Basics to Kitchen Refurb - DIY Series. 23 Nov 2025

Overview

A practical, beginner-friendly workshop teaching participants how to plan, dismantle, install, and refurbish small-to-medium kitchens. The session combines demonstrations with hands-on practice, focusing on safe techniques, DIY-friendly tools, and budget-conscious options such as reuse and upcycling.

Learning outcomes

Participants will be able to:

• Plan a small-to-medium kitchen layout and budget.

• Safely dismantle old fixtures and prep walls/floors.

• Fix, plumb-line, level, and anchor base/wall cabinets.

• Measure, cut, join, and fit laminate/timber worktops; cut a sink/hob opening.

• Install/seat a sink and tap set (dry fit) and apply silicone correctly.

• Reface/refresh cabinets; tile and grout a splashback; select/fit basic lighting upgrades.

• Diagnose common alignment and sealing issues and know when to call a licensed pro.

Session flow

1) Introduction & Planning

• Welcome, WHS briefing, PPE; tool demo & lab rules (RCDs, dust, noise).

• Kitchen workflow overview (measure → design → services → install → finish).

• Activity: Measure a mock space; check plumb/square with level & laser; sketch a plan.

• Budgeting basics; reuse options (salvaged cabinets/doors, upcycling hardware).

2) Dismantling & Preparation

• Demo: Safe removal sequence (doors → drawers → benchtop → base units → wall units).

• Identifying live services; isolation/lock-out concept (demo only).

• Surface repair: packing studs, wall repairs, primer/sealer.

• Hands-on stations:

  • Remove/label hinges & hardware.

  • Patch & sand wall defects.

  • Locate studs/services; mark fixing lines.

3) Installation Fundamentals (Cabinets & Worktops)

• Set a level datum; install base units, shim and clamp; fix to studs/masonry.

• Scribing to uneven walls; corner units and fillers.

• Hands-on: Teams install a short cabinet run + one wall unit; verify level, square, reveals.

• Worktops: measuring cut lines/overhangs/joins; track saw & jigsaw techniques.

• Sink/hob cut-out on sacrificial board; dry-fit sink and tap (no live connections).

4) Refurbishment Techniques

• Cabinet refacing: clean/degloss, prime, paint; replacing doors; stick-on veneers.

• Hands-on:

  • Degloss → prime → top-coat on sample doors (quick-dry demo paints).

  • Drill & fit new handles with a jig.

• Backsplash tiling: substrate prep, layout, adhesive choice, trims.

  • Hands-on: Tile a 600×600 board; cut a tile; grout and sponge finish.

• Lighting upgrades overview: under-cabinet LED strips (plug-in/low-voltage kits), switching options (theory only).

5) Finishing & Troubleshooting

• Silicone sealing best-practice: masking, tooling, curing.

  • Hands-on: Apply and tool a silicone bead on demo sink/worktop and upstand.

• Door/drawer alignment: 2-way/3-way hinge adjustments; runner tweaks.

• Issues clinic:

  • Gaps/out-of-square → fillers & scribes.

  • Benchtop edges & end-caps.

  • Splashback lippage/pinholes; grout repairs.

  • Plumbing/electrical red flags → when to call a pro.

Capstone Practical

Teams complete a mini-install:

• Set two base units + one wall unit

• Dry-fit benchtop with cut-out

• Seat sink, install handles

• Tile a small panel, silicone perimeter

• Trainer checks fixings, level, finish quality.

Wrap-up

• Personal project consults (quick plan/photo desk-crits)