paneling question

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To all the do it yourselfers out there. I have finally talked my DH into taking the pannelling out of my kitchen. The problem is that unless we can come up with a way to remove it without taking all the cabinets out we are talking a mojor remodiling job. There is drywall behind the pannelling. Is there a way that it can be cut around the cabinets without it looking crappy? If so what kind of saw would you use? Please any and all advice would be so much appreciated. I have lived for 5 years with this ugly panneling in every room of my house. The former owners must have really liked pannelling but I hate it.

-- tracy (murfette@stargate.net), October 10, 2001

Answers

Response to oanneling question

Have you thought about painting the paneling? We have both papered and painted the paneling, and it helped a whole bunch. Our trailer had paneling clear thru it, and it was depressingly dark. A coupla coats of latex, and the place light right up. Make sure your surface is nice and clean, before you paint. But it looks really "country." Leann

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), October 10, 2001.

Response to oanneling question

Yes I would have done either a long time ago but the panneling is the expensive kind. Hubby didnt want to "ruin it" He is building a wood shop in the basement and is planning on using the pennelling down there.

-- tracy (murfette@stargate.net), October 10, 2001.

Response to oanneling question

Depending on how your cabinets are set up, you could cut it out up close to the cabinets and then put molding on to hide the rough edges of the paneling that is left behind.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), October 10, 2001.

Response to oanneling question

Is the panneling nailed or glued? If its glued then your looking at some major work to repair the damage done by remoing the paneling. If its nailed, your still looking at some extensive repair to all the nail holes used to hold the panneling on.

As for cutting around the cabinets, a hole saw, japaneese saw or even a sawsall can make a reasonable good cut. YOu can then cover with a cornerround trim.

-- Gary (gws@redbird.net), October 10, 2001.


Response to oanneling question

Hold on a minute! There are electrical wires behind the drywall and if you put a sawblade through them you could get lit up and if you turn off all the electric curcits and cut anyhow what is going to be done for the cut or bear wires left uncovered? Why not just take off the trim, install a second layer of drywall over the paneling, you can even use the cheaper 3/8th inch, get longer screws to extend the electrical fixtures 3/8 fordward (if needed)tape, mud, paint, reinstall the trim. If your in a cold climate its extra insulation. As a past professional I will guarantee that removing the paneling and comming up with a good looking finish will be three times the work you are expecting.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), October 10, 2001.


Response to oanneling question

If you want to cut the panelling away without damaging the drywall around it, get a small cabinet saw (like an itty-bitty circular saw - Wally World has them) and set the depth of the blade to just under the thickness of the panelling. Cut around the cabinets as close as you can and break away the panelling, then go in with a good box cutter or other razor-bladed knife and score the pannelling that is left showing around the cabinets. You should then (with CAREFUL maneuvering) be able to remove the remaining edge of panelling. Then trim out around the cabinets with moulding of some sort to pretty up the edge. If the edge left behind by the saw is too small to cut away, you can just put the moulding over it (get the kind that has a cavity in the back, like crown moulding, but smaller - or simply use a router to make a groove in the back of the moulding that will fit over the edge).

The secret to a great moulding job is spectacular mitering in the corners. You can get away with a lot of fudging in the field of the length, but the corners will always show sloppy, or even just slightly off, mitering. Take all the time you need to get it right, and don't forget to fill and sand all those corners and nail holes with wood putty, the kind that stains well - spend good money for your putty (and it isn't really all that much), or it will be obvious that you didn't!

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), October 10, 2001.


And I've got sheets of panelling in the basement that I've been waiting for my husband to put up!

-- Rose Marie Wild (wintersongfarm@yahoo.com), October 10, 2001.

Tell hubby to get his own darn paneling and paint over what's there. If you don't like it, forget the cost of it. If it has fake ridges in it you can fill them with drywall compound and then paint or wall paper. I think you are looking at WAY too much work for the value of the paneling in a basement workroom! This is your kitchen, the center of your home, don't fool around messing things up to save the stuff.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), October 10, 2001.

I think you're going to buy yourself more work by trying to save the effort of removing the cabinets than the work of removing the cabinets represents. I've done a lot of remodel jobs over the years and kitchens aren't easy at all. You're going to make yours tougher yet trying to 'trim' around your cabinets. Take them down and do the job right. You'll probably be surprised how easily they come down and wonder why you ever thought of trying to work around them. It's just not worth it.

You've got some variables here, too, as others mentioned. If your panels are glued on, you'll have big problems and ought to consider putting up new drywall because you'll have more invested in trying to smooth the mess taking the panels off created than it'll be worth. If they're just nailed on it shouldn't be a big job to remove them or to then patch behind, either.

You never mentioned if your cabinets are wood or metal. The methods to remove and reinstall each type is different. For example, with wood you want to remove the doors first and do so in such a manner as the hinges stay with the doors rather than with the cabinet boxes themselves. The reason for that is that if they were installed in a professional manner to begin with, the screws holding the cabinets together will be behind the hinges so as not to show. In either case, you'll need to be careful and label where things go so the reinstallation goes smoothly. I hope this helps.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), October 10, 2001.


Ditto what Jennifer said! Your hubby can buy some paneling for his room easier and cheaper than putting off fixing the kitchen! I lived with DARK paneling for 9 years and it isn't worth it! Get some Kilz and paint the paneling. You won't regret it, I guarentee it. We did the bedroom and livingroom and I'm sorry we waited so long.

-- Ardie/Wi (ardie54965@hotmail.com), October 10, 2001.


I had paneling in my kitchen over two pieces of 1/2" plywood! I used a sturdy utility knife and just kept cutting down along side the cupboards until I had gone through everything, then pried the paneling and plywood off - took awhile, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. I'm going to put a piece of trim around the cabinets to hide the rough edge. Between the upper cupboards and the countertop, there's tile, anyway, so I don't have to do anything there.

-- Bonnie (chilton@stateline-isp.com), October 10, 2001.

Wow, thanks for all the responses. I think drywalling over it is maybe the ticket. The paneling isnt glued, just nailed on. We just figured sinvce the drywall is allready behind it we could reuse the peneling in the basement. Hubby is a perfectionist so in the long run he will do it the right way.

-- tracy (murfette@stargate.net), October 10, 2001.

Dry walling over it will make some work around doors and windows. You will have to add piece of wood the thickness of drywall under trim to make it look right. Will have to mess with electical outlets and switches. I think you should remove cabinets and paneling, use the wall that is there.

-- ed (edfrhes@aol.com), October 10, 2001.

Have you ever dry walled ? I would rather cut my arm off than do that with Hubby ! Filling in nail holes won't be to bad , take it down much cheaper or paint over it .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), October 11, 2001.

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