Where do you live?
I vote Ikea/RTA as well, and think buying a cabinet saw is almost certainly a bad idea.
If you can find a CNC shop near you, that would certainly change the picture. There are some very easy softwares like Mozaik that would allow you to design your kitchen and have someone else receive/cut the 10-20 sheets of plywood and turn them into something that assembles about the same as IKEA but is infinitely more custom and nicer.
I think full overlay is the easiest design option, but if you want a face frame that is totally DIYable as well. Some people also do an "Ikea hack" where they use Ikea for boxes and hardware and then do custom fronts.
I think BEST case scenario, with some luck maybe someone near you has a Thermwood Router and you could use their Cut Ready online interface which is easier than ordering Ikea. Your friend should quote you $30k for the install through his business and then insurance can pay... him.
I think the two main things people underestimate with cabinets is how hard it is to handle full sheets of 3/4 ply outside of a proper shop, and hinges/drawer slides and the sizes of drawers boxes and fronts relative to those bits of hardware. With full overlay and slab fronts, everything can be cut out of sheets on the CNC, everything relates to the cabinets boxes the same, and if you have to redo anything it's less costly than rebuilding shaker doors or something.
I live in Nashville, so construction costs are high, but my issue is more that we have custom cabinets and then we would be putting in cheaper cabinets, thus decreasing the value of the house.
but this comment is very helpful! thank you!
I'm in Nashville too. Go see Adam at backwater. Their RTAs are pretty nice and they assemble them. Pricing is great. You can use my account if it gets you better pricing but honestly they are super cool and I'm sure would take care of you.
Mozaik can link to a ShopSabre pretty easily, and this shop has one and only charges $75/hr which is a very good rate. I would call and ask what they recommend.
I cut most of my parts on a ShopSabre, and you could even hire us to design the files for you if that shop only handles production. If you have a VR headset that can link to SketchUp, you can do a walkthrough.
Mold isn't as scary as advertised. It's good to get it out and not live with it.
The cabinets will be fastened to each other and to the walls. You'll want to track down each of these screws and remove them. The cabs will pop free from the paint and walls quiet easily once disconnected, test with a little pry bar. There's probably no need to throw out the existing cabinets. They can be dismounted and rehung. Alcohol cleaner should be adequate in most situations.
They'll use a bleach cleaner and more aggressive mold killing products inside the walls at the source.
Hanging cabs isn't diy. It has to be taught to some. You need to understand how to level and plumb, rejoin the cabs, do your layout, attach your countertops, cut the crown molding or trim then install it. All the tools you need and the process to tidy everything up is overlooked by many.
Tops are heavy. They're often only silicone glued to the cabs. You can pop the glue free by driving several shims in different places. Cutting with a multitool may help.
It's no race. You want to minimize the top flexing when removing or simply transporting it out of the way. Seams in your top will make this process that much harder.
Big time disagree with the install not being DIYable. Obviously there is a lot of opportunity to mess up, but it's not fundamentally complicated. If the boxes are square and you have the right tools (all totalling under $200) and half a brain you can get it right.
what tools do you think I need? It's really more of a repair then full custom cabinets. I don't think of the hanging cabinets will need repair, just the ones that sit on the ground.
A drill, a 6' level (maybe even a laser), a string line (no chalk), handi shims (linked below), some quick-grip squeeze clamps , a simple hole-saw kit.
I have a van full of tools, but for a simple install of lowers only, but I really think that would just about do it. Ideally your handyman friend has some circular saw skills and a sander, and you can scribe your end panels and skip the silly little mouldings people use for cheap installs-- then you wouldn't even need a nail gun.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0035H5GWW?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
RTA cabinets my friend. This is not a good time for you to learn to build cabinets from scratch. Plus you have to store materials. Get the mold out. Get your new cabs in. Get your life back. You don't want to be without a kitchen for months. An RTA kitchen will stack in your dining room. You still get to build something. Watch some videos on assembly and install. Good assembly makes all the difference for RTA. Install is not as easy as you think, to get a quality finished product.
Last kitchen I built was 350 man hours start to finish, and I have a shop with a CNC, sliding saw, edgebanding machine, pro spray equipment, etc. And I build cabinets LOL.
Granted it was big and custom, but you get my drift. It can be done with less, but that just increases your time.
1. If you have mold in your cabinets, check your homeowners insurance; you may have a valid claim and should consider this before spending too much of your own money.
2. Flat packed or Ready to Assemble (RTA) are a great option; finishing cabinets is more difficult than people realize and underestimate the amount of work needed.
3. Make sure you clean out the mold properly before putting new cabinets in; you don’t want to repeat this process again.
Buying all the tools to build cabs and learning how to build them is going to be a huge time commitment and tool cost.
I would recommend taking really good measurements and then googling some companies that will send you flat pack cabinets. You would just have to assemble and install. Finding the cause of the mold is the important part though.
If you have a shop or garage, you can save a ton of money by building them yourself. Buy a cabinet saw, a planer, pocket hole jig, and then start watching you tube videos on how to build cabinets. Easy but time consuming. I have a client the has the same problem....mold...so I'm building all new base cabinets for them.
