You want to keep your custom kitchen cabinets looking as new as possible for as long as possible. But sometimes a little knick or knack will leave a chip or dent in your cabinetry. While major damage may require you to completely replace a cabinet door, smaller bruising is usually easy to fix. Here are some tips for repairing your custom kitchen cabinets.
1. Smooth out the chip or dent.
Chips and dents often leave the surface of your cabinet uneven, and you might notice some small splinters sticking out. If you buy a soft wax repair kit (details below), there will probably be an applicator included. Before you begin to repair the chip or dent, use the applicator to smooth out the surface and remove any splinters. All this entails is gently rubbing over the damaged area with the applicator.
2. Apply soft wax.
Soft wax is a great material to fix chips and dents in custom kitchen cabinets. Most kits will come with a few shades of a specific color. This is to account for variations in the wood of your cabinetry. To apply the soft wax to the damaged area of your cabinets, start with the lighter shade first. Use the applicator to scoop up a pea-sized portion of the light wax, and then a pea-size portion of the darker wax. Press the wax into the damaged area, and begin to work it into the chip or dent. As you do this, you will see the two shades blending, and you should immediately know if you need more of the light wax or dark wax. You may not achieve a perfect match, but try to get the color of the soft wax as close to the finish of your cabinetry as possible.
3. Remove any excess wax.
Use a soft cloth to wipe your applicator clean of any wax. Then rub the applicator in a circular motion over the damaged area to remove any excess wax. You can also buff the area by wrapping your applicator in the cloth and lightly passing it over the wax a few times.
4. Use a touch up pen to make the repair less noticeable.
If you have custom kitchen cabinets with a natural wood finish, there are likely some darker grains throughout the door. Use a wood finish stain marker or furniture repair marker to create some contrasts over the wax, so that it more closely resembles the finish of your cabinetry. This will help the repaired area to blend in better with the rest of the cabinet door.
If you have a solid paint finish, then your repair may be even simpler than mentioned here, because you can likely cover up the chip by simply using a touch up pen or a little paint.
If you are having any difficulty repairing your cabinet door while it is still attached, remove the door while you execute the repair and re-attach it when you are complete.
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