Stale kitchen cabinets can have brand new look

If you are considering a kitchen renovation, then prepare for some sticker shock.

This is the most expensive renovation project that you can take on. But there are a few ways to do it on a smaller budget.

For example, kitchen cabinets, if still in good shape, can be refaced. That usually means removing and replacing the old doors and drawer fronts.

This will cost a fraction of what new cabinets would set you back. Here are some things you need to know in order to see if this option might be the one for you.

The doors and drawer fronts will need to be replaced, so you need to take accurate measurements of all of these pieces. You may find that in shopping for doors, the stores may offer to measure for you for free — which is worth it, in my opinion.

Then all doors and drawer fronts need to be removed. The hinges usually will need to be replaced as well.

If you plan to paint, then you can just clean the wood and paint. Use trisodium phosphate, or TSP, to clean away grease and grime.

If you are going to go with stained doors, then you will need to cover the existing wood with veneer. If you can find a peel-andstick veneer, you are going to love the ease of installing it over the standard contact adhesive installation. Be sure to use a good utility knife and some new blades for trimming it.

If your drawer fronts are part of the drawer and not removable, then you will need to try to turn the drawer around and use it that way instead. You can trim the old drawer front to fit the cabinet and then install the new drawer front to the old back of the drawer.

Consider adding new hardware, too. It will cost a little more, but it’s quickly installed and should add to the nice appearance of your upgraded kitchen.

Q: We have two large — and ugly — fluorescent ceiling fixtures in our kitchen. Please tell me I can replace them easily. What’s involved? — G.L.

A: You probably can do it. Turn off the circuit at the breaker box to these fixtures. Then remove the fixtures, disconnecting the wires as well. You may have to do some touch-up painting to the ceiling if the fixtures were larger than the new ones will be. The new lamps are then going to go up with the wiring connections and whatever mounting hardware they came with. As long as your wiring connections are good and your electrical boxes can hold the weight of the new fixtures, you should be in good shape. If you aren’t sure of your skills, hire someone to do it. You are going to love the new look. Multiples uses of baking soda

Baking soda isn’t just for baking. As a matter of fact, it can be used for all sorts of things in the shop and home. Baking soda doesn’t cost very much and just about everybody has a box or two in the house, so why not use it to its full potential? We have put together a listing of some of our favorite uses. If you would like a copy of our list “Get Cooking with Baking Soda,” just send us a self-addressed, stamped envelope to The Super Handyman, in care of the Houston Chronicle, P.O. Box 4260, Houston, TX 77210; allow six to eight weeks for delivery. There’s a lot of cool information available directly from the website, www.thesuperhandyman.com, too.

New life for trash can

I walked into my neighbor’s garage the other day and noticed that all of her rakes and shovels were inside the trash can. I asked her if she was throwing them away. She told me that the old trash can had become a good place to store them and, although it would tip over now and then, it had worked out really well.

I told her how to make it even more functional by putting some bricks or rocks in the bottom for extra weight to keep it from tipping over.

Then I found the lid and showed her that she could drill holes into the lid so that the tools would slip into the holes and be evenly spaced out, so they would not catch on each other as she pulled them out.

It was already on wheels, or I would have suggested that as well.

Dear Kelly: I was gluing the sides of an old flower pot back together and needed to clamp it with something. I got out a bunch of cable ties and strung them together to reach around the pot in both directions to hold it together tightly until it was set up. After it was finished setting up, I cut off the bands. — J.C.

Dear Ms. Carrell: I’m finished painting my kitchen cabinets, and I have a little trick to share with you. I removed the doors and laid them out over the dropcloth. I was planning on using my sprayer for a smooth finish, but I didn’t want them to stick to the tarp. I set each cabinet door on top of small thumbtacks. This allowed me to get a good coat of paint on the surface and even around the sides a little bit. It came out great. — B.H.

Q:

I have an old table that was my grandmother’s. It has scratches and water stains all over it, but I want to try to save it. What is the quickest way to make it look better on a tight budget? — C.Y.

A: Mix up some olive oil and some vinegar (50 percent mix) and rub it over the surface. This will even out the finish and help conceal the scratches. You can wax it to add a layer of protection if you like the way it looks.

A super HandyMom tip — I have rabbits in my yard. I think they are cute, but they have just about cleaned out my vegetable garden completely. I have used some wire fencing, but that hasn’t worked very well. I also tried chili powder, and that worked for a little while, but now it has stopped working on most of my plants. I remembered reading that talcum powder would keep them out, so I tried it. I just put down a trail of it around the perimeter of the garden, and so far it’s actually working. Look up for shelving

Extra storage space always comes in handy. If you could add a shelf somewhere that would look OK and be functional, you’d do it, right? Just add a couple of small shelf brackets next to the door frame at the top, and add a shelf over your door. The door trim will act as additional support. These are great for a garage, bathroom or office, and will give you a lot of additional storage while being barely noticeable.

Dear Kelly: I have a neat way to store my garden tools, and it didn’t cost me a dime to do. I used an old radiator hose for it. I sliced it into 4-inch pieces and then slit each down the side. I tacked these to the wall of my garden shed with some roofing nails and set the handles of the tools into these little hose/pockets. They close up around the handles and hold them in place, standing upright and ready to use. — E.R.

A super hint — Working up on the roof is rarely easy and usually hot during the summer. Don’t forget to take a car floor mat up with you. It will allow you to sit or kneel without burning yourself in the process. It won’t work miracles, but it will make things a little easier.

Dear Super HandyMom: I wanted to update our bar, so I replaced the old countertop with one made of granite, and then I used more of the granite to replace the old glass shelves.

I took off the cabinet doors and removed the center panel of each and set some stained-glass panels into these instead. I replaced the old ceiling fixture with a pendant light and added a lamp for more light. — N.B.

Got a question or a tip? Send it to The Super Handyman in care of the Houston Chronicle, or visit our website at www.thesuperhandyman.com. Those of general interest will be used in future columns.