External panels of kitchen cabinets and tables, doors of cabinets and hanging shelves - everything that is the facade of the kitchen can be done independently. Of course, home-made furniture is somewhat inferior to factory-made furniture, but it always looks original and is cheaper. To make facades for the kitchen with your own hands, you will need skillful hands, carpentry skills and the appropriate tools.
The most common materials for the manufacture of facades are:
At home, the easiest way to make a wooden facade. Wooden facades are of two types - solid and paneled. Solid products are made from solid pine, oak, alder, cherry and other species. For the manufacture of such a facade, a milling machine is not needed, a planer, circular saw or electric jigsaw is enough. Wooden surfaces strongly absorb odors, require careful maintenance, but are not afraid of mechanical stress and serve for a long time.
A cheaper option is facades made of wood-based panels covered with veneer. Such material looks very attractive, has a low weight, is easy to process, so you can assemble a facade of an unusual shape. It should be borne in mind that wood-based panels quickly absorb water, swell and deteriorate, and thin veneer does not tolerate mechanical damage.
Plastic facades have a core made of chipboard, on which decorative panels made of durable plastic are attached. It is impossible to make panels at home, therefore, ready-made ones are purchased for assembly, cut according to measurements and glued to the frame. Such products perfectly tolerate high humidity, temperature changes, mechanical stress and look great. Caring for them is quite simple: the surface is wiped with a damp cloth with a small amount of detergent.
Glass facades can be assembled by yourself, but this process is quite laborious and requires maximum accuracy and glass handling skills. Not everyone can cut and drill glass correctly, it requires a firm hand, high-quality tools and a supply of material in case of damage. In addition, facades made of ordinary glass look completely different from factory models, which use impact-resistant glass with a relief surface.
Production of solid facades
solid wood facade
To create a kitchen facade from solid wood, you will need:
- edged pine boards with a section of 30x200 mm;
- jigsaw;
- jointer;
- self-tapping screws;
- drill;
- screwdriver;
- clamps;
- accessories;
- primer;
- varnish for wood;
- glue;
- plane;
- sandpaper.
First, they take measurements and draw up a drawing of kitchen furniture. According to the drawing, the number of front and side panels, drawers and shelves is calculated. The largest structures are made first in order to minimize the amount of waste. For marking, the boards are laid out on a flat wide table; transfer measurements from the drawing to the tree and mark the cut lines with a pencil.
Cutting parts is easiest with a circular saw, firmly fixing the boards on the table. All cuts must be straight, otherwise it will not work to connect the parts tightly. When all the elements for the facade are ready, the wood is polished with a special nozzle, and the ends are cleaned with sandpaper. Then holes are drilled for fasteners and the blanks are coated with an antiseptic primer.
Assembly begins: the ends of the blanks are covered with glue, the parts are connected, the corners are aligned, and then they are clamped with clamps and left to dry completely. Finally, hinges are attached to the doors, the rails are screwed with self-tapping screws to install the internal shelves, and the fittings are hung. After that, the finished facade is treated with varnish or oil impregnation with wax.
Facade from chipboard
If chipboard is used instead of solid wood, cutting is done in the same way, but before assembly, the sections of the parts are pasted over with a special PVC tape. This process is called edging; the film protects the ends from moisture penetration, fraying, makes the appearance attractive and neat. In addition, the PVC edge prevents the evaporation of formaldehyde resins that are used to impregnate chipboard and are harmful to health.
In the process of work you will need:
- edge film roll;
- iron;
- a sheet of thick white paper;
- two clamps;
- guide rail;
- sharp knife.
A guide rail is attached to the desktop with the help of clamps. Instead of a rail, you can take any flat board, a piece of timber, the main thing is that it is convenient to support the workpiece from chipboard. They take a detail of the facade, lay it on the table and rest with one edge against the guide so that the side cut protrudes 5-7 cm above the edge of the table. The edge is measured along the length of the cut and cut off. The edge is applied to the surface, leaving overhangs about 5-10 mm wide on both sides of the cut, and then slightly fixed at one end by touching the iron.
Next, the edge is covered with a sheet of paper and the surface is heated with an iron with even, measured movements. If the film is ironed without paper, the material may overheat and warp. The iron is pressed firmly against the cut so that the edge sticks over the entire surface. After that, the workpiece is turned upside down, pressed against the countertop and held for several minutes. When the glue hardens, carefully cut off the protruding edges of the film with a sharp knife.
