05-17-2006, 09:51 AM
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#1
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Sector 7-G
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DIY Kitchen Cabinets
So I'm about to embark on a kitchen reno project - the 80's vintage cabinets have go to go.
I was hoping people could recommend a good do it yourself cabinet place here in Calgary (I'm familar with Home Depot, Rona, Cabinet Solutions, and Ikea). I know there's full service guys like Prestique, but we were hoping to shave some of the costs by doing the install work our selves (did one before with Ikea so we're familar with the process). We won't do the countertops ourselves though.
Thanks!
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05-17-2006, 10:59 AM
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#2
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: I'm right behind you
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Quote:
Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse
So I'm about to embark on a kitchen reno project - the 80's vintage cabinets have go to go.
I was hoping people could recommend a good do it yourself cabinet place here in Calgary (I'm familar with Home Depot, Rona, Cabinet Solutions, and Ikea). I know there's full service guys like Prestique, but we were hoping to shave some of the costs by doing the install work our selves (did one before with Ikea so we're familar with the process). We won't do the countertops ourselves though.
Thanks!
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I would actually recommend Home Depot but the only word of advice I would give you is to check, re-check and then check again when it comes to your measurements.
After you do that make sure you print off all of your measurements on a page with a signature space (including a space to print the name as well) for the Home Depot associate to sign off on when you give them the measurements. Be sure to include the date as well.
While this may not necessarily insure against errors in the manufacturing process I have found this ploy effective in getting the person placing the order to pay extra attention to the details. For some reason when people know you know who they are, have their signature and their agreement as to the correctness of the numbers they tend to try harder to get things right as they don't want to be held accountable for something that could cost their company money.
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05-17-2006, 11:14 AM
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#3
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Scoring Winger
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Calgary
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I've done Home Depot, Cabinet Solutions and Ikea before.
I don't think it really matters who you go with when you're talking about this grade of cabinet. They are all square, have hinges, and doors. Ikeas wall cabinet hanging arrangement is a bit different, but seem to work okay.
Find ones you like and give'er.
How square is the room? Are the walls bowed? Is the floor flat?
Good call on the countertops. I've built laminate countertops from scratch and it is a bit of an artform, especially if the walls aren't straight!
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05-17-2006, 11:19 AM
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#4
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Scoring Winger
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Why don't you keep the cabinets as they are and replace just the doors. If you got to a place like Multiwood they can custom make cabinet doors for you. I think it cost me about $30 for drawers and $45 for Doors. Plus hardware of course. But if its not a custom size the rates are really reasonable.
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05-17-2006, 11:50 AM
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#5
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Sector 7-G
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Thanks for the advice so far everyone - it sounds like HD, Rona, and Cabinet Solutions are my only places.... has anyone got the custom cabinets that would normally be installed by pros and tried installing themselves (ie Canac Cabinets)? Is KitchenCraft still around, or are they folded into Cabinet Solutions?
I like cabinet solutions as they will send out a measurement guy... Reaper you're bang on on the importance of measurements, I had to sacrifice an Ikea base cabinet for that reason the last time I did this!
We're trying to go upmarket on this one, so doing doors only wouldn't quite work, and we are also nuking all the old appliances and need bigger openings. Going granite too so I don't even want to think about DIY'ing that one!
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05-17-2006, 12:15 PM
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#6
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Scoring Winger
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If you need new cabinets as well its not that hard to make your own out of MDF. Then put a iron-on maple (etc) veneer on the fronts and buy some maple ply for the sides and stain to match. Its really just making a box. Half to rent or buy a brad nailer of course but its fun.
Oh yeah have a good supply of clamps on hand too.
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05-17-2006, 12:53 PM
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#7
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Memento Mori
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If you're going Granite, then I suggest you consider Quartz instead. It's the second hardest material known to man, and thusly resists dings far, far better than Granite.
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05-17-2006, 01:02 PM
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#8
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Calgary
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I redid our entire kitchen in a very nice maple about 3 years ago (I had 70's vintage myself  ). It turned out awesome, and was a big feature when we recently sold our house. Rona (Revy) helped out with the planning for no charge, delivered all the material, I built all the cabinets and installed them with some friends. I assembled the cabinets in the basement first.
There's a couple of tricks, such as getting the right length screws & saddles (to tie the cabinets together) from Calgary Fasteners, using a proper glue, and also using shims & clamps to get the whole caboodle sitting straight. As long as you're not all thumbs, you shouldn't have too many problems. It took me about 2 weeks of evenings & weekends to totally put all in, and then tinkering to get the doors all lined up nice. Had the main row of cabinets up in about a day and a half (no doors). You will also have to drill and install handles, but with a template this is not too difficult. I had a private contractor do the countertop afterwards. Overall, I think I paid about 1/3rd of what it would have cost commercially.
Feel free to pm me.
Last edited by Ironhorse; 05-17-2006 at 01:06 PM.
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05-17-2006, 02:49 PM
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#9
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Powerplay Quarterback
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Quote:
Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse
So I'm about to embark on a kitchen reno project - the 80's vintage cabinets have go to go.
I was hoping people could recommend a good do it yourself cabinet place here in Calgary (I'm familar with Home Depot, Rona, Cabinet Solutions, and Ikea). I know there's full service guys like Prestique, but we were hoping to shave some of the costs by doing the install work our selves (did one before with Ikea so we're familar with the process). We won't do the countertops ourselves though.
Thanks!
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The best advantage of the IKEA cabinets is they sit on adjustable legs instead of a square plinth. Last year I installed my new IKEA kitchen in a 100 year old house in Inglewood. My floor was over 2" off level over 13'. Because of the adjustable legs on the IKEA cabinets it still made for an easy installation. Installing a kitchen is fairly easy to do but I do recommend gettting the countertops done professionally.
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