The kitchen is the busiest room in most homes, and its cupboards and drawers are opened and closed dozens of times a day. Hinges loosen and tear out of the particleboard, doors drop and no longer line up, drawers stick or collapse under the weight of pots, and the cabinet under the sink swells after a slow leak. These issues are often blamed on an old kitchen, but most of them can be fixed for a fraction of the cost of a renovation.

We repair kitchen cupboards, laundry cabinets, vanities and built-in robes across Berwick, Narre Warren and the City of Casey. From adjusting a few doors to replacing a full set of hinges and runners, we can make tired cabinetry work properly again.

Cabinet repairs we carry out

• Adjusting misaligned and drooping cupboard doors
• Replacing broken or worn concealed (European) hinges
• Upgrading hinges to soft-close
• Repairing hinge holes torn out of particleboard doors and carcasses
• Replacing drawer runners and upgrading to soft-close runners
• Repairing collapsed drawer bottoms and loose drawer fronts
• Replacing swollen or damaged kickboards and end panels
• Replacing shelf supports and damaged shelves
• Fitting new handles and knobs, including re-drilling or filling old holes
• Fixing pantry doors, corner carousels and pull-out units
• Repairing cabinet bases and sides damaged by water (non-plumbing)
• Replacing single doors and drawer fronts where a match is possible
• Installing child safety latches and locks
• Adding LED strip lighting housings (wiring by an electrician)

Hinges

Most modern kitchen cupboards use concealed hinges with three adjustment screws: side-to-side, in-and-out and up-and-down. Many door problems are fixed simply by adjusting these properly. When the hinge itself is broken, or the mounting plate has pulled out of the cabinet side, it needs replacing or repairing. Torn-out hinge cups in particleboard doors can be repaired with filler blocks, dowels or repair plates, depending on the damage. We carry common hinge types and can source others to match.

Drawers

Drawers fail in a few typical ways: the runners wear out or bend, the drawer bottom drops out because it was overloaded, the front comes loose from the box, or the drawer jams because something has fallen behind it. We repair or replace runners, rebuild drawer boxes, refix fronts and adjust alignment. Upgrading to modern full-extension soft-close runners can make an old kitchen feel new, provided the cabinet dimensions suit.

Water damage

Cabinets under the sink and next to the dishwasher are vulnerable to water. Particleboard swells when wet and does not shrink back. Once a leak has been fixed by a plumber, we can replace swollen bases, kickboards and panels. We will tell you if the damage has spread into the floor or wall.

Handles and hardware

New handles are an easy way to update a kitchen. If the new handles have a different hole spacing, we can fill the old holes, which will leave visible patches on most finishes, or choose handles that cover the old holes. Options include long bar handles, knobs, finger pulls and push-to-open catches for a handle-free look.

Doors and panels

Replacing a single damaged cabinet door is possible if a match is available. Many kitchens use standard white or plain-coloured melamine or two-pack finishes. Older or custom colours can be hard to match. In that case, options include replacing all doors on one bank of cabinets for a consistent look, or refinishing the doors. We can measure and fit replacement doors and panels supplied by a cabinet maker.

Laundries, vanities and robes

The same hardware and repairs apply to laundry cabinets, bathroom vanities and built-in wardrobes. Vanities in particular suffer from moisture damage and hinge failure. Robe drawers often have worn runners and loose fronts. We repair these the same way.

Kitchens in Casey homes

1980s and 1990s homes around Hampton Park, Hallam, Narre Warren and Narre Warren South often have laminate kitchens with older hinges and metal drawer runners, ideal for hardware upgrades. Homes in Berwick range from original timber kitchens to modern renovated ones. Newer homes in Lynbrook and Lyndhurst may have builder-grade hardware that loosens in the first few years. Each benefits from different repairs.

Repair or replace the kitchen?

If the cabinet boxes are sound and the layout works, repairing and updating hardware, handles and doors is far more economical than a new kitchen. If carcasses are swollen throughout, the layout no longer suits or the benchtops are failing, a renovation may be better value. We will give you an honest view.

Child safety

Cupboards under sinks store cleaning products, and lower drawers often hold knives and sharp utensils. Child safety latches, magnetic locks and drawer stops are worth installing in homes with toddlers. We can fit them so they work reliably without damaging the cabinetry.

