The kitchen is the hardest-working room in the house. Cupboard doors are opened and closed dozens of times a day, drawers are loaded with heavy pots and cutlery, the sink cabinet deals with drips and leaks, and benchtop edges take knocks from everyday cooking. Over time hinges loosen and drop, doors stop lining up, drawer runners break, handles come loose, and the particleboard under the sink swells where water has got in. None of this means you need a new kitchen. Most kitchen problems can be repaired quickly and affordably, and a few targeted repairs can make an older kitchen feel new again. We repair kitchens, laundries, bathroom vanities and built-in wardrobes across Dandenong and the surrounding suburbs.

Many homes across Endeavour Hills, Dandenong North, Noble Park North and Springvale have kitchens from the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s with solid carcasses that are still sound, but with worn hardware. Newer townhouses and units often have kitchens with soft-close hardware that simply needs adjustment or a replacement part.

Kitchen repairs we carry out

• Adjusting and replacing cupboard hinges, including soft-close hinges
• Re-hanging sagging and misaligned doors
• Repairing stripped hinge screw holes and blown hinge cups
• Replacing drawer runners, including soft-close and full-extension runners
• Repairing and replacing broken drawer bottoms and drawer fronts
• Replacing cupboard and drawer handles and knobs
• Replacing swollen sink cabinet bases and shelves
• Repairing or replacing kick boards and plinths
• Fitting new cupboard doors and drawer fronts where available
• Re-fixing loose benchtops and repairing small chips in laminate edges
• Fitting child safety latches and locks
• Installing pull-out bins, organisers and cupboard inserts
• Fixing pantry shelving and adding extra shelves
• Re-fixing and replacing laminate edging strips

Common kitchen problems and fixes

Doors that sag or will not close

Most modern kitchen doors use concealed European hinges, which are adjustable in three directions with a screwdriver. A sagging or misaligned door can often be fixed in minutes with the right adjustment. If a hinge is broken or the soft-close mechanism has failed, we replace it with a matching hinge. If the hinge has pulled out of the door, leaving a blown-out hole in the particleboard, we repair the hole with a hinge repair plate, dowel and glue, or re-bore the hinge cup in fresh material.

Drawers that stick, drop or fall out

Drawer runners wear out, bend under heavy loads and come loose from the cabinet. Older roller runners can be replaced with smoother, stronger ball-bearing or soft-close runners, often using the existing holes. Broken drawer bottoms, which happen when heavy pots and cans are stored in drawers, can be replaced with a stronger base.

Swollen sink cabinet base

Water from a slow drip, a failed sink seal or a dishwasher leak soaks into the particleboard base of the sink cabinet, which swells, softens and crumbles. Once the leak has been fixed by a licensed plumber where needed, we cut out and replace the damaged base and shelf with moisture-resistant board, and seal edges to protect against future drips. Sink and benchtop silicone can be replaced at the same time; see our silicone and caulking page.

Loose and broken handles

Handles loosen as the screw works out of the thread. We tighten or replace screws and fit new handles where needed. New handles are one of the quickest and most affordable ways to update an older kitchen.

Peeling laminate and edging

Edging strips on doors and benchtops can come unstuck with heat and moisture, especially near the oven, dishwasher and kettle. We re-glue lifting edging with contact adhesive, or replace damaged strips where matching material is available.

Refreshing an older kitchen without renovating

If your kitchen layout works and the cabinets are sound, a refresh can transform it for a fraction of a renovation cost:

• New handles and knobs throughout
• Soft-close hinge and runner upgrades
• New splashback tiles; see our tiling and regrouting page
• Painting or replacing worn kick boards
• Adding internal organisers, pull-out bins and extra shelves
• Resealing the benchtop and sink
• Replacing a few damaged doors, if matching doors are available

Painting or wrapping cabinet doors is another option for a bigger change, but it is best done by a specialist with spray equipment for a durable finish.

Upgrading to soft-close

Soft-close hinges and runners stop doors and drawers from slamming, reduce wear on the cabinets, and are quieter. Most cabinets with concealed hinges can be upgraded to soft-close by replacing the hinges, or fitting add-on soft-close dampers. Drawers with side-mounted runners can often be upgraded to soft-close runners of the same size. We check what your cabinets will accept before recommending an upgrade.

Laundries, vanities and wardrobes

The same hardware and repairs apply throughout the house. We fix laundry cabinet doors and drawers, replace swollen laundry cabinet bases, repair bathroom vanity doors and drawers, and fix wardrobe doors, including sliding wardrobe door tracks and rollers. See our bathroom fixtures and accessories page for vanity-related work.