Excess glue is immediately wiped off with a clean cloth, the seams are polished with fine-grained sandpaper. In the same way, the ends of the remaining blanks are processed. Next, the elements are interconnected with glue and self-tapping screws, shelves are installed, hinges and locks are attached, and fittings are screwed.
The main elements of paneled facades are trim and panels. A strapping is a frame made of boards with longitudinal grooves; a panel is an internal panel with curly cutters around the perimeter. When assembling, the panels are inserted into the grooves of the strapping and fixed with glue and self-tapping screws. This design avoids surface deformations during temperature fluctuations.
To make paneled doors for a kitchen cabinet, you will need:
Step 1. Calculations of workpiece parameters
Measure the opening of the cabinet vertically and horizontally, draw up a drawing. 3 mm are subtracted from the height and width of the opening - these are the dimensions of the door frame. The width of the uprights and horizontal bars depends on the width of the board. The parameters of the panel are calculated as follows: the total width of the crossbars is subtracted from the height of the frame and 2 cm are added; the width of the panel corresponds to the length of the crossbars. For one door, you should get 5 elements - 1 panel, 2 crossbars and 2 vertical racks.
Step 2. Cutting out the details
Using a jigsaw, a pine board is cut into racks and crossbars according to the drawing. On a milling machine, a groove 6 mm wide and 10 mm deep is sawn in the side cut of each part. Then longitudinal spikes 10x6 mm are formed on the ends of the crossbars. On a sheet of plywood, make markings with a pencil and cut out a panel. The edges of each element are treated with sandpaper, the surface of the boards is polished.
Step 3. Assembly of the product
The edges of the panel are inserted into the grooves of the vertical posts, the lower crossbar is put on the plywood and the spikes of the crossbar are connected to the sidewalls. Attach the top bar next. If all the elements fit evenly, without gaps and distortions, tightly enough, then everything is done correctly. Now the door is disassembled, the grooves, spikes and edges of the panel are smeared with glue, put everything together again and the joints are pressed tightly. Wipe off the adhesive immediately with a damp, clean cloth. For fixing it is recommended to use clamps, then the product is not deformed during the drying process.
Step 4. Finishing
When the glue dries, the joints are carefully sanded, and then the door is treated with an antiseptic composition. The next layer is paint or varnish, you can also use stain, special oil impregnation, self-adhesive film. Figured carving is often used as a decoration for the frame, but not everyone can do it without the appropriate skills. Plywood will be completely replaced by a thin board, glass, figured forged grating, colored polycarbonate or plastic panel.
Hinges and fittings are fixed after completion of finishing work. First determine the location of the loops on the walls of the box; mark the fastener points on the facade frame and drill holes. Screw the hinges to the frame, insert the door into the box and fix the hinges on the cabinet wall. Check the progress of the hinges by closing and opening the door. In the closed state, there should be no gaps and irregularities around the perimeter of the facade. Other elements of the kitchen facade are performed in a similar way. In the absence of a milling machine, you should choose options with the least number of shelves and panels, since manually cutting grooves is quite difficult.
Also read the article - how to assemble a kitchen with your own hands.
Video - Do-it-yourself kitchen facades
A modern kitchen should be functional and create a good mood. After all, this room is visited as often as a bathroom. Constant moisture, shock, steam and grease quickly damage the front walls of the furniture. You can create facades for the kitchen with your own hands, completely changing the look of the whole house. Various materials and decorative elements make the old kitchen facade unique. A little skill and imagination.
Self-finishing of the kitchen and facade
Modern home design is impossible without beautiful kitchen furniture.
We are engaged in the interior of the kitchen on our own
A friend has finished building a house. Now the restoration of the kitchen facades in the old apartment where he lived with his family, and with our aunts, was coming. We began to sort out with him ways of finishing and decorating kitchen facades. The easiest way was to paint in a bright color. Clean out potholes and scratches and level with putty. But simple budget solutions are not for us. The choice of material is large:
- wood;
- glass;
- plastic;
- self-adhesive film;
- dye;
- wallpaper.
As a decoration, you can use moldings, plastic elements with imitation of stucco, carvings, accessories.
