Are you a DIY-er? Love redecorating your home but don’t want to spend a lot? Believe it or not, you actually can do a lot of it yourself, and save some extra cash in the process. Here’s how to properly install cabinet bar pulls yourself- step by step. Read through the detailed instructions we have here, and learn to do it right!
Supplies you Will Need
- A cabinet jig (this one’s the magic solution to making sure that your bar pull is just right)
- Drill bits
- A drill or impact driver
- Pencil or a sharpie
- Tape measure or ruler (optional)
- Adhesive putty
- Screws
- The handle or knob
How to Install Cabinet Bar Pulls Step by Step
Once you have all of your supplies ready, you can move on to the actual process of installing the cabinet bar pulls. First, examine the cabinet jig. It is one of the most convenient tools out there and helps you mark the exact points where the holes are supposed to be drilled, which makes sure that you have a properly aligned setup.
In case you don’t have a cabinet jig, you can make use of a ruler or a tape measure to mark out the points where you want the holes to be. You can also make use of adhesive putty to temporarily place and align the knobs or handles.
Use the drill to drill small holes into the marked points. Keep the holes small in the beginning as you can always make them bigger if you want to, but if you make them too big, there’s no going back and you may also see some splintering in the back side of the cabinet.
Place your screws through the backside of the cabinet, and your handle or knob right in the front, and drill or screw in from the backside of the cabinet door to hold it firmly in place. Do this for all the cabinets you want to.
Tips and Tricks to Properly Install Cabinet Bar Pulls
To help you out even further, here are a few tips and tricks to make the process of bar pull installation much easier.
- If you’re just replacing old handles with new ones, and your old drilled holes don’t match the new ones, you can still work your way around it. Just cover those old holes with tape, and you’re pretty much sorted.
- Remember when the knobs and handles have screws that turn out to be loose? Don’t let that happen to you and make sure all the screws that you drill in are tight by making use of thread sealant. Just add a dab to every screw that you drill in and you can be sure they’ll be strong and in place!
- Not so sure about your drilling abilities? Make sure you don’t drill a large hole or cause a bit of a mishap with your beautiful cabinets with this simple and effective tip! Just place a small piece of masking tape over the area where you’re going to drill! Easy peasy!
- Always use a new and sharp drill for the project. Make sure you don’t drill too hard and if possible, you can also try practising on blocks of wood or any extra material that you may have left out from the project.
- Always have your markings sorted out first and then proceed to drilling everything and then finally installing the handles and knobs. Working on a single cabinet at a time and then working on the next can make things tougher and you may have trouble aligning everything.
- Use a drill slightly larger than the screw that you’re using. Usually, a 3/16″ drill bit is the best for the standard 8/32″ screws.
So if you have a brand new kitchen all done, or have your cabinets replaced, and are stuck with handling the hardware installation, particularly the bar pulls, these tips and tricks will help! Now get them fixed with no fear because yes, you can do it right even if you don’t have a lot of experience with DIY-ing things.
Even if you’re not entirely getting your kitchen an update, and are just looking to add a little touch of something new and elegant to your kitchen, replacing the knobs and handles could be a good idea. It won’t cost you a lot of time and money since it is a pocket friendly and easy way to update your kitchen. Best of all, they’re functional and aesthetically appealing too! You just can’t go wrong with them!
