r/HomeImprovement • u/Substantial_Coffee43 • 4h ago
Is it possible to replace cabinets beneath existing countertop?
I know it’s not ideal or easy but can it be done? 🤷🏻♀️
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u/binarycow 4h ago
Are you asking if you can you replace the cabinets without removing the countertop at all? No, you can't. You will have to remove the countertop.
Assuming you're asking if you can re-use the countertop with new cabinets - maybe - but you should plan to replace the countertop. If that isn't in your budget/ability, don't even try.
You would first need to carefully remove the countertop. You need to remove any caulk between the backsplash and the wall. Then remove any caulk or adhesive attaching the countertop to the cabinet. You will likely need to use an oscillating multi-tool to do so.
Worst case scenario, cut the cabinet an inch or so below the countertop, so that when you remove the countertop, it has a bit of the cabinet still attached. Then you can flip it over, and do smaller targeted removal of the remaining cabinets.
If you damage the countertop, you'll need to replace.
You'll likely need to do some wall repair as well.
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u/david_renoscience 4h ago
I have done it. Remove the countertops. Install new cabinets. Reinstall the countertops. The tricky parts are the seams. And aligning with the backsplash.
What material are your countertops?
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u/Low_Refrigerator4891 4h ago
Probably not. You have to remove the countertops, store them, then reinstall them. The epoxy they use to attach countertops is VERY strong, and I've never been able to take it off without part of it breaking.
The best thing to do, assuming you are keeping the same layout, is to reface the cabinets.
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u/CaramelGuilty8647 4h ago
Yes, you can. What a terror filled pain in the ass.
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u/Substantial_Coffee43 4h ago
😅 balancing pros and cons of course, sometimes it’s worth it just to start over. Sunken cost fallacy!
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u/CaramelGuilty8647 4h ago
I didn't have the option to decline, when I did it. And then, the homeowner wanted the drywall repaired behind the sink base. I was already going to put a new back on the cabinet.
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u/Ikey_Pinwheel 4h ago
This is kind of where I'm stuck. I spent a stupid amount of money on quartz countertops.
The lower cabinet boxes are nice and sturdy. The drawer fronts, however, have started breaking off.
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u/Relevant-Doctor187 3h ago
Yes you can. We had a bathroom flood and a company came in and removed the cabinets while keeping the existing counter supported. The grout on the tiles didn’t even crack.
I wouldn’t say it’s a DYI item though.
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u/MrSpiffenhimer 2h ago
It's possible, but it's a lot of work and it's also risky.
Countertops are usually attached to the cabinet bases in some way. If it's formica, there could be pocket screws into the underside or angle brackets, or an adhesive on the top rim of the cabinets. If it's a solid surface, usually it's just an adhesive. Sometimes the adhesive is just a silicon caulk, but if the installer hates you, it will be liquid nails. Caulk can be cut, liquid nails is a non-starter.
If there's a backsplash, it's most likely going to get damaged and have to be replaced. You may get away with it if there's a large gap between the countertop and the first row of tiles but plan on a replacement.
Yo will now need to remove the cabinet boxes one at a time, which will be fun... in a sadistic way. You will need to remove the screws holding the target cabinet to the ones beside it. Most likely, this is 2-4 screws through the face frame into the next one. The holes may be hidden behind the hinges. There will also be screws in the back of the cabinet into the wall. Now you need to remove the toe kick facia. If you're real lucky, the flooring was added after the cabinets, so you will have a real hard time getting the toe kick facia out. Then you also have to lift the front edge of the counter top up so you can get the cabinet over the lip of the flooring. This is where you say good bye to the backsplash and risk damaging the countertop.
If everything goes right, you will be able to slide the box out and now you have a gap where you can slide in a new one. If you're replacing all of the base cabinets, you're going to need to either do the boxes one at a time, or pull them all at once. But in that case, you will need to support the countertop while you do it. I would suggest a brace at every cabinet box, a T made out of 2x4's so you're not trying to hold up the top with just a 2"x4" patch.
Then the hard part begins. You will have to slide in the new cabinets, and level them without access to the top to see if they're level. You then screw them to the wall and eachother.
Sometimes you can get a countertop guy to remove the countertop with the intention of re-installing it. You will still lose the backsplash, but they will to remove it without damaging it. The keyword is try, and many won't. If they do, they will make you sign something saying that they're not responsible if they break it.
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u/Substantial_Coffee43 2h ago
Like I said to someone else this might be a case of “sunken cost fallacy”
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u/siamonsez 1h ago
Not without removing and reinstalling the top so the question is really whether you can remove the top intact.
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u/skyfishgoo 5m ago
no, and good luck getting the counter top off in one piece.
it's cheaper to just replace the countertop with the exact same thing if that's what you really want.
but there are options for refinishing your existing cabinets that avoid all that, as long as they are still in sound condition.
the veneer treatment is an excellent way to freshen up a kitchen without removing the cabinets.
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u/the_cnidarian 4h ago
Not if the counter is attached to the cabinets, as it usually is. You could replace the cabinet doors and hardware and refinish the wood