Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
bookworm4321

Do you line your cabinets?

bookworm4321
10 years ago

I am so new to all this, but do you line? the baffle weave stuff at BB&B? A non-sticky paper from HD/Lowes? leave nude?

Comments (34)

  • Cindy103d
    10 years ago

    I line the drawers the weave stuff that helps things stay where they are put. Anti-slide action for the drawers. Something slick for the uppers, so glasses and plates will slide in and out without scuffing the shelf.

  • baylorbear
    10 years ago

    I lined my cabinets and drawers with LifeLiner. I found it at Bed Bath and Beyond. I used the open weave liners in our old house, and they were always sticking to plates/dishes and lifting off the shelf when I took things off of it.

    The LifeLiner is very heavy duty and it can be washed. I bought the clear liner, but they also had it in white. It's kinda pricy, so use the 20% off coupons if you get it from BB&B. They have shorter rolls and wider rolls, but it's really easy to cut to size.

  • bookworm4321
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    thanks for info. I've been saving coupons. Nothing perfectly aligned yet, but I thought I could prepare for next step.

  • williamsem
    10 years ago

    I got a giant roll of cork to cut up for my drawers. Works great so far, and pretty affordable by the time you add up all the rolls of the regular liner needed. If you go that route, get something thinner than 1/4 in. It's not bad, but I think 1/8 in would have been easier to work with and just as good. Plus better in all my shallow drawers.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    10 years ago

    Where do you get rolls of cork (I don't love the waffle-weave stuff for the same reasons as baylorbear)? I'm going to look at LifeLiner too.

  • suzanne_sl
    10 years ago

    Your shelves really don't need lining as the finish they come with can just be wiped down when you feel the need - the 10th of never in my case. I do line a couple of shelves that have bottles of oil, molasses, or other sticky stuff that tends to leap to the outside of the bottles no matter what. For those I use that plastic roll of stuff that has ridges on one side.

  • jellytoast
    10 years ago

    I use the clear stuff with ridges (from BB & B) in my cupboards with dishes ... it allows air flow around glasses that are stored upside down. For cabinets that store food, I use the clear stuff (also from BB & B). It also comes in a darker clear color. The rest of the cabinets have nothing lining them ... haven't gotten to it yet, and not sure if they even need it. I don't like to line cabinets that store heavy items like a blender and food processor because the lining tends to shift when I move the items in and out.

  • cba6777
    10 years ago

    I have always lined the shelves and drawers, and usually with the thin peel off kind. It was so easy when we had to move to just peel off the material and the drawer/shelf was clean.

    This has been for our previous homes, with lesser quality cabinets. Our last home had white melamine interiors, but i still lined them. Now that we have been looking to redo the kitchen in our newly acquired home with better quality cabinets (rather than the particle board shelves that exist now - ugh!) I am torn as to what to use. I think the thin stuff will make it look cheap. The other stuff is so much more expensive. I like the idea of BBB, and maybe I'll try Amazon.

  • joyce_6333
    10 years ago

    I did line all my cabinet shelves and drawers. I did not want laminate interiors, and chose to have all wood interiors, so I felt I wanted to put down something to protect the wood. I used Duck non-adhesive solid shelf liner. Inexpensive, quite thick, and a bit cushy. Easy to install, and super easy to clean. And it's available at most discount stores.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Duck shelf liner

  • bookworm4321
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Williamsen,
    the cork sounds perfect. Is that something one can find at HD/L?

    thanks for a great suggestion. And, thanks all, waffle on tops with glasses.

  • nycbluedevil
    10 years ago

    I have not lined my drawers. They are walnut inside and I love to look at them so I don't want to hide them with liners. I'm not sure why they would get ruined without liners. I put away my plastic containers, dishes and glasses when they are dry. Pots and pans don't move around too much. Maybe the cooking utensil drawer might get a bit scratched but so far, so good. Am I missing something?

  • sjhockeyfan325
    10 years ago

    And, thanks all, waffle on tops with glasses.

    For me it's the opposite - on tops with glasses, I would use something that slides easily. Putting glasses in and removing them is awful with the waffle stuff.

  • Linda
    10 years ago

    I have used the Lifeliner (and even taken it with me and reused when I moved). However, IKEA has a similar liner that is MUCH less expensive, and is what I used in my DD's house.

  • chicgeek
    10 years ago

    Lifeliner! Amazing stuff. Easy to measure and install. It has worked great in the drawers in which we store our dishes and pots and pans. No sliding or noise when putting things in the drawer.

  • williamsem
    10 years ago

    Well, I don't know where the correct place to purchase rolls of cork for lining cabinets is, so I just bought a giant roll of flooring underlayment!

    Don't waste your time looking at HD/Lowes. They don't stock it in store, and some employees had no idea what I was talking about, and one said you don't put cork under flooring. O_o

    I just googled around until I found the cheapest option in the thickness I wanted. Don't forget about shipping charges! I just looked and I ordered from Lowes. It was about $65, and I lined 15 drawers with plenty left over for other projects (I'm feeling a bulletin board in my future). Get 1/4 inch max thickness, less would have been nice but it seemed fine in my head at the time.