Where do you live? I vote Ikea/RTA as well, and think buying a cabinet saw is almost certainly a bad idea. If you can find a CNC shop near you, that would certainly change the picture. There are some very easy softwares like Mozaik that would allow you to design your kitchen and have someone else receive/cut the 10-20 sheets of plywood and turn them into something that assembles about the same as IKEA but is infinitely more custom and nicer. I think full overlay is the easiest design option, but if you want a face frame that is totally DIYable as well. Some people also do an "Ikea hack" where they use Ikea for boxes and hardware and then do custom fronts. I think BEST case scenario, with some luck maybe someone near you has a Thermwood Router and you could use their Cut Ready online interface which is easier than ordering Ikea. Your friend should quote you $30k for the install through his business and then insurance can pay... him. I think the two main things people underestimate with cabinets is how hard it is to handle full sheets of 3/4 ply outside of a proper shop, and hinges/drawer slides and the sizes of drawers boxes and fronts relative to those bits of hardware. With full overlay and slab fronts, everything can be cut out of sheets on the CNC, everything relates to the cabinets boxes the same, and if you have to redo anything it's less costly than rebuilding shaker doors or something.
I live in Nashville, so construction costs are high, but my issue is more that we have custom cabinets and then we would be putting in cheaper cabinets, thus decreasing the value of the house. but this comment is very helpful! thank you!
I'm in Nashville too. Go see Adam at backwater. Their RTAs are pretty nice and they assemble them. Pricing is great. You can use my account if it gets you better pricing but honestly they are super cool and I'm sure would take care of you.
Mozaik can link to a ShopSabre pretty easily, and this shop has one and only charges $75/hr which is a very good rate. I would call and ask what they recommend. I cut most of my parts on a ShopSabre, and you could even hire us to design the files for you if that shop only handles production. If you have a VR headset that can link to SketchUp, you can do a walkthrough.
Oops: https://eastnashvillecnc.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwm_SzBhAsEiwAXE2Cv9ao5LZ5wWTzS2aAkayyUQlZzXiBLBSSRgLG1RvmOjlqT9OPRHtvQxoC8PoQAvD_BwE
I will continue to help-- it's very, very doable, but obviously it could go horribly wrong and be super frustrating and slow.
wow thank you!
Mold isn't as scary as advertised. It's good to get it out and not live with it. The cabinets will be fastened to each other and to the walls. You'll want to track down each of these screws and remove them. The cabs will pop free from the paint and walls quiet easily once disconnected, test with a little pry bar. There's probably no need to throw out the existing cabinets. They can be dismounted and rehung. Alcohol cleaner should be adequate in most situations. They'll use a bleach cleaner and more aggressive mold killing products inside the walls at the source. Hanging cabs isn't diy. It has to be taught to some. You need to understand how to level and plumb, rejoin the cabs, do your layout, attach your countertops, cut the crown molding or trim then install it. All the tools you need and the process to tidy everything up is overlooked by many.
do you think its possible to remove the cabinets without breaking the marble on top?
Tops are heavy. They're often only silicone glued to the cabs. You can pop the glue free by driving several shims in different places. Cutting with a multitool may help. It's no race. You want to minimize the top flexing when removing or simply transporting it out of the way. Seams in your top will make this process that much harder.
Big time disagree with the install not being DIYable. Obviously there is a lot of opportunity to mess up, but it's not fundamentally complicated. If the boxes are square and you have the right tools (all totalling under $200) and half a brain you can get it right.
what tools do you think I need? It's really more of a repair then full custom cabinets. I don't think of the hanging cabinets will need repair, just the ones that sit on the ground.
A drill, a 6' level (maybe even a laser), a string line (no chalk), handi shims (linked below), some quick-grip squeeze clamps , a simple hole-saw kit. I have a van full of tools, but for a simple install of lowers only, but I really think that would just about do it. Ideally your handyman friend has some circular saw skills and a sander, and you can scribe your end panels and skip the silly little mouldings people use for cheap installs-- then you wouldn't even need a nail gun. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0035H5GWW?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
thank you!
Check out IKEA. Quality in that price range is going to be better than the home centers.
YouTube 100%
RTA cabinets my friend. This is not a good time for you to learn to build cabinets from scratch. Plus you have to store materials. Get the mold out. Get your new cabs in. Get your life back. You don't want to be without a kitchen for months. An RTA kitchen will stack in your dining room. You still get to build something. Watch some videos on assembly and install. Good assembly makes all the difference for RTA. Install is not as easy as you think, to get a quality finished product. Last kitchen I built was 350 man hours start to finish, and I have a shop with a CNC, sliding saw, edgebanding machine, pro spray equipment, etc. And I build cabinets LOL. Granted it was big and custom, but you get my drift. It can be done with less, but that just increases your time.
1. If you have mold in your cabinets, check your homeowners insurance; you may have a valid claim and should consider this before spending too much of your own money. 2. Flat packed or Ready to Assemble (RTA) are a great option; finishing cabinets is more difficult than people realize and underestimate the amount of work needed. 3. Make sure you clean out the mold properly before putting new cabinets in; you don’t want to repeat this process again.
Buying all the tools to build cabs and learning how to build them is going to be a huge time commitment and tool cost. I would recommend taking really good measurements and then googling some companies that will send you flat pack cabinets. You would just have to assemble and install. Finding the cause of the mold is the important part though.
If you have a shop or garage, you can save a ton of money by building them yourself. Buy a cabinet saw, a planer, pocket hole jig, and then start watching you tube videos on how to build cabinets. Easy but time consuming. I have a client the has the same problem....mold...so I'm building all new base cabinets for them.