Can You Buy Replacement Kitchen Drawers?

It’s easy to wear out kitchen drawers just with casual, daily use over time. But it might seem like a lot of trouble to build replacement drawers for your kitchen. So, you might be wondering if you can simply purchase some replacement drawers. This is helpful when you need to replace an entire kitchen or don’t have the time for a big DIY project. So, we’ve thoroughly researched if you can buy replacement kitchen drawers.

It is possible to buy new kitchen drawers to replace existing ones. This is because the base cabinets in your kitchen were likely built with standardized sizing. These universal sizes are designed for ideal heights and depths. All you need to do is measure your existing drawers' exterior dimensions and search for matching replacements.

It’s easy to overlook something like kitchen drawers because they’re often just part of an everyday routine. But that also means they deserve to function well, and they have a big impact on the room’s appearance too. Keep reading to learn about the ideal place to buy new kitchen drawers and how to replace the old ones.

Where can I buy replacement kitchen drawers?

It is typically fairly easy to find some replacement kitchen drawers from online warehouses like Amazon. However, these kitchen drawers are often already completed fixtures, which may need to be repainted to match your kitchen’s style. You may also have fewer sizes to choose from. It is best to buy directly from a large or local home improvement chain if you shop online.

It is usually ideal to buy kitchen drawers that you can review in person. In that case, any local store or home improvement store will work. Lowe’s and Home Depot are giant, famous chains that you can rely on for personalized assistance.

In person, you can feel absolutely certain about the true color of the kitchen drawers. Sometimes, the shade or tone that you see in online pictures isn’t exactly what you’re going to get. You also can’t accidentally purchase the wrong drawer, or even receive the wrong drawer as a result of some kind of mixup. Lastly, if you’re in a hurry, it’s always easier to make a quick run to the store instead of waiting for a lengthy delivery.

Are kitchen drawers a standard size?

Kitchen drawers are primarily built with standard sizes in mind, even though their measurements might slightly differ. This is because your kitchen’s base cabinets house the drawers, which are the lower cabinets in the room. These come in standard sizes, too, for convenience’s sake.

While the widths of your base cabinets are often subject to change based on the size of the kitchen, the heights and depths are frequently similar.

Most conventional base cabinets are 24 inches deep, ensuring that all of your countertop space is within reasonable reaching distance. The base cabinets will also measure somewhere between 32 and 36 inches tall, ensuring that most users don’t have to hunch down to use their countertops. You can read "How Deep Are Kitchen Cabinets And Countertops?" to learn more about why these standards exist.

Altogether, these measurements will help determine the size of most kitchen drawers on the market. This should include both pre-assembled cabinets and RTA cabinets, which are simply ready to assemble.

How do you replace kitchen cabinet drawers?

There are a few basic steps you can follow when you want to replace your old drawers. Naturally, the first thing you need to do is remove the existing drawers. If they’re older, you can probably just tilt the drawer and pull it right out.

However, nearly every modern drawer has release levers that you’ll briefly need to locate. Ordinarily, there should be two small handles against the runners, which are sometimes known as slides. The runners are the metal tracks that your drawer slides back and forth on. So, check underneath the drawer box, and then squeeze both release levers while you carefully lift the drawer out.

Next, you need to accurately measure the dimensions of the kitchen drawer’s height, width, and depth. Do not measure from the inside of the drawer box. New drawers are measured and sold using the outer dimensions of the drawer. Remember to note your results to the nearest sixteenth of an inch.

Now you can successfully purchase new drawers that have an identical measurement. When you place the new drawers in, look for two noticeable slots on the back end of the drawer box. These will guide you when you need to slide the drawer box onto the old runners. The release levers do not need to be squeezed again. Just make sure to fully insert the new drawer until you hear a click.

Can you replace drawer slides on old kitchen cabinets?

It’s possible that you might want to convert your drawer slides into a soft-close alternative, which prevents your drawers from slamming. Or, you might want extra extensions on your drawers. Fortunately, it is absolutely possible to replace old drawer slides in the kitchen.

Click here to find this 10-pack of drawer slides on Amazon.

However, this will require more time and effort than the drawer boxes themselves. That’s because drawer slides are typically secured directly into the wood of the kitchen cabinets. This is necessary for stability, but it will require various tools and plenty of effort.

Remove the Drawers and Measure Slides

Your first step is to remove the drawer and clear the area so that you have room to maneuver any tools. Chances are, your old drawer slides were screwed into the wood. This means you will need a screwdriver to remove the screws, one by one.

You should remember to move slowly so that you don’t compromise the existing wood, which would need to be fixed before adding in new drawers.

Although it’s unlikely, the old drawer slides may have been repaired or installed with heavy-duty staples. In that case, you don’t want to resort to flathead screwdrivers that will damage the wood. Instead, purchase diagonal pliers, which will give you leverage in tight spaces. With the additional control, you are less likely to harm the cabinet wood you plan on reusing.

Click here to see these diagonal cutting pliers on Amazon.

Your final step is to measure the height, length, and width of your existing sliders. Now you can find an identical match using the results.

How do you install drawer slides on old kitchen cabinets?

Instead of simply finding an exact match for your existing drawer slides, you might want all new ones. In that case, you will still have to remove the old drawers and slides, but you will then need to continue on.

Keep in mind that any new sliders always need to fit between the cabinet walls and the new drawers. More elaborate mechanisms may be too large. Once your measurements are established, you can buy appropriate sliders.

Secure and Fasten the Hardware

When you attach your new sliders, they need to remain level. You can measure everything and make reference marks, or purchase a specially designed drawer slide jig. These ensure new slides will be installed evenly.

Click here to find this drawer slide jig on Amazon.

When you’re ready, you will need a power drill. Remember that the smaller part of the slides faces inward. Carefully screw the new slide into the side of the base cabinets first, double check that you are still level, and then screw the end of the slide into place.

Next, you can use the drawer box to keep things aligned. Extend the new slides and screw your drawer box into the first fastening hole. Then, it’ll be stable enough for you to extend the slides even further and fasten the drawer box into the second hole. You can remove the drawer, fasten the box to the final hole, and then slide the drawer box right back onto the new glides.

Can you replace kitchen drawer fronts?

A drawer front is literally just the face of the drawer box; it is only there for style and your drawer handles. It is relatively simple to replace kitchen drawer fronts because they are easy to measure and install. You can read "How To Adjust Kitchen Drawer Fronts" if they only need to be adjusted instead of replaced.

There are no obstacles when you measure the height and width of existing drawer fronts, which allows you to find a matching size. And most of the time, you just need to remove some screws that keep the handles and face in position. Use a screwdriver to screw in the new drawer front.

Summary

Although it can take a lot of effort, it isn’t especially difficult to replace kitchen drawers. What you really need are the correct tools and steps to get started. Now that you know how kitchen drawers can be removed and measured, it will be easy to find the perfect replacement. You’ll even be able to install them yourself if you have the time for some DIY fun.