Kitchen cupboards are opened and closed hundreds of times a week. Hinges wear, screws strip out of chipboard, drawer runners collapse under heavy pots, and doors under the sink swell from a slow leak. A kitchen with crooked, sagging doors looks older than it is, and a drawer that jams every time you open it is a daily annoyance.

Leongatha Handyman repairs kitchen, bathroom, laundry and wardrobe cupboards in homes across Leongatha, Korumburra, Mirboo North, Meeniyan and the surrounding area. Most repairs are quick, and a kitchen that has had its doors adjusted, hinges replaced and handles updated can feel almost new.

Cupboard problems we fix

• Doors hanging crooked or not closing
• Doors that have fallen off
• Hinges that are broken or worn out
• Stripped screw holes in chipboard panels
• Drawers that stick, drop or come off their runners
• Broken drawer bottoms and fronts
• Swollen or water-damaged panels under sinks
• Loose or broken handles and knobs
• Missing or damaged kickboards
• Shelves that sag or have lost their supports
• Soft-close dampers that no longer work
• Pantry doors that rub or swing

Adjusting and replacing hinges

Most modern kitchens use concealed hinges that can be adjusted in three directions. A few turns of the right screws can square up crooked doors and even out the gaps. When hinges are broken or worn, we replace them with matching or compatible hinges, including soft-close versions.

When the screws have stripped out of the chipboard, simply tightening them does not work. We repair the hole with a dowel plug or filler designed for chipboard, then refit the hinge so it holds.

Drawer runners

Drawers fail when the runners bend, wear out or pull away from the cabinet. We replace runners with matching ones where possible, or upgrade to a full-extension or soft-close runner. Heavy pot drawers may need heavier-rated runners.

Water damage under the sink

A slow leak under the sink swells the chipboard base and the bottom of the doors. Once the leak has been fixed by a plumber, we can replace the swollen base panel, fit a protective mat, and repair or replace damaged doors. Leaving water damage untreated lets mould grow and the panel crumble further.

Updating handles

Changing handles is one of the cheapest ways to freshen a kitchen. We remove old handles, fill and touch up old holes if the new handles have different spacing, and fit the new ones neatly and evenly. Bring your choice of handles, or tell us the style and we can source them.

Replacing doors and panels

If a door is broken or badly damaged, a replacement can be made or ordered to size. Matching the colour of an older kitchen can be tricky, but we will explain what is possible.

Bathrooms, laundries and wardrobes

The same problems turn up in vanities, laundry cupboards and wardrobes. We repair:

• Vanity doors and drawers
• Laundry cupboard hinges and shelves
• Wardrobe sliding doors and tracks
• Wardrobe shelves and hanging rails
• Linen press shelving

Older kitchens

Some homes in Leongatha, Korumburra and Mirboo North still have older kitchens with timber or laminate doors and older-style hinges. These can be repaired and adjusted too. Sometimes replacement parts are harder to find, but compatible alternatives usually exist.

What we do not do

We do not install whole new kitchens, cut benchtops for new appliances, or do plumbing or electrical work such as moving the sink or connecting a cooktop. We can, however, fix and adjust most existing cupboards, and fit new items like handles, shelves and kickboards.

Kitchens that work hard

The kitchen is the busiest room in most homes. Cupboard doors are opened hundreds of times a week, drawers carry heavy pots and pans, and steam, water and grease all take a toll. In older South Gippsland homes, kitchens may be thirty or forty years old with particleboard carcasses, worn hinges and laminate peeling at the edges. Newer kitchens in estates around Leongatha and Inverloch have soft-close hardware that still needs adjustment over time.

A full kitchen replacement is expensive and disruptive. Many kitchens can be given years of extra life with repairs: new hinges, new drawer runners, adjusted doors, replaced handles and a few new panels.

Common kitchen repairs

• doors that sag, do not close or rub against each other
• hinges pulled out of particleboard
• broken, sticking or sagging drawer runners
• drawer bottoms that have dropped out or broken
• handles and knobs that are loose, broken or dated
• swollen or delaminated panels, especially under the sink and near the dishwasher
• kickboards that have come loose or swollen
• loose or broken shelving and shelf supports
• pantry doors that drag
• laminate edging peeling away
• missing or broken child safety latches

Stripped hinge holes

The most common kitchen repair we do is a door hanging off a hinge because the screws have stripped out of the particleboard. We repair the holes with timber dowels and glue or with specialist repair plates, then refit the hinge so it holds firmly. Where hinges themselves are worn, we replace them with suitable concealed hinges and adjust them so the door sits square.

