modernize old cabinet or buy new?


  #1  
Old 07-03-20, 06:39 AM
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modernize old cabinet or buy new?

ive been looking around and its not easy to find a 72 cabinet with a single sink premade. i dont want double sinks in the bathroom because wouldnt make sense. much more want the existing counterspace. so then i took a critical look at my cabinet. the wood is in very good shape but the slides can use some attention. i do know about 10 years ago i took everything apart and tried cleaning with a toothbrush. can i take these off and soak in vinegar maybe. or something else? i also have a rusty hinge on the one door but i know i can def buy new hinges

i also think it would be cool to keep the cabinets on top of the counter but the inside definitely has to be redone. but regarding the formica on the top cabinets and countertop itself, can that be removed without damaging the wood? i believe countertops are glued on? obviously the formica on the top cabinets is.

i know its a personal preference but something tells me the countertop should be modernized since the rest of the bathroom is being redone. im just starting planning so no clue what im doing with the walls except knowing something will be nailed/glued up for sure. not just going to paint

1. so can the rails be cleaned..how?

2. can something be stuck on top of the exisiting countertop and top cabinets? or can it be pulled off without damaging the below wood.

3. does the cabinet and counter even need replaced. the sink and faucet is 100 percent being replaced. the old blue toilet/sink/tub was good back then but not now. i guess its possible to just do the walls with what i want then evaluate the cabinet and how it looks but id rather decide up front.








 
  #2  
Old 07-03-20, 07:26 AM
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If the cabinets are in good condition, the can be painted. I've done semigloss gray (but of course your preference) can spruce them up significantly. The wood-laminate is likely screwed in from the bottom and can probably be removed easily. I would probably do a granite or quartz countertop with a new sink.

The drawer slides can be replaced if you want, or could be sanded a bit and oiled.
 
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Old 07-03-20, 07:39 AM
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What is the third picture?
It looks like it has the same formica but does not have an edge on it.

Yes plan it out before you start.
You said that you are replacing the sink so odds are that the countertop will also have to be replaced.
 
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Old 07-03-20, 08:02 AM
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What is the third picture?
I also think it would be cool to keep the cabinets on top of the counter
There are cabinets on top of the counter. They will need to come off. Up to you if you want to reuse them.

If you just want to replace the countertop, it's quite likely that you can remove it. Look inside the vanity and remove all the drawers. Remove any screws in the corners of your vanity that secure your countertop to the cabinets.

I would not reuse the existing countertop. New laminate does not stick to old laminate very well, especially on the edges. If you wanted to overlay the top of the cabinetry that sits on top of your counter, that would probably work fine. You just need to scuff it up first.

To make a new countertop you generally take one layer of smooth particle board, cut it to size, flip it over and add a 2nd layer of 1x2 and 1x4 strips to make the edges 2 layers thick. 1x2s in front and back, and 1x4s in between. You also add 1x4s anywhere 2 cabinets meet, so that the countertop can be screwed down to the cabinets.

Then using contact cement, you can put any kind of laminate on, and router off the edges. Doing this does require a few specialty tools. If you dont want to buy the tools, or if this is above your skill level, just buy a countertop that fits, or have a custom one made.
 
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Old 07-03-20, 10:09 AM
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the 'medicine cabinets' do come off as i see the screws there. also there's a 1ft backsplash behind the cabinets which has to be covered/replaced. same formica as the counter . unsure if id damage the wall though. i know u shouldnt do formica over each other but in this case i may have to.

i have no issue paying a pro to do the countertop and sink install as long as its not too much. (to me thats about 500 to 600) i have no clue what this costs though. i guess gotta visit some locals. i did visit 2 surplus places yesterday and nothing 72 exists there. id welcome somethign premade to just drop on top myself.

and ive never built a countertop but if i felt if could cover it and it look good, i may be willing to learn. id have to buy a few new tools im sure but would save over a pro. so is the formica just buying a sheet, special blade to cut it and using the router on the edges and cementing down. that doesnt sound too bad really. even if i fail i wouldnt have spent a terrible amount of money then id know a pro was worth the cost. i guess time to look at some vids on buliding countertops. also this practice would help when i do my kitchen island someday.

ill hvae to pull the drawers and see how the top is put on.

i never thought of sanding the sliders. ill def try that. i dont mind spending money on new but i also have heard getting them all lined up and installed right can be tricky.

this is a 50s house and some ppl have joked i have 'mid century modern' whatever that is and so i think keeping the medicine cabinets on top may not be totally out of line with a remodel. plus in the end they can be removed easily and things made look pretty. so i have not too much to lose by trying.

i really do love the look of wood/staining but if i do decide to paint, must it be sanded a bit or primed? i plan on laminate vinyl flooring planks so have to figure all this into it. tons of planning.
 
