How to Replace Cabinet Knobs and Drawer Pulls

Has the time come to spruce up your living space? Perhaps you want to add a little modern touch to old, outdated decor? Replacing cabinet knobs and drawer pulls is one affordable and relatively easy way to transform the look of a bathroom, kitchen or piece of furniture. No matter your decor tastes, replacing cabinet hardware can be a game-changer.

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Choosing New Hardware

When picking replacement cabinet knobs and drawer pulls, consider the style, finish and size that will work with your cabinets and overall decor of the space. You may want to also consider the proportion and balance when it comes to the knob. In general, large cabinet doors or drawers require a bigger piece of hardware to look proportional. Furthermore, a smaller sized knob is better for a smaller door. Recent trends call for longer pulls that are roughly two-thirds of the length of the cabinet.

A good metric to go by is that a drawer pull should be roughly one-third of the length of the drawer itself. Additionally, drawers larger than 18 inches wide require more than one pull, generally speaking.

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How to Replace Cabinet Knob Hardware

Things You’ll Need:

• New cabinet knobs and drawer pulls
• Phillips or flat-head screwdriver (depends on the type of screws used)
• Power drill and drill bit (if new holes are required)
• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Painter's tape
• Fine-grained sandpaper
• Wood putty
• Putty knife

Step 1: Remove Existing Hardware and Measure Hole Distance

Use a screwdriver to remove the existing hardware from the cabinet drawer. You may want to hang on to any of the old screws as they could possibly be used again with the new hardware.

If you’re replacing a knob with a new knob, your job is pretty self-explanatory — simply use the same hole in your cabinet. Likewise, if you're replacing a pull with another type of pull, you may be able to use the same holes if the new pulls match the spacing of the original ones.

However, if you're switching from knobs to pulls, or your new pulls are of a different style and size, you’ll most likely need to drill a new hole or two and fill the old one. Once the hardware has been removed, take a moment to measure the distance between the two screw holes on your drawer to determine your next step.

Step 2. Drilling New Holes

Once you’ve compared the spacing and alignment of the screw holes on both the old and new hardware, you’ll most likely discover that you need to drill new holes. Use your measuring tape (or a ruler) and a pencil to mark the placement of the new holes.

To drill new holes, use the correct drill bit size that matches the diameter of the new hardware screws. Mark the center point of the new holes on the drawer of the cabinet and carefully drill through the marked spot, keeping the drill perpendicular to the surface. Not keeping the drill perpendicular will cause the pilot hole to be uneven, resulting in a crooked drawer pull.

Step 3. Fill Old Drill Holes

Before attaching your new cabinet knobs or pulls, fill the old screw holes with wood putty. Some wood fillers require you to mix the filler prior to use, while others are premixed. For the purposes of this project, using a premixed wood filler will be fine.

Apply the filler to the hole with a putty knife and press it firmly, making it flush with the drawer front. Then, when the wood putty has totally dried, use a fine-grit sandpaper to sand the area in a gentle circular motion, blending the filler with the surrounding wood. When complete, wipe away any dust with a dry cloth.

When dealing with painted furniture, you’ll need to add touch-up paint to the holes to make them undetectable. Make sure that you use the same paint color and finish that was originally used on the cabinet. If multiple coats are needed, let the paint completely dry between coats.

Step 4. Attach New Hardware

Once the new holes have been prepared and holes for the old hardware have been filled, place the knobs or pull over the newly drilled holes. Make sure they’re lined up and flush with the drawer front. To attach the new hardware, use a screwdriver to tighten the screws through the inside of the drawer. Make sure you don’t over-tighten the screws, or you risk damaging the wood.

Once the new hardware has been attached, make the necessary adjustments to make sure they’re correctly aligned and function smoothly.

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Transform Your Space

Replacing cabinet knobs and drawer pulls is a relatively easy DIY task that can really spruce up the overall look and feel of a particular space. So, take your time (and get creative) with the style, size and ergonomics of your new cabinet hardware to really enhance the feel of your living space.