Remove Kitchen Cabinets for Stripping...or Not?

Refinish your cabinets while still on the wall? Well, why not?

But think about it. When you apply liquid strippers to a vertical surface, those liquids will drip. Even gels and pastes are prone to sliding down. Some cabinets are relatively simple to remove. Look behind the plates and bowls, and you may clearly see four screws (more or less) per cabinet, where those cabinet are attached to the wall.

Is that it? Remarkably, yes. It doesn't take a whole heck of a lot to hold up kitchen cabinets, if those fasteners are planted right into studs. Even with all of the weight of casseroles, pots, and what-have-you. Of course, life is never that easy, right? You would like to turn out those 4 screws and have the thing lift easily to the ground.

You may encounter a "paint seal" where cabinet and wall meet. This happens if the wall is painted after cabinets are installed, and the paint is brought up too close to the cabinet. In this case, score the "seal" with a straight razor.