Remove Corian countertop to replace kitchen cabinets

[sandy.assum]

We just had new Kraftmaid kitchen cabinets and a Corian countertop installed. I used painter's tape on the kitchen cabinet end panels when I painted the walls. When I removed the tape, the film on the end panels also pulled off. Lowe's is going to give me "wood skins" to put on the end panels. If the skins do not look right, I want to return the cabinets with exposed end panels and replace with cabinets with "real" wood panels.

Is it possible to remove the Corian countertop and backsplash so that I can replace these kitchen cabinets?

Thanks. Ryan

[JimR]

The best answer to your question would come from your cabinet installer -- but:

Your countertop is probably held in place with screws, possibly also with an adhesive and/or caulk. We recently had to have a solid countertop removed for other work and were able to find the screws and also cut through the caulk and remove the top.

You didn't ask, but I suspect that trying to replace just some of your cabinets is going to open a whole new can of worms, including matching the colors and style, getting your new cabinets level with the old ones, etc. Keep your fingers crossed that you're happy with the end panels you're getting from Lowes. Regards --

[Malcolm Hoar]

Yup. Removing and replacing the countertop will probably create some additional damage elsewhere that will have to be repaired. Likewise, replacing one or two cabinets. I foresee an infinite loop of repairs that require more repairs.

If those "wood skins" don't work out, I'd consider getting the affected cabinets professionally refaced with a matching laminate, veneer or other material as appropriate. It should be possible to achieve a pretty much perfect result without any further collateral damage.

[<aemeijers]

Like the others said, not without a lot of pain. Can you fake it by &#39;picture framing&#39; the exposed panels with some sort of trim, in a matching wood and finish? The &#39;wood skins&#39; they are offering will probably need some sort of corner trim to tie them into the face frame, and they will also likely need to be scribed to the wall. Basically a piece of thin plywood, commonly used to finish out the back side of a peninsula, like for a breakfast bar.

Good example of why I hate modern cabinets, other than the high-end custom stuff. Chipboard covered with printed woodgrain is not a fit material for anything actually attached to a house, IMHO, and only justifiable on disposable furniture if you are broke. Even entry-level cookie cutters used to have solid wood cabinets. I was just in a late-fifties tract house today at an estate sale, and the original cabinets were still perfect. No way is modern chipboard crap gonna last like that.

aem sends...

[kitchens etc.]

the wood skin can be installed with-out removing the cabinet or corian. and it will match in color and finish just fine.

also if needed the cabinet can be removed with-out removing the corian and/or backsplash.

[DT]

The correct way to attach Corian, specified in the DuPont installation and fabrication manuals, is to use silicone glue *only*. And to apply it as &#39;dots&#39; every 12" or so, never continuously. And it should be supported only by wooden strips, or the upper edges of the cabinets, never over a continuous underlayment. So it is feasible that they can be removed with a bit of careful knife work, using a bent-blade shop knife from within the cabinets. Whether or not your installer did it this way is another question.