Drawer runners

Older drawers run on plastic or epoxy-coated runners that wear out. We replace them with new runners of the same size or upgrade to soft-close full-extension runners where the drawer box allows it. Pot drawers loaded with heavy cast iron need heavy-duty runners.

Water damage under the sink

The cupboard under the sink is where most water damage happens. A slow leak from a trap or tap connection soaks the particleboard floor of the cabinet, which swells and crumbles. We can replace the base panel and seal it, but the leak itself must be fixed by a licensed plumber first. Replacing swollen panels with moisture-resistant board and sealing the edges helps prevent the problem recurring.

Updating the look

New handles make a big difference. If new handles have a different hole spacing from the old ones, we fill and patch the old holes or choose handles with a backplate that covers them. We can also replace a few damaged doors or drawer fronts if you can source matching ones, and fit new kickboards.

Soft-close upgrades

Slamming doors and drawers are noisy and wear hinges quickly. Soft-close hinges and runners can usually be retrofitted to existing cabinets if the doors and drawers are in reasonable condition. Add-on dampers are another option for doors where replacing hinges is not practical. In a busy family kitchen, this upgrade reduces noise and wear and makes the kitchen feel newer.

Pantries and storage

Pantries are often the least organised part of the kitchen. We can add shelves, fit pull-out baskets supplied by you, install door-mounted racks and hooks, and replace sagging shelves with stronger ones. In older homes, converting an unused cupboard into a pantry or broom cupboard with new shelving makes a real difference.

Laundry and bathroom cabinets

The same repairs apply to laundry and bathroom cabinetry. Vanities in older bathrooms often have swollen bases and doors that no longer close. We repair or replace panels, refit hinges and seal edges against moisture.

Benchtop edges and joins

Laminate benchtops can lift at the edges or along joins, especially near the sink where water seeps in. We reglue lifting edging strips, reseal joins and replace damaged edge trims. Major benchtop damage, such as swelling across a large area, usually means replacement, and we can advise on that.

Older homes and farmhouse kitchens

Farmhouse kitchens around Dumbalk, Poowong and Loch often have solid timber cupboards built decades ago. These are worth keeping. We repair hinges, catches and drawers, plane doors that stick in winter, and fix loose face frames. A good clean, a few repairs and new hardware can keep a timber kitchen going for many more years.

Rentals and holiday homes

Kitchen cupboards in rentals and holiday houses at Inverloch and Venus Bay take a lot of wear. We fix doors and drawers between tenants or before summer, replace broken handles and fit child safety latches if needed. For property managers, we provide photos and a short report.

Planning a repair visit

Open every door and drawer and note what does not work properly. Count the hinges or runners that need replacing if you can, and photograph the hinge type. If you are planning to change handles, have the new ones on hand. That way, we can bring the right parts and finish the kitchen in a single visit.

Appliance housings

Built-in ovens, rangehoods and dishwashers are surrounded by cabinetry that can loosen or swell. We refix housing panels, replace damaged end panels and fit dishwasher side panels and kickboards, leaving any electrical or plumbing connection to licensed trades. A dishwasher that has worked loose and moves when the door is opened is a common fix that also protects the benchtop above it.

Small fixes, big difference

Often a kitchen that looks worn out simply needs every hinge adjusted so the doors line up, a couple of runners replaced and a good clean of the door edges. It is quick work that makes the whole room feel cared for, and it suits anyone getting a house ready for sale or new tenants.

Range hoods and overhead cupboards

Overhead cupboards carry heavy crockery and need secure fixing to the wall. If an overhead unit has started to drop at one end, we support it, find the cause and refix it into studs. Do not keep loading a cupboard that has started to tilt.

Where we repair cupboards

Leongatha, Korumburra, Mirboo North, Meeniyan, Koonwarra, Dumbalk, Inverloch, Tarwin Lower, Nyora, Loch, Poowong and nearby.

Booking

Send photos of the problem cupboards, close-ups of the hinges and runners if you can, and tell us how many doors or drawers are affected. We will quote and bring compatible hardware.

Frequently asked questions