How To Install Pulls On Kitchen Cabinets: Simple Guide

Can you install pulls on kitchen cabinets yourself? Absolutely! Installing pulls on kitchen cabinets is a straightforward DIY project that can dramatically upgrade your kitchen’s look. This guide will walk you through every step of cabinet hardware installation for kitchen drawer pulls and cabinet handles, making your kitchen cabinet upgrades a breeze.

This guide is designed to be simple and easy to follow, even for beginners. We’ll cover everything from choosing the right hardware to the final tightening of screws. Let’s get started on transforming your kitchen!

Gathering Your Tools and Materials

Before you begin installing cabinet hardware, it’s essential to have all your tools and materials ready. This preparation will make the process smooth and efficient.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Cabinet Pulls or Knobs: Choose the style and finish that best suits your kitchen.
Measuring Tape: For accurate placement.
Pencil: To mark drilling points.
Drill: With drill bits suitable for your cabinet material (wood, MDF, etc.).
Screwdriver: Manual or electric, with bits that match your hardware screws.
Center Punch or Awl: To create a starting point for the drill bit.
Masking Tape or Painter’s Tape: To help with marking and prevent splintering.
Cabinet Hardware Template (Optional but Recommended): These handy tools ensure consistent cabinet knob placement and alignment across all your cabinets and drawers.
Level (Optional): To ensure pulls are perfectly straight.
Safety Glasses: Always protect your eyes when drilling.
Soft Cloth: To wipe away any dust or smudges.

Deciding on Hardware Placement

Proper cabinet knob placement is key to both the aesthetics and functionality of your kitchen. Consider how you use your cabinets and drawers.

For Cabinet Doors

Center Placement: This is the most common and versatile placement. Find the vertical and horizontal center of the door or drawer front.
Edge Placement: Some modern designs place pulls closer to the edge. This can create a sleek, minimalist look.
Dual Placement: For larger cabinet doors, you might opt for two pulls. Ensure they are evenly spaced and aligned.

Tips for Cabinet Door Placement:

Vertical Alignment: For doors with vertical pulls, ensure they are perfectly centered vertically.
Horizontal Alignment: For doors with horizontal pulls, aim for the center horizontally.
Consistency is Key: Decide on a placement strategy and stick to it for all doors of the same size.

For Cabinet Drawers

Horizontal Placement: For most drawers, the pull is placed horizontally, usually centered.
Vertical Placement: Some wider drawers might benefit from a vertically oriented pull for better leverage.
Drawer Front Edge: Similar to doors, some drawers feature pulls near the top or bottom edge.

Tips for Drawer Placement:

Drawer Height: For drawers of different heights, try to maintain a consistent vertical position of the pull relative to the top edge of the drawer. For example, all pulls might be 2 inches down from the top.
Drawer Width: For drawers of similar width, center the pull. For very wide drawers, consider two pulls for better balance and ease of opening.
Visual Balance: Step back and look at the drawer front. Does the placement feel balanced and pleasing to the eye?

Using a Cabinet Hardware Template

A cabinet door template is an invaluable tool for accurate hardware mounting. It takes the guesswork out of marking your drill points. These templates come in various forms, from simple plastic rulers with holes to more elaborate adjustable jigs.

How to Use a Cabinet Hardware Template:

Align the Template: Position the template on your cabinet door or drawer front according to your desired placement. Most templates have markings for horizontal and vertical centering.
Mark the Holes: Use a pencil to mark the pre-drilled holes on the template onto your cabinet. Some templates even have a built-in awl or guide for drilling.
Confirm Alignment: If you’re using multiple templates or doing multiple cabinets, ensure your first placement is perfect. This will be your guide.

Why use a template?

Precision: Guarantees that holes are drilled in the exact same spot every time.
Speed: Faster than measuring and marking manually.
Professional Finish: Ensures all your hardware looks perfectly aligned, giving your kitchen a high-end look.

The Step-by-Step Installation Process

Now that you’ve chosen your placement and have your tools, it’s time to start installing cabinet hardware. Follow these steps carefully for a flawless finish.

Step 1: Prepare the Cabinet Surface

Clean the Area: Wipe down the cabinet door or drawer front where you’ll be installing the pull. Dust or debris can interfere with accurate marking.
Apply Masking Tape: For drilling cabinet doors, especially if they are painted or have a delicate finish, applying a strip of masking tape over the intended drilling area can help prevent the wood from splintering.

Step 2: Mark the Drilling Points

Measure and Mark: If not using a template, use your measuring tape and pencil to mark the exact center points where you need to drill. Double-check your measurements!
Use a Center Punch: Place the tip of a center punch or awl directly on your pencil mark. Give it a firm tap with a hammer. This creates a small indentation that will guide your drill bit and prevent it from wandering.

Step 3: Drill the Holes

Select the Right Drill Bit: Your cabinet pulls should come with screws. You need a drill bit that is slightly larger than the diameter of the screw threads but smaller than the diameter of the screw head. This ensures the screw has enough thread to bite into the wood but can pass through the cabinet easily.
Drill Straight: Position the drill bit directly on the indentation you made. Hold the drill as perpendicular to the cabinet surface as possible.
Drill Slowly and Steadily: Start drilling slowly. You don’t need to drill all the way through yet if you’re unsure about the depth. A common mistake is drilling too deep and creating a large hole on the other side.
Check Depth: Periodically pull the drill bit out to check the depth. For most pulls, you only need to drill through the face of the cabinet door or drawer. If you’re drilling through a very thin material, be extra cautious.
Clean the Hole: Once drilled, you can use a slightly larger drill bit (the same size as the screw head) to lightly countersink the hole on the outside if the screw head needs to sit flush, though most pulls are designed so the screw head passes through. For deeper holes, you can also use a small brush or a blast of compressed air to clear out sawdust.

