Handyman Replaces Toe Kick On Cabinets
Some carpentry jobs are easier for a handyman than others. For example, replacing toe kick on your cabinets. Toe kick is the piece of decorative trim at the base of your cabinets. At the base of your sink cabinet is an indentation which makes it more comfortable to stand and, for example, wash dishes. Without this indentation you would be forced to stand further away from the sink and stretch your arms out or stoop to reach the sink. Covering this indentation is the toe kick. It's called toe kick because you can kick this board with your toes as you approach it.
Toe kick on modern production cabinets is a thin decorative piece of wood that spans the base cabinets for a finished look. Behind the toe kick is either a support piece or just the edges of each individual cabinet. Without the support, this thin wood will easily break if impacted by a foot. Water damage is also a popular cause of replacement.
You can pry off the old toe kick with a pry bar or get it started with a standard screwdriver. The trick is to find the same, or close material to replace it with. Since it is recessed in the indentation, you are not likely to pick up as many differences in the appearance as it will be partially shaded by the overhang anyway.
You can buy several styles and colors at a home center or you may have to go to a cabinet manufacturer or specialty lumberyard. You may even have to stain and finish it to approximately match the surrounding cabinets. Most home center product is already finished, so that's a good place to start.
Once you cut the toe kick to length, you can glue or use finish nails to keep it in place. You can cover the corners with decorative trim pieces, which makes mitering unnecessary.