We started from Vadik's apartment. There was no point in completely changing the furniture, since only the facade lost the view. While growing up, children repeatedly painted the doors of tables and cabinets with chalk and felt-tip pens. There were scratches on the surface, not washable stains.
Do-it-yourself restoration
Self-finishing facades in the kitchen
I have enough tools, starting from a jigsaw, and ending with a set of cutters for carving. We measured each door and made a sketch of its future appearance, and what kind of decoration we would put on it. After that, Vadik himself prepared the details. First, I cut it to the size of the plank for the frame. The cross bars are longer. They had to make protrusions - spikes that would go into the groove of the vertical slats.
Related article: Bright refrigerator in the interior of the kitchen (45 photos)
Along the inner perimeter of the frame of future kitchen doors, I made a small groove, equal in width to the thickness of the panel. After that, a friend prepared inserts. After assembling each door of the facade, I checked the fit and the overall geometry.
The decoration of the facade was done in the same style as the design of the whole house - classical. Having applied a pattern according to the template, we created an ornament on the frame and a carved pattern on the panel with various cutters. Then carefully cleaned and polished all the details.
The elements of the future facade were fixed with glue. We took a special one for wooden surfaces. You can use building PVA. The composition was applied to the grooves, after the connection, all the excess that came out was quickly wiped off.
Now it was possible to paint, make a dark background and use a roller to go over with light paint, highlighting the carved decoration. We used a clear primer and matte varnish. The warmth from natural wood with a unique pattern was enough to create a warm atmosphere for the whole house.
Installed the fittings, hung the doors in place. Finished decorating the facade with decorative handles. The restoration took a long time. We made it with our own hands. There is no other facade like this. We managed not only to update the kitchen interior, but to make a unique design of old kitchen furniture.
Easy to paint with enamel
Do-it-yourself kitchen decoration
Vadik decided to make kitchen facades for aunts with his own hands. Our relatives preferred budget options. It was enough for them to paint the front walls with light paint to update the interior. The main thing is that you can carry out the work quickly and do not have to leave home.
The first facade was made of wood and plywood. He lost his appearance, but was whole. First, I had to correct the warped elements and replace the fittings in some places. Then clean and sand the surface. Align everything with putty and polish again. Before painting, coat twice with white primer.
The small area of the kitchen did not allow making the facades dark or painting them in rich colors. It was possible to update only light paint and small decorative elements. The restoration took place under the supervision and guidance of my aunt. So we had to choose the moment, distract her by preparing a surprise in advance. A vinyl decoration was glued to the facade. Application in the form of bouquets of wildflowers was different on each door. Self-adhesive ball pre-ordered in size. We were able to do the artwork in a few minutes.
Related article: Buy laminate at low prices has become a reality
Another relative had a larger kitchen. The facade was badly worn out and it was necessary to change the panel. We decided to make the doors and front walls of the boxes out of plastic.
- An aluminum profile was used for the frame. Cut it to size with a cutting disc.
- The elements were connected with self-tapping screws. Plastic was inserted into the grooves of the profile.
- Fittings installed.
- Hung new doors and adjusted them.
The apron also had to be updated. The façade was a rich crimson color, and my aunt loves it very much. The wall of the working area was covered with white plastic. The decoration was vinyl applications, only with a different pattern. Identical decorations are placed in the corners.
We use natural materials to improve the climate at home
Do-it-yourself facade
For a house located in the city, it is important to have more natural materials in the interior. Wood is expensive. A budget option that allows you to update the furniture in the kitchen, make the facade of chipboard and MDF. The material consists of natural wood waste, therefore relatively cheap. It can be painted, varnished. Fine pressed sawdust allows you to create relief patterns. The cutter needs a special one. The wood tool quickly sits down, and the decoration will have different grooves.
When working with pressed plates, the most difficult thing was to remove the aunt from the house. During processing, fine dust rises, settling in the lungs. We used respirators. The elderly woman always strove to give us instructions, without protecting her respiratory organs with anything.
By the time my aunt returned from the dacha, we managed to completely update the facade on her kitchen furniture. Paint the doors and drawers beige with a spray gun. Then, with a short pile roller, everything was covered with a white tone. Finished with a durable clear lacquer. When the woman returned, she was pleasantly struck by the new look of the interior of her house. We immediately received the title of the best nephews of the country.
Wallpaper and self-adhesive film as a budget home makeover
kitchen facade