Step 4: Attach the Pulls

Insert the Screws: From the inside of the cabinet door or drawer, insert the screws through the pre-drilled holes.
Align the Pull: On the outside of the cabinet, align the pull with the screws.
Start Screwing by Hand: Begin threading the screws into the pull by hand. This helps ensure you don’t cross-thread.
Tighten Gently: Once the screws are started, use your screwdriver to tighten them.
Avoid Overtightening: Tighten the screws until the pull is snug against the cabinet. Overtightening can strip the threads in the wood or even crack the cabinet material, especially with particleboard or MDF.

Step 5: Final Touches

Check for Stability: Gently wiggle the pull to make sure it’s secure.
Clean Up: Remove any masking tape and wipe down the cabinet with a soft cloth to remove any pencil marks or fingerprints.
Repeat: Move on to the next cabinet or drawer, following the same steps.

Installing Cabinet Drawer Pulls

Installing kitchen drawer pulls often involves larger or longer hardware than cabinet knobs. The process is similar, but here are a few extra considerations.

Drawer Front Thickness

Drawer fronts can be thicker than cabinet doors. Ensure your pull screws are long enough to accommodate the thickness of your drawer material and still have enough thread to catch in the pull’s mounting holes. Most hardware kits provide screws of varying lengths.

Alignment on Wide Drawers

For very wide drawers, consider using two pulls.

Measure Total Width: Measure the width of the drawer front.
Determine Spacing: Decide how far apart you want the pulls to be. A common practice is to divide the drawer width into thirds, placing the pulls at the 1/3 and 2/3 marks.
Center the Measurement: Alternatively, find the center of the drawer, then mark the desired distance on either side of the center point.
Use Your Template: A template is especially useful here to ensure both pulls are at the same height and perfectly aligned.

Installing Cabinet Knobs

Cabinet knob placement is generally simpler than pulls, often requiring only one hole.

Marking: For knobs, you’ll typically mark the center of the cabinet door or drawer. Use a template designed for knobs or a measuring tape to find the exact center.
Drilling: Use a drill bit that matches the diameter of the knob’s screw shaft. Drill straight through the marked spot.
Attaching: Insert the screw from the inside of the cabinet and screw the knob onto it from the outside.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with a simple guide, some common pitfalls can occur during DIY cabinet hardware installation.

Table of Common Mistakes

Mistake	How to Avoid It
Inconsistent Placement	Use a template or meticulous measuring. Measure twice, drill once.
Drilling Crooked Holes	Keep the drill perfectly perpendicular to the surface. A drill guide can help.
Overtightening Screws	Tighten by hand first, then use a screwdriver gently. Stop when the pull is snug.
Stripping Screw Threads	Ensure you’re using the correct drill bit size and not forcing the screw. If it feels tight, back it out and re-align.
Splintering Wood	Use masking tape over the drill area. Start the drill slowly.
Drilling Too Deep	Pay close attention to depth. Measure screw length against cabinet thickness. Some drills have depth stops.
Wrong Drill Bit Size	Match the drill bit to the screw thread diameter.
Not Checking for Clearance	Ensure the pull doesn’t interfere with drawers or doors opening nearby.
Not Cleaning Up	A clean surface makes the final result look much better.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What size drill bit should I use for cabinet hardware?

A: You need a drill bit that is slightly larger than the diameter of the screw threads but smaller than the head of the screw. The hardware packaging or instructions may specify the recommended drill bit size. If not, take one of the screws to a hardware store and ask for assistance.

Q: How do I ensure my pulls are perfectly straight?

A: Use a level to check the alignment of your pull once you start attaching it. Many cabinet hardware templates also have a built-in level or guide lines for perfect horizontal and vertical alignment. Measuring and marking carefully is also crucial.

Q: Can I install pulls on laminate cabinets?

A: Yes, you can install pulls on laminate cabinets, but you need to be extra careful when drilling to avoid chipping or cracking the laminate. Use masking tape over the drill area, a sharp drill bit, and drill slowly and steadily. Consider using a specialized drill bit for laminate or tile if available.

Q: My cabinet doors are thin. How do I prevent the screws from going too deep?

A: You can place a piece of tape on your drill bit to mark the correct depth. Alternatively, some drills have an adjustable depth stop. For very thin doors, you might need shorter screws or consider using a drill bit that’s just slightly larger than the screw threads.

Q: Do I need to pre-drill holes if my cabinets already have holes for hardware?

A: If your cabinets already have pre-drilled holes and you are installing the same type and size of hardware, you might not need to drill again. However, it’s a good idea to check if the existing holes are clean and the correct size for your new screws. If you’re changing the style or placement of hardware, you’ll need to drill new holes.

Q: How far apart should two pulls be on a wide drawer?

A: There’s no single rule, but a common practice is to divide the drawer width into thirds and place the pulls at the one-third and two-thirds marks. Another method is to find the center of the drawer and then measure out an equal distance on either side. Measure to your preference and ensure they are aligned.

Q: What if I drill the hole in the wrong place?

A: If you catch it immediately, you might be able to use wood filler and touch-up paint to repair the hole and try again. For more noticeable mistakes, especially on painted cabinets, you might need to consider a larger pull that can cover the misaligned hole, or a decorative plate. Always measure carefully to avoid this issue.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve learned how to install pulls on kitchen cabinets, a simple yet impactful way to refresh your kitchen’s look. By following these steps, using the right tools, and paying attention to detail, you can achieve professional-looking results. Enjoy your newly updated kitchen!