[415dave]

I'm trying to do a light remodel on a 100+ year old kitchen. Right now the countertop height is 33" (back killer) and the bottom of the wall cabinets are 16" above the countertop. I want to replace the countertop, sink and wall mount faucet as well as get the countertop to today's standard height. The problem is I do not want to tear out the built in cabinetry to raise from the bottom. Would that much of a spacer on top be an issue? Once I've tackled that, I have the issue of not enough space between the counter and cabinets. These are built in as well. I have 10' ceilings and cabinets go all the way up. Losing storage space is not an issue, so I was thinking of removing the doors and shelving and cutting 5" out of the bottom of the cabinets and replacing the bottoms. I would then cut the upper set of doors down and replace the shelving. Does this sound like the route to take? Again, tearing out the cabinets is not an option. Lathe and plaster is my enemy.

Thanks for any input.

 

[oh'mike]

Sounds like a plan----accurately cutting the upper cabinets without removing them will be a challenge.

 

[joecaption]

Not sure why it's the enemy.
May be the best thing to remove it anyway.
A house that old likely has no insulation in the wall, wiring is very likely not up to modern codes.
Good luck with trying to make straight cuts without removing the cabinets.
No thought's on replacing them?
No one here can see what you have without a picture.

 

[carpdad]

Most cutting method will leave you with splintered surface. Face frame is reinforced at the corners and how they attach to the body. Frame may become weak if you cut out one part. But as long as youre painting, rough surface can be filled, sand and finish.

 

[firehawkmph]

Most of those site built cabinets that old were nailed together on the site. Cleats on the walls and they built out from there. If you try to cut them, there's a good chance they may fall apart. Time for a tear out. Do it right and you'll end up with something nice instead of a hodgepodge. Will it cost more? Sure it will.
Mike Hawkins:smile:

 

[415dave]

Thanks for the input everybody. And, of course, you are all correct. Cutting in place would be a nightmare that would more than likely end with me tearing them out. The entire project came to a halt when I pointed out to my wife that the base cabinets are not standard size and we will lose 4" of floor space at each cabinet. So anything we remove and replace would have to be custom to keep the kitchen from shrinking. We'll see how much longer I can avoid this project now.

 

[Scout10]

rearranged the northern old house a "while" back. had site built cabinets (tanks)
moved the old 48" electric range. take this base cabinet and that base out,
and cut the bottom of a short row of uppers by 20". stalled some plain trim and painted all. Ya knew it looked slightly different, but you had to look, and it was
good enough for the then budget on 2nd house.
Told the wife if anyone came over and complained about the cabinets . . . .
tell em to leave. saved money and did the whole thing many year later