger handle or knob for the stronger drawers and cabinets, since knobs generally go better with cabinets and handles with drawers. This will allow you to have more grip and you won’t struggle getting to what you need.
Lastly, since the kitchen is a high-traffic area, you should choose something that can be kept clean fairly easily, and won’t require a large deep clean every year. Something smooth without a lot of cracks and crevices is usually the way to go. Metallics are usually the best option as far as material goes since those resist wear well and can also be easily cleaned. Check out the showroom at HomCo Lumber and Hardware for our wide selection of knobs and handles!
Cleaning and Refurbishing Your Cabinet Handles
Once you’ve chosen the handles you want, the first thing you should do before installation is to clean off your cabinets. Don’t soak the cabinets or anything like that; use a gentle cleaner on some cleaning rags to wipe away the dust and dirt. Make sure to avoid the hinges! If your hinges are old, those can also be replaced, but avoid rusting them. Once you’ve cleaned everything, run a damp cloth over them for a final rinse. If there’s a stain or spot that refuses to budge, you can also try some baking soda and water.
Once your cabinets have been tidied up, you can begin refurbishing them. This is when you sand and paint them. We have a helpful post by the paint department outlining just how to do that. After the paint has dried, you can begin measuring and placing your handles. Check out this video below for our walkthrough of kitchen hardware replacement.
As far as maintaining your hard work after you’ve replaced everything, you can take the hardware and soak them in a mixture of vinegar and water, and rinse with soapy water to keep them clean. You can also use this process to touch up your cabinets throughout the year. These cleaning steps may seem tedious at first, but it’s a great way to keep your kitchen looking pristine outside of the spring-cleaning season, and your kitchen cabinet and hardware will thank you for it.
Are you ready for new kitchen cabinet hardware?
Not only is replacing kitchen hardware super easy, but it’s a great way to coordinate your kitchen and house to make things feel like new. There’s a wide variety of styles to choose from that will fit your specific lifestyle. Come down to HomCo Lumber and Hardware and speak with our Showroom associates! They’ll help you pick out your desired kitchen hardware and get everything worked out. Not as into that style? We also have knobs and handles available in our Hardware section. No need to order, just come down and pick up the one you like best. We’re always happy to help at HomCo Lumber and Hardware.
Kitchen cabinet hardware could possibly be one of the most used, and overlooked, aspects of one of the most well-trodden rooms in any given house. Not only must they fit in with the appearance of the kitchen, and the house overall, but they have to be useful, low-profile, and safe. While square cabinet handles with corners may go well with a side table that gets low traffic, kitchen handles must be able to stand up to the test of time, and children if you have them. How exactly should you go about upgrading your old handles to something new and refreshing?
The choice is easy at
Why Replace Kitchen Cabinet Hardware?
You might be asking, “Why would I want to replace my handles when they’ve been working just fine as is?” For some, buying handles might seem unnecessary or a waste of money, but replacing kitchen hardware follows the same sort of logic as repainting furniture. Your tastes may change. Your kitchen handles may not be what they used to be. Maybe you’ve realized that, actually, you don’t like how that knob feels and you’d much rather have a handle. Not to mention, replacing some knobs and drawer handles takes a lot less time than refurbishing a kitchen, but still gives a nice new feeling to your kitchen space.
The best time to replace your kitchen hardware is when you want a change, but your current kitchen cabinets are still in fairly good shape. As long as the cabinet boxes are intact and stable, there’s no need to buy new ones. You can potentially reface the surfaces of the cabinets alongside replacing the hardware, but do be warned that it is more time-intensive than expected, and resurfacing the cabinets costs about as much as replacing them altogether. Altogether, replacing the kitchen hardware and cleaning up the cabinets is a quicker and easier way to get your kitchen look sparkling and refreshing without the hassle of refinishing, refurbishing, and replacing the cabinets themselves.
A good time to replace the hardware is when you’ve moved into a new house or apartment and you don’t quite have enough money to remodel, but you don’t like the current appearance of the kitchen. Replacing the hardware is a small step you can get out of the way, but a step that has immediate results. If you switch the color of the handles from white to black, your kitchen will have a changed atmosphere. Even if your furniture doesn’t match, if all of your hardware matches, the space will be unified, and you’ll feel more at home.
Shopping for New Cabinet Handles
The first thing you should do is something to be done before you go shopping. Make sure to count how many knobs and handles you need so that you don’t need to visit the store more than a couple of times. Some people recommend even buying a few extra just in case something happens to one of your knobs. You should also decide if you want handles to fit the existing holes, or if you’re fine with whatever. If you want whatever, you can buy wood putty to fill in old holes so that you won’t have too many holes with your new handles. Color matching may be difficult, but if you paint over them, you can’t tell there was once a hole at all. HomCo Lumber and Hardware also carries templates for screwing equidistant holes, located in the Hardware department, so stop by and grab that while you’re here! If you want to use the existing holes, make sure to know your center-to-center dimension. This is the distance from one screw to the other. Though it may limit some of your options, you won’t spend any time using a drill to screw in new holes, so that may be a time saver worth looking into.
Once you get into the store and begin looking, there’s more things to consider. If you’ll be replacing kitchen hardware, you need something durable and something useful. You’ll be using these knobs and handles a lot, so you should get something that feels good in your hand, doesn’t create strain, and won’t hurt if you bump into it. Another note is choosing a bigger handle or knob for the stronger drawers and cabinets, since knobs generally go better with cabinets and handles with drawers. This will allow you to have more grip and you won’t struggle getting to what you need.
Lastly, since the kitchen is a high-traffic area, you should choose something that can be kept clean fairly easily, and won’t require a large deep clean every year. Something smooth without a lot of cracks and crevices is usually the way to go. Metallics are usually the best option as far as material goes since those resist wear well and can also be easily cleaned. Check out the showroom at HomCo Lumber and Hardware for our wide selection of knobs and handles!
Cleaning and Refurbishing Your Cabinet Handles
Once you’ve chosen the handles you want, the first thing you should do before installation is to clean off your cabinets. Don’t soak the cabinets or anything like that; use a gentle cleaner on some cleaning rags to wipe away the dust and dirt. Make sure to avoid the hinges! If your hinges are old, those can also be replaced, but avoid rusting them. Once you’ve cleaned everything, run a damp cloth over them for a final rinse. If there’s a stain or spot that refuses to budge, you can also try some baking soda and water.
Once your cabinets have been tidied up, you can begin refurbishing them. This is when you sand and paint them. We have a helpful post by the paint department outlining just how to do that. After the paint has dried, you can begin measuring and placing your handles. Check out this video below for our walkthrough of kitchen hardware replacement.
As far as maintaining your hard work after you’ve replaced everything, you can take the hardware and soak them in a mixture of vinegar and water, and rinse with soapy water to keep them clean. You can also use this process to touch up your cabinets throughout the year. These cleaning steps may seem tedious at first, but it’s a great way to keep your kitchen looking pristine outside of the spring-cleaning season, and your kitchen cabinet and hardware will thank you for it.
Are you ready for new kitchen cabinet hardware?
Not only is replacing kitchen hardware super easy, but it’s a great way to coordinate your kitchen and house to make things feel like new. There’s a wide variety of styles to choose from that will fit your specific lifestyle. Come down to HomCo Lumber and Hardware and speak with our Showroom associates! They’ll help you pick out your desired kitchen hardware and get everything worked out. Not as into that style? We also have knobs and handles available in our Hardware section. No need to order, just come down and pick up the one you like best. We’re always happy to help at HomCo Lumber and Hardware.