How to Repair Particle Board Cabinets

Many homes, including mobile homes, use particle board cabinets in their kitchens or bathrooms. Particle board is more cost-effective than traditional wooden cabinets, which can make it a good choice when renovating. Over time, particle board may require repairs just like any other cabinets. Fortunately, repairs to particle board cabinetry are relatively easy to do yourself.

Particle board is a composite wood product made from various sizes of cellulose products. They are mixed with glue, then heated and pressed into a board.

There are similar products that might be used to make cabinetry, like medium density fiberboard (MDF). MDF is made from a fine wood fiber before being pressed into a board and is often finished with a laminate, veneer or paint.

It's important to know which kind of reconstituted wood product you have in your kitchen cabinets so that you can properly care for and repair them. Any type of particle board, like any kind of wood, may chip or break over time. Plus, stripped screws and other damage for normal wear and tear may need to be fixed.

If you need to repair particle board corners, you should look into using cyanoacrylate glue for the ultimate hold. But you'll need to take care that the glue does not stick to any surface other than the cracked area that you are repairing. This is a very strong adhesive and difficult to remove.

Apply glue to the edge of the cracked cabinet. Use a piece of plastic like a cut plastic milk carton to separate the cabinet from anything else it might come into contact with. Push the separated pieces of the cabinet back together, and use a clamp to hold the two pieces together.

Allow the glue to dry for the appropriate length of time outlined on the package. Then, remove the clamp and plastic backing. You may want to use an aerosol glue activator to help keep the repair strong.

If you have other issues with your particle board cabinets, you may be able to fix them yourself. For example, in terms of particle board repair, screw hole problems are something you should be able to take care of fairly easily.

To fix a stripped screw hole in your particle board cabinets, you can try using a larger screw. This could be either a longer screw or a wider one. In either case, they should reach a part of the wood that is not damaged and hold tight. Depending on where the repair is needed for your cabinets, you may not be able to use a longer screw. Additionally, a wider screw may not be aesthetically pleasing, so you may want to use a different approach.

You can also try filling extra space in the screw hole with a toothpick or match, adhering them with wood glue. Then, trim the ends and sand them down to be flush with the cabinet doors. Once dry, this repair should enable you to keep the cabinet screw in place.