Category Archives: Kitchens

Updating a kitchen can be done in several ways. If the cabinets are in good condition, new countertops can change the look of that room, new appliances etc. If the face front doors and drawers are real bad you can do new doors and refinish the exposed wood boxes behind the doors and drawers. Those would be the most economical way to update a kitchen, without going all new cabinets. new flooring can be another option with a totally new paint job on the walls. Best way to start is to visit your local home center and get a plan put in place.

Hope this helps, Andy Love

Lisa, cabinet re-facing can be a great way to brighten up a kitchen. I have a name and number for you. Name of the company is Premier Bath and Kitchen Resurfacing, and its Mike and Gail. 563… . They average about a kitchen a week, doing exactly what you just described, and they are very good at what they do. Very yours truly, Andy Love Ask the Expert.

The kitchen cabinets usually have solid wood fronts with particle board boxes. You can tell if it’s particle board by the texture of the wood. If you don’t see any wood grain and you only see particles of wood held together with glue, that should be what you see on the shelves and sides. The doors may be a laminated particle board, you can usually tell that by looking for cracks in the laminate that are trying to pull away. Many home centers offer a refinishing product for kitchen cabinets that can be painted on. Or if you are feeling really spunky, you could strip and re-stain. that would involve pulling all the cabinets out and setting up shop in the basement or garage. Pull all the till off with a chisel and hammer. Just scrape the wall and don’t worry about damage to the plaster. It’s better to take more off until the wall bumps won’t move your putty knife as you go across. Hold the blade at about a 45 degree angle at just let the plaster or what ever product you use just fall into the void area. Use a product called Smooth Set. It comes in different setting times, I would use the 40 minute if I were you. It comes dry in a bag from home centers for less than $10. Get a drywall knife and drywall pan. Mix with water until you get a smooth peanut butter consistency, then cover any holes in the plaster. When it is dry, you can sand this product to get any of the ridges left. You will end up with a smooth wall. You can then prime and paint or re-install new tile. Hope that helps!

I have paid service calls ranging from $50.00 to $420.00, and the jobs took the same amount of time. I won’t tell you the phone number to the more expensive company. Call T.J Thompson with Rock River Electric  309-949-3000. Tell him Andy sent you. Thanks, Andy Ask the Expert