Child safety in the kitchen

Cleaning products, knives and medicines are usually stored in kitchen cupboards. Child safety latches and magnetic locks keep curious toddlers out. We fit internal latches that are invisible from outside, magnetic locks that open with a key magnet, and oven and fridge locks. We also anchor tall pantry units and fridges where tip-over is a risk.

What we do not do

We do not do plumbing or electrical work. Leaking taps, waste pipes, dishwasher connections, and gas cooktop connections must be done by licensed plumbers and gasfitters, and electrical work, including rangehood wiring and power points, must be done by licensed electricians in Victoria. We work alongside them: for example, replacing a swollen sink cabinet base after the plumber has fixed the leak. We also do not build new custom kitchens; for a full kitchen renovation, a kitchen company or cabinetmaker is the right choice.

What to expect

On the visit, we check every door, drawer and cabinet and give you a list of what needs fixing, whether it is a few hinges or a complete hardware refresh. We bring a range of common hinges, runners and fixings so most repairs can be completed straight away. Where specific parts need ordering, we tell you and return to fit them. When we leave, every door lines up and every drawer runs smoothly.

Kitchen materials and how they wear

Melamine and particleboard

Most kitchens built from the 1980s onward have particleboard carcasses with melamine surfaces. They are strong and economical when dry, but particleboard swells permanently if water gets into unsealed edges. Hinge and runner screws also strip easily in particleboard, especially after repeated adjustment. Proper repairs use dowels, inserts and hinge repair plates rather than just bigger screws.

Laminate doors and benchtops

High-pressure laminate is durable and easy to clean, but edges can lift with heat and steam, and chips at edges expose the board underneath to moisture. Small chips can be filled with colour-matched laminate repair compounds.

Vinyl-wrapped doors

Many 1990s and 2000s kitchens have thermoformed vinyl-wrapped doors. Heat from ovens, kettles and toasters causes the vinyl to peel and bubble, typically on doors next to the oven. Peeling vinyl can sometimes be re-glued, but heavily lifted doors usually need replacing. Fitting heat deflectors next to ovens helps protect new doors.

Painted and two-pack doors

Two-pack painted doors look great but chip at edges with knocks. Small chips can be touched up, while larger damage is best repaired by a specialist painter.

Timber doors

Solid timber and timber veneer doors can be sanded, repaired and refinished. Older timber kitchens in some homes are surprisingly sound and can be revived with new hardware and a fresh finish.

Kitchen safety checks we do while we are there

• Checking that the tall pantry, fridge cavity units and wall cabinets are securely fixed
• Making sure wall cabinets are properly supported, because their screws can loosen over time under heavy plates
• Checking that cupboard doors near the cooktop do not swing into the cooking area
• Looking for signs of slow leaks under the sink and around the dishwasher
• Checking that heavy items are not stored in cabinets with failing shelf pins

Wall cabinets falling from a wall is rare but serious. If an overhead cabinet has dropped slightly or a gap has opened between the cabinet and the wall, stop using it until it has been checked and re-fixed.

Rental kitchens

Kitchens in rental properties take heavy wear, and cupboard hinges, drawers and swollen sink bases are among the most common repair requests from renters. We work with property managers and landlords to repair kitchens quickly between or during tenancies, with photos and a clear note of what was done. See our property managers page.

Making a kitchen easier to use

Kitchens can be adapted for people with limited reach or mobility, or simply for better storage. Pull-out drawers inside base cabinets save bending into deep cupboards. Lower shelves in wall cabinets bring everyday items within reach. D-shaped or long bar handles are easier to grip than small knobs for anyone with arthritis. Pull-down shelving, lazy susans in corner cabinets and drawer dividers all help. We fit these upgrades into existing cabinets where space allows, and can combine them with work from our aged care and disability rails service.

Keeping cupboards in good order

Avoid hanging wet tea towels over cupboard doors, which soaks the edges. Wipe spills under the sink straight away. Do not overload drawers with heavy pots beyond what the runners are rated for. Check hinge screws once a year and tighten gently. These small habits keep a kitchen running smoothly for years.

Areas we cover

We repair kitchens across our service areas, including Endeavour Hills, Noble Park North, Springvale and Dandenong North.

Related services

Kitchen repairs pair well with silicone and caulking, tiling and regrouting, flat-pack assembly and carpentry.

Frequently asked questions