The kitchen is the hardest-working room in the house, and its cupboards open and close thousands of times a year. Over time hinges wear out, doors drop and stop lining up, drawer runners stick or collapse, handles work loose and kickboards fall off. Water from the sink, dishwasher and kettle swells particleboard and lifts edging. Most of these problems can be fixed without replacing the kitchen.

We repair kitchen cupboards, drawers and doors in homes, units and rentals across Traralgon, Morwell, Moe, Newborough, Churchill and the surrounding district. We also repair laundry, bathroom vanity and wardrobe cabinetry, because the hardware and problems are the same.

Common cupboard problems we fix

Sagging and misaligned doors

Most modern cupboards use concealed (European-style) hinges that can be adjusted in three directions: side to side, up and down, and in and out. Doors that rub, hang crooked or leave uneven gaps can often be fixed with careful adjustment. Where a hinge is worn or broken, we replace it with a matching hinge of the right type, overlay and opening angle.

Hinges pulled out of the cabinet

When a hinge screw strips out of particleboard, the door drops or falls off. We repair the hole with timber dowel and glue, or use a hinge repair plate, and re-fit the hinge so it holds firmly. Where the door edge itself is damaged around the hinge cup, we can sometimes re-bore the cup in a fresh position or repair the door.

Sticking and broken drawers

Drawers stick or drop when runners wear, come loose or break. Old roller runners can be replaced with modern ball-bearing or soft-close runners if the drawer and cabinet dimensions suit. We can also repair broken drawer bottoms, loose drawer fronts and broken drawer boxes, or fit new drawer boxes where the fronts are still good.

Soft-close upgrades

Soft-close hinges and runners stop doors and drawers slamming, and reduce wear on the cabinets. In many kitchens, existing hinges can be swapped for soft-close versions, or clip-on soft-close dampers added. We check what is compatible with your cabinets before recommending it.

Loose and broken handles

We re-tighten and replace handles and knobs. Changing handles is one of the easiest ways to update a kitchen. If the new handles have a different hole spacing, we fill the old holes or choose handles with a back plate that covers them.

Kickboards

Kickboards (plinths) get kicked, wet and knocked by vacuums and mops. We re-fix loose kickboards, replace clips and legs, and replace damaged kickboards with new boards cut to length and edged.

Water-damaged panels

Particleboard swells permanently when it gets wet, especially under the sink and beside the dishwasher. We replace swollen cupboard bases and shelves under sinks, replace damaged end panels and doors where matching material is available, and seal edges to protect against future leaks. The leak itself should be fixed first, by a plumber if it is coming from pipes or the dishwasher connection.

Lifting edge tape and laminate

Edge tape and laminate can lift with heat and moisture. We re-glue lifting edges with suitable contact adhesive and replace edge tape where it is damaged.

Benchtops

We can make small benchtop repairs: re-gluing laminate edges, sealing gaps and joints with silicone, and re-fixing loose benchtops to cabinets. Replacing benchtops, especially stone, is a specialist job.

Pantry and corner cupboards

Corner cupboards often have lazy Susans or pull-out mechanisms that jam or break. Pantry doors are tall and heavy and need well-adjusted hinges. We repair and adjust these mechanisms, replace broken parts where available, and add shelf supports or extra shelves to make pantries more useful.

Kitchen refresh without replacement

Replacing a kitchen is expensive and disruptive. If the cabinet carcasses are sound, a refresh can make it feel much newer:

• Adjust all doors and replace worn hinges
• Upgrade to soft-close hinges and runners
• Replace handles and knobs
• Replace damaged kickboards and panels
• Re-silicone the sink, splashback and benchtop joins (see silicone and caulking)
• Re-grout a tiled splashback (see tiling and regrouting)
• Paint or resurface doors (resurfacing is a specialist job; we can refer you)

Kitchens in older Valley homes

Many homes in Moe, Morwell, Newborough and Churchill still have kitchens from the 1970s and 1980s, often with solid timber or timber-veneer doors and older-style hinges. Original hinges for these kitchens can be hard to find. We source the closest available hinges, and sometimes convert doors to modern concealed hinges, which needs a hinge cup bored into the door. We’ll talk through the options before starting.

Newer homes in Traralgon’s growth estates often have builder-grade kitchens with lighter hardware that wears faster. Upgrading the hinges and runners in a five- to ten-year-old kitchen often makes it feel much better to use.

