Rehab cheap kitchen cabinets

[cypressotter]

Our '90 MH has cabinet doors and drawer pulls made of some material that is very ... cheap. Maybe it's fiberboard? They're covered with what one person called "photo paper" - looks like wood, but is paper.

I'd like to paint them - but the underlying material is a problem. It has abraded along the edges and tops of the door pulls and the edges of the cabinet doors - mostly by fingernails and finger rings - and is "fuzzy".

I don't think this material (the "fiberboard") is meant to be sanded - is it? It's very fibrous - almost like bulletin-board material but a bit denser.

Can someone recommend a "filler" to build up the abraded sections - edges and underneath the handles? I expect it'd need to be able to stick to both the fiberboard and the "photo paper".

I'd really rather "fix" them than buy new doors/fronts.

Thanks.

[Harry]

Hi

I know what you mean. My bride made me buy new kitchen cabinets because of that particleboard.

You might try some Bondo...the auto body filler. I've used it for all sorts of jobs.

JMHO

Harry

[Greg]

Hi & welcome. I would guess that you have some type of partical board cabinets, very commin in Mobiles.
What I would try is building new drawer fronts. 1x4 Hardwood is not too expensive and you can replace them with basic carpentry tools.
Depending on how involved you want to get and how much money you want to spend take a look at Sunco cabinets. They are an inexpensive, put together HARDWOOD cabinet. I did our whole kitchen for around $1500 a year ago.
I am sure others will have more ideas for you. Greg