There is a proper way to remove old kitchen or bathroom cabinets when doing a renovation. I have put out many sets of cabinets throughout my many years of remodeling. The tips that I am going to share with you will help you remove them safely and efficiently. When undertaking a project like this, it’s best to enlist the help of a friend, family member, or co-worker. Cabinets and countertops are heavy and quite difficult to handle alone.
Tools needed:
- hammer
- saber saw
- Reciprocating Saw (Salzsaw)
- toggle bar
- Electric drill
- Phillips bit number 2
- Square drive bit number 2
- Razor blade
- Spatula
- two wheel hand truck
- channel locks
- leaderboard
You need to make some support sticks that are adjustable to fit under the upper cabinets when you are ready to unbolt them from the wall. Take two pieces of lumber that are three feet (3′) long, three-quarters of an inch (3/4″) thick, and two and a half inches (2-1/2″) wide and screw them together. You will need two of these adjustable fittings.
Start by removing the space-saving sink, stove, range hood, dishwasher or microwave.
- IMPORTANT: Be sure to check the hot and cold faucet handles after you have turned off the valves under the cabinet to make sure they are closed. DO NOT forget to turn off power to appliances before removing them. Cover all electrical wires with bare ends with wire nuts, even if you plan to leave the breakers off.
Cut all the caulking lines with a utility knife where the counter and cabinets meet the walls, ceilings and floors.
Remove all decorative moldings if you have them.
Pull out all the drawers and unscrew the screws that hold the countertops in place. If you have solid surface countertops, such as Corian or granite, there may not be any screws to remove. If that’s the case, there’s probably a bead of caulking holding down the tops of the cabinets. Use your putty knife and hammer to break the cord. If you have a large Formica top that you are not going to salvage, you can cut it into smaller pieces with the saber saw. Large granite counters will need to be removed using multiple pry bars and multiple people. Token tokens cannot be retrieved and must be destroyed.
Take your reciprocating saw and cut a square in the cabinet around the plumbing pipes coming out of the wall. This should be a very shallow cut. Do your best to cut just the cabinet and make sure you DO NOT cut through the drywall. There may be electrical wires inside the wall. So be careful!
Remove all screws from the back, sides, and bottom of the base cabinets that secure them in place. Carefully remove cabinets if you plan to keep the existing flooring.
Adjust the support sticks to fit snugly under the wall cabinet to be removed. With the help of a second person, begin removing the screws from the back, ceiling area, and side of the wall cabinet. Set your drill aside. Once you have a good handle on the upper cabinet, remove it from the wall.
- Important: Before you begin this project, make sure there are no pictures or mirrors hanging in outside rooms that share the kitchen walls. You’re going to be doing a lot of bumping and rattling off the walls. This could save you a lot of money by keeping a three hundred dollar ($300) mirror from falling while you’re removing cabinets.
Even if you plan to destroy your cabinets, you should still follow this expert advice for security reasons. Throwing a ten pound sledgehammer is not the right way to demonstrate a set of kitchen or bathroom cabinets. If you try to remove them this way, you may “literally” create a headache. The method I’ve outlined is the safest and best method I know of for removing kitchen or bathroom vanity cabinets.