    Make sure you have a large area of floor to work on and a large cutting surface (I have a very large crafting mat to cut on). Also a large metal yardstick/T-square/etc to cut against with a sharp utility knife. I also used a china marker to help mark measurements for cutting. Expect to do a little trimming, it's better to cut a tad large and trim for a tight fit.

  • marty722
    10 years ago

    Just built a new home. Had tile installed under ALL my cabinets (bathrooms too) so I don't have to worry about spills or water damage. Also had tile put on the bottom shelf of two of my kitchen cabinets where I store my glasses & coffee cups.

    I had some granite left over so I lined one shelf in my pantry - love it.

  • rantontoo
    10 years ago

    Menards carries rolls of cork; stocked in the area where office supplies/ bulletin boards are.

  • taggie
    10 years ago

    Wow I'm really surprised that so many people still line their cupboards, I thought that was something only my mother's generation ever did (and I'm no spring chicken myself!).

    I can't imagine lining my cabinets or drawers. Haven't done it in 30 years of owning cabinets, and have never had a single problem. Seems like an unnecessary amount of work, plus our new cabinets are stained inside and I like seeing the lovely wood interiors.

  • bookworm4321
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Taggie,

    It was a lot of work, but it is something I do in new kitchens. I'm glad you have never had any damage, but I have had spills.

    Thanks everyone for all the useful hints.

  • gabbythecat
    10 years ago

    I can't imagine NOT lining my drawers/cabinets. It protects the inside and if something messy spills, the liner gets ruined, not the cabinet. The liner also adds a tiny bit of cushiony feel to the inside.

    I used to use contact paper. But now I use the non stick stuff from the big box stores. Nothing fancy, nothing terribly expensive, and it's easy to use.

  • Bunny
    10 years ago

    I'm in the lining camp. My mom did it, my MIL did it; it's ingrained in me.

    I still have some old-school Contact paper on some of my shelves (ivy pattern). Even into the corners of my blind cabinets. I don't know how I crawled inside, but there it is.

    Now I use LifeLiner. I love that it doesn't need to be stuck down to stay in place.

  • iroll_gw
    10 years ago

    Google for Plast-O-Mat Ribbed Shelf Liner, it's the same stuff as BB&B's Lifeliner, but less expensive.
    I used this because the ribs allow any moisture inside glasses, etc. to evaporate.

  • angela12345
    10 years ago

    There is a product called "cushy cupboards" that gets a LOT of love around Gardenweb

    Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.google.com/search?q=cushy+cupboards+site:Gardenweb.com

  • williamsem
    10 years ago

    I looked at the small rolls of cork sold for this purpose, but the price for what I needed was more than the large roll I bought. Plus I have a ton left for other projects, and it is big enough to cover the drawers in one piece.

    I like the rubber or cork liners for a few uses. In the pot and pan drawers it helps with sound from the pans hitting bottom as I move them around. It also prevents them from sliding together. The shallow drawers are full of little stuff, which also benefits from a liner. I also line places that might get leaks or spills, like where we store oils. Regular storage cabinets in the uppers don't get lined.

  • icekream
    10 years ago

    I use the Ikea liner. I really like it because it's plastic see through and have no holes. I see the wood and still know that it's protected. My dishes are sometimes not completely dry when i put in the cabinets, so I'm happy that i wont get water rings. These are brand new cabinets that I want to protect.

    I've only had light maple cabinets so it's not covering up stained wood. I also line my cabinets that are glass covered. Can't really see the liners, but I"m short.

  • WatsonsMom
    10 years ago

    Just installed the new cabinets and I'm thrilled. I'm also a a shelf liner enthusiast- especially for pots & pans and the pantry area. Having used the rubbery mats from Wal-Mart (the waffle weave look) as well as light tack adhesive liners (awful), I think a cork liner is in my future.

    Unfortunately, my drawers are 22" wide vs. the 17.5" wide that William-Sonoma offers. My question is this: will the seam necessary to meet my width requirements be unsightly or will the edges easily blend in?

    I found other sites offering a 24" wide roll- which will absolutely work. But I've heard so many good things about WS that I think it's best to inquire further.

    And note to Williamsem: I see you purchased yours at Lowes. By any chance, do you have a name brand/model number you can offer?
    Thanks !

  • williamsem
    10 years ago

    It's called "natural floors by US floors cork underlayment", the screenshot I have of the invoice doesn't have an item number. If they have one a little thinner than 1/4 inch, I'd try that. The 1/4 is fine, but thicker than needed.

    You do have to be a little careful cutting it up and flattening the pieces, to much tension rips it, as you would expect.

  • susanlynn2012
    10 years ago

    IceKream, I love the clear Ikea Liner Idea! Thanks everyone for sharing ideas. Right now I line my older cabinets with non-adhesive solid shelf liner but for my new kitchen I would love a clear liner.

  • NWRain-Gal
    10 years ago

    Like IceKream I use the Ikea clear liner in my new lacquered maple cabinets and drawer interiors.

    It tends to be very curly, to make it less curly on it self, i heat it with a hair dryer for a few