Related services

• Carpentry
• Silicone and caulking for benchtop and sink seals
• Tiling and regrouting for splashbacks
• Flat-pack assembly
• Bathroom fixtures and accessories

Areas covered

Kitchen cupboard repairs across Berwick, Narre Warren, Narre Warren South, Narre Warren North, Narre Warren East, Hallam, Hampton Park, Lynbrook, Lyndhurst and Harkaway.

What to send us

For a quote, photos help a lot. Send a photo of the whole kitchen, close-ups of any broken hinges or runners, and photos of the inside of the cabinet where the hinge or runner attaches. If you want new handles, let us know the hole spacing of the old ones and the new ones if you have chosen them.

Plumbing and electrical

Kitchen cabinets house plumbing and sometimes power points and appliances. We do not alter plumbing or electrical. If a cabinet repair needs a tap, waste, dishwasher connection or power point moved, a plumber or electrician will need to do that part.

Soft-close upgrades

Soft-close hinges and runners stop doors and drawers slamming, reduce wear and are quieter for households with early risers or shift workers. Many existing cabinets can be upgraded by swapping hinges for soft-close versions with the same mounting system. Drawers may need new runners and sometimes adjustments to the drawer box. We check what is possible with your cabinets.

Pantries and tall cabinets

Tall pantry doors are heavy and often hung on three or four hinges. If one hinge fails, the rest take extra strain and the door can warp. We replace failed hinges and adjust the set so the door hangs straight. Pull-out pantry units have heavy-duty runners that can wear out or bend, and we can replace these with matching or upgraded units.

Corner cabinets

Corner cupboards are notoriously awkward. Lazy Susans, carousels and blind corner pull-outs have mechanisms that loosen, jam or break. We can repair or replace many of these mechanisms, or, if they are beyond repair, convert the space to simple shelving that is easier to use.

Overhead cabinets

Overhead cabinets carry a lot of weight in crockery and glassware and are fixed to the wall with hanging rails or screws. If an overhead cabinet starts to tilt forward or pull away from the wall, it needs attention quickly. We check the fixing, refix into studs or masonry and replace damaged hanging hardware. Never ignore an overhead cabinet that is moving.

Melamine edge strips and chips

Melamine-faced doors and panels have edge strips that can peel or chip, letting moisture in and making edges look worn. We can re-glue lifting edge strips, replace damaged lengths with matching edging where available, and use colour-matched fillers to disguise small chips. These small repairs keep cabinets looking tidy and stop water damage spreading from an exposed edge.

Timber kitchens

Solid timber kitchens in older homes around Berwick and on acreage properties in Harkaway and Narre Warren North can often be restored rather than replaced. Hinges, catches and runners on timber cabinets are different from modern particleboard hardware, and repairs need a carpenter’s approach: gluing loose joints, refitting doors and planing where they bind. If you love your old timber kitchen, we are happy to help keep it going.

Small fixes add up

It is common for a kitchen to have a dozen small annoyances: a door that does not close, a drawer that sticks, a shelf pin missing, a kickboard that falls off, a handle that spins. Individually they are minor. Fixed together in one visit, they make the whole kitchen feel solid and reliable again.

Rangehood and appliance surrounds

Panels around ovens, dishwashers, fridges and rangehoods take heat, steam and knocks. Kickboards in front of dishwashers are particularly prone to swelling from steam when the door is opened. We can replace damaged kickboards and filler panels, refit integrated dishwasher door panels where the hardware has come loose, and adjust panels around fridge spaces. Disconnecting or reconnecting appliances that are plumbed or hard-wired needs the relevant licensed trade.

Getting the kitchen ready for sale or lease

Buyers and tenants open cupboards and pull out drawers at inspections. Doors that hang crooked or drawers that jam give a poor impression of the whole home. Before listing, a quick going-over of every door and drawer, new handles if the old ones are dated, and fresh sealant along the benchtop can lift the kitchen noticeably without a big spend.

Shelving inside cupboards

Shelves inside cupboards sag under heavy loads of cans, crockery and appliances, and shelf pins go missing. We replace shelf supports, add extra supports under long shelves, cut new shelves to fit, and can add extra shelves where the cabinet has pre-drilled holes. Pull-out baskets and organisers can also be fitted in many standard cabinets to make deep cupboards easier to use.

Frequently asked questions