There are some parts of kitchen renovation you have to call a professional in for, and there are some parts you can do yourself. The parts you need to call a professional in for are the electric items or major construction jobs like a kitchen redo that involves all new cabinets. But instead of paying for all the little details to be done by the work crew, there are some you can do yourself, and save a bit of cash in the process. One of those things is putting the cabinet doors on the new cabinets.



Installing cabinet hinges and other pieces of hardware is easy, but takes a little patience. You don't need many tools, just the hinges, a drill, screwdriver, parking pen or pencil and a tape measure.

Before you start, make sure you have the patience to do the job at the time you decide to do it. If you do a rushed job, you may need up with crooked cabinets and then have to do a lot more work to repair your errors.

When you're ready to go, put your cabinet doors face down on the floor or a table. Now using your tape measure, you want to make sure the placement of the cabinet hinges will be even. Many people recommend starting your hinges two inches from the top and bottom of the door. Whatever spacing you choose, mark the same distance from the top and bottom of the door. Place the part of the hinge that will be attached to the door to that line and mark where the screw holes are to be put. Do the same at the other end of the door.

Now it's time to attach the cabinet hinges to the door. The easiest way to do this is to use a drill to make a small guide hole where the screw is to go. Don't get over zealous. You don't want to drill to go all the way through the door, just enough to guide the screw. Make a guide hole for all the screw markings. Now attach the hinge to the door.

This next part of the project is where it's nice to have a little company when you are working in the kitchen. You are going to need to hold the hinged door up to the cabinets to mark the spacing for the hinges to be attached to the cabinets. While you can do this alone, balancing the door on something while you work, it is much easier if you have a little help in the process. That way you can look at the fit while the other person moves the door around until it is in the right position.

Once you get the door where you want it, mark the holes. Once again you may want to drill guide holes, then screw in the second part of the hinge, and your doors are ready to go.

Note: If you are planning to paint or stain the cabinet doors, this should be done before you attach the cabinet hinges or other pieces of hardware.