Knarled Kitchen Cabinets

Mit12252274
by Mit12252274
I am upgrading kitchen cabinets and the doors to the ones under the sink have knarl marks from shoes. What is the best hack for DIY "Kick Plates" to apply to these doors?
  8 answers
  • Mar28511664 Mar28511664 on Nov 17, 2017

    I don’t know


  • You could buy thin strips of wood to make an outer frame to cover the damage. Then paint the door.

  • William William on Nov 17, 2017

    I like Ann's idea. Framing the doors is the best idea. Would give the doors a little style. If you want to leave them flat remove the the loose vinyl veneer, lightly sanding the doors and feathering the veneer. Then prime and paint.


    Make sure they are clean and dry. Remove the doors and hardware. Mark the doors and cabinets with tape where they go. Lightly sand the doors and cabinets to remove any gloss and roughen the surface for paint with 120- to 220-grit sandpaper. Use a tack cloth or damp rag to remove dust after sanding. Prime with a stain blocking primer like Zinsser 123, KILZ,or BIN and have it tinted to the color of the top coat. This will prevent dark or stained surfaces from showing through the top coat. Acrylic, or water-base, paints are low-fume and clean up easily with water. Alkyd, or oil-base, paints require good ventilation because the paint contains solvents that can irritate your lungs and make you feel sick. Alkyd options require mineral spirits for cleanup, but they provide a hard, durable paint finish. Whichever you use, buy the best-quality paint you can afford for a lasting kitchen cabinet finish. Seal with at least three coats with a water based polyurethane. Use a small foam roller and foam brush for a smooth finish.

    • Mit12252274 Mit12252274 on Nov 19, 2017

      Refinishing and painting were a definite solution that I was contemplating. I thought about a polyurothane coating as well. I also thought of maybe applying a steel or thick aluminum "kick plate" at the bottom of the doors.

  • 2dogal 2dogal on Nov 18, 2017

    I would go to a big box hardware store and buy metal kick plates. They are not expensive and just screw in. They come in all metals and can be decorative.

  • Joh21957255 Joh21957255 on Nov 18, 2017

    Liquid Nails or Loctite


  • John Biermacher John Biermacher on Nov 18, 2017

    First you should repair the door by chipping off the lose loose veneer or re-glueing it with gorilla glue (clamping/taping required). Then fill the voids with auto body filler. Sand, prime, and paint.


    Then add a kick plate, if desired.

  • Jeanne Martin Jeanne Martin on Nov 18, 2017

    i don't know what your desired outcome is, but I really like Ann's idea. Good luck!

  • William William on Nov 19, 2017

    Generally lower cabinets do have a have a recessed kickplate below the cabinet bottom. You can add a kickplate on the lower part of the doors. Paint it the same color as the doors so it wouldn't stand out.