What we do not do

We do not move or connect plumbing, gas or electrical items such as sinks, dishwashers, cooktops and rangehoods. Disconnecting and reconnecting those needs licensed trades. We also do not build custom kitchens. We are happy to work alongside your plumber or electrician, for example replacing a water-damaged sink base while the plumber disconnects and reconnects the sink.

Rentals and property managers

Broken hinges, loose handles and sticking drawers are frequent rental maintenance requests. We work through kitchen repair lists for landlords and agents, coordinate access with tenants and send photos and invoices.

Areas we cover

Kitchen cupboard repairs across Traralgon, Morwell, Moe, Newborough, Churchill, Yallourn North, Glengarry, Tyers, Traralgon South and Hazelwood North.

Looking after cupboards

• Don’t hang wet tea towels over cupboard doors, because the moisture swells the door edge.
• Wipe up spills around the sink and dishwasher quickly.
• Open the dishwasher door only after steam has cleared, or the steam will swell the benchtop edge above it.
• Don’t overload drawers beyond the runner’s rating.
• Tighten loose handles early before the hole wears oversize.
• Check under the sink every few months for slow leaks.

How concealed hinges work

Understanding hinges helps you describe the problem when you ask for a quote. A concealed hinge has two parts: the cup, which sits in a round hole bored into the back of the door, and the mounting plate, which is screwed to the inside of the cabinet. The two clip or screw together. Three adjustment screws on the hinge arm move the door:

• Side adjustment moves the door left and right to even the gap between doors.
• Depth adjustment moves the door in and out so it sits flush with the cabinet front.
• Height adjustment (on the mounting plate) moves the door up and down to line up with neighbouring doors.

Hinges also come in different overlay types: full overlay, where the door covers the cabinet side; half overlay, where two doors share one cabinet side; and inset, where the door sits inside the frame. Replacing a hinge with the wrong overlay type means the door will never sit right. We match the type, the cup size, the opening angle and the brand fitting where possible.

Drawer runner types

• Roller runners are common in older and budget kitchens. They are white or cream plastic wheels in a metal track. They wear, crack and let drawers drop.
• Ball-bearing runners are smoother and carry more weight. They attach to the side of the drawer box and the cabinet.
• Undermount runners are hidden under the drawer and are common in modern kitchens. They usually include soft-close.
• Metal drawer systems have runners integrated into metal drawer sides, common in mid- and high-end kitchens. Replacement parts are brand-specific.

Changing from roller runners to ball-bearing runners usually needs the drawer box width to suit the new runners, because ball-bearing runners need a specific side clearance. We measure before ordering.

Pull-out bins, pantries and drawers

Pull-out bin units, pull-out pantries and wire baskets carry heavy loads and are used constantly. Their runners and mounting screws wear out, and the doors attached to them drop. We repair and replace runners, re-fix the door fronts and adjust them to line up with the rest of the kitchen.

Shelves and supports

Sagging shelves in pantries and overhead cupboards can be fixed with extra shelf supports or a central support, or by replacing the shelf with thicker material. Missing shelf pins are easy to replace, and we carry common sizes.

Overhead cupboards

Overhead cupboards are fixed to the wall through the back rail, and can come loose over time, especially when heavily loaded with crockery. If an overhead cupboard has pulled away from the wall or tilts forward, stop using it and empty it, because it can fall. We re-fix it into the wall studs with suitable screws and brackets.

Preparing a kitchen for sale or lease

Buyers and tenants open cupboards and drawers. Doors that drop, drawers that jam and swollen sink bases send a message that a home has not been looked after. A few hours of adjustment and repair before an open inspection makes the kitchen feel solid and cared for.

Getting a quote

Email photos of the problem doors or drawers, a close-up of the hinge or runner if you can, and a photo of the whole kitchen. We will reply with a clear scope and quote, and bring matching hardware where we can identify it in advance.

Laundry and vanity cabinets

Laundries and bathrooms are wetter than kitchens, so cabinets there swell and fail faster. Laundry tub cabinets often have swollen bases from slow leaks at the tap or waste, and vanity doors swell at the bottom edge from splashes and wet floors. We replace swollen bases and doors with moisture-resistant board where possible, seal the cut edges and adjust the hinges. If the swelling is from a leaking pipe, the plumber fixes the leak first.

Where the vanity top or laundry benchtop has lifted at the back, we re-fix and re-seal it to the wall so water cannot run down behind the cabinet.

Frequently asked questions