Kitchen Cabinet Doors - How to Install Shaker Cabinet Doors

Choosing kitchen cabinet doors can be a frustrating task for many home owners. Unfortunately, most have never considered that one of the first things you need to do when remodeling or redecorating your kitchen is to replace all of your existing doors with new and improved ones. There are lots of different types of cabinet doors to choose from, including those with a shaker opening, pre-hung, automatic (sliding) and a twin opening.

When shopping for kitchen cabinet doors, it is important to keep in mind the exact function you wish to accomplish. For example, if you're only changing the door style or color, you may not need a shaker-type door. On the other hand, if you have a difficult time opening the door as is, then you'll want to consider an automatic type.

Shaker cabinets were once the more popular option as far as cabinet doors, but are being replaced by the newer type of door that has an automatic swinging mechanism. These sliding doors have a small lip at the top which forms a groove allowing for easy sliding, rather than the older style doors that are hinged on the bottom.

Sliding cabinet doors are also called bi-fold doors, which allows for an even better gripping and opening action as they glide through tight spaces between two pieces of material. It's these same areas that create problems with the older style doors, as they tend to jam against each other.

Automatic cabinet doors are by far the best option for those who are not comfortable or strong enough to manually open a cabinet door. With these doors, they simply move up and down to open the door as they would on any other surface. This makes it easier to reach high shelves and items that are often difficult to reach when trying to open and close the door manually.

Bi-fold doors are also commonly used in modern kitchens. The best of these make the door open like a French door, sliding out on both sides. Some doors even feature the hinged appearance, which are normally found in cabinet doors that are used for storage.

Twin opening doors may also be known as "paneling" doors and are basically traditional kitchen cabinet doors, however, they are actually made of two panels that open to form a single panel. The paned-out style often creates a unique look that is complemented by a fully open design.

Installing an automatic door into your kitchen cabinet can be a challenge, especially if you don't have experience working with them. You may find the installation of the doors a very frustrating chore, but as long as you're armed with the right tools, your labor should be a short one.

By far the most important item when installing automatic door in your kitchen is the appropriate set of tools. A few basic tools should always be a staple in your kitchen cabinet hardware set, including a tape measure, a hammer, a pair of pliers, a small saw, a knife, a drill, a screwdriver, a flashlight and a nail gun.

Once you have your tools and other supplies ready, the installation process begins with removing your cabinet doors and the baseboard. If you have specific cabinet sizes, you should also measure the baseboard from which the doors will be removed.

Once the doors and baseboard are removed, you should carefully examine them to ensure that the cabinet doors and baseboard are square. If there is a gap between the edges of the cabinet doors and the baseboard, it will need to be trimmed, as should any sharp edges that may be present. When this is done, you should carefully work the cabinet doors and baseboard back into place, so that they fit perfectly flush together.A careful, step-by-step installation job should only take about two hours, but the real work will begin once the doors and baseboard are securely installed. Once the doors and baseboard are installed, they should be covered with varnish and protected with a sealant.