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Old 07-03-20, 12:23 PM
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You would need to purchase laminate (you can shop online for that) and get a quart of contact cement and a foam roller, may be some foam brushes.

You would need a trim router like the Bosch Colt, and a 1/2" flush trim bit that is piloted. (Bearing is on the end, not a pattern bit where the bearing is in the middle). Yes watching videos is the way to go.

You make the top on a bench so that you can router all 4 sides. Then bring it in and install it. You can cut a hole for a drop in sink after it is mounted to the cabinets.

If you plan to paint the cabinetry you would remove all rhe hardware, go over everything with. a light sanding followed by oil primer, another light sanding, then a trim enamel like SW Pro Classic or SW Snap Dry. Cut everything in with a brush, roll everything else with a mini roller.
 
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Old 07-03-20, 01:41 PM
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Cabinets look to be in good condition, pull them apart, new granite counters, new handles/pulls. Scrub them down and touch up the stain with Restore-A-Finish, and they will look like new.

You probably have cabinets that far exceed the China crap sold at BBS, avoid painting as a last result!
 
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Old 07-03-20, 01:57 PM
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Check locally for a laminate countertop supplier.
They will have many options and styles.
You will have to install a new sink and the countertop to save a few dollars.

I redid my countertops at the lake a few years ago with laminate.
Had more than one person comment that they thought they were granite.
 
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Old 07-03-20, 02:08 PM
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i measured the cabinet and its 76, not 72, no way will i ever find that (is the size of the custom mirror too). not a biggie for them to match but would be nice. so it really does seem fixing this up will be best. and i dont want to lose counterspace, i love it!

pulling out the med cabinet it broke the corner of the mirror. i guess it was caulked or too tight against the mirror. i guess ill have to use some kind of corner block on all 4 corners of the mirror. any other ideas how to hide it

more importantly how do i prevent this on the other side. the other side literally is up against a 90 degree wall so i cannot see get to the left side of the med cabinet on that side

but i guess the good news is wtih the screw positions underneath, it appears i can just unscrew and the entire thing comes off. i did do the 2 screws on the side where i took the med cabinet off and it does raise just a hair but of course with all the other screws tight plus the sink etc, im sure wont be able to be lifted more now.

also was interesting not only was the med cabinet screwed to the wall, it was screwed into the counter. wasnt ever going to move. but underneath the top the wood all seems in pretty excellent condition and i agree all new furniture probably wont be as good as this quality, even though its ancient. i assumed was orignal to the house in the 50s but unsure.

ill def try the restore finish before doing anything else. seems ez and i always was pretty happy with the wood but would prefer a different stain. but if it cleans up great maybe i can settle for it. i also have a lighting enclosure that was stained to match. its a box above the sink about 10 ft long 2 ft deep and 1 ft high. with grid and lighting in it.

good tip about installing sink once the top is in. i'm assuming all sinks come with templates?








 
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Old 07-03-20, 02:12 PM
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this is not the best. any ideas how to make it look pretty if i just want to keep the existing stain?





fan is thru the wall up in the enclosure
 

Last edited by luckydriver; 07-03-20 at 02:30 PM.
  #11  
Old 07-03-20, 07:44 PM
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so everytime i go into the bathroom i think about the 2nd cabinet. i realllllly dont wanna try to take it off. i have the rear and side walls to worry about it. i was thinking its usually a no no but i really have to seriously consider just roughing up the existing formica and doing a custom cut around the left side med chest. i dont wanna lose my mirror. ive watched a vid where you put strips down over the existing and then just pull one out at a time while rolling it. then on the rear bit of backsplash id put the same formica on top there or perhaps even try to use the same tile that i choose for the rest of the bathroom.
 
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Old 07-04-20, 05:10 AM
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for the fun of it i put 6 inches of a slider in vinegar for 1 hour. took it out and rinsed and dried. then later it rusted. wont be doing that again. why did that happen
 
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Old 07-04-20, 05:15 AM
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Because vinegar is an acid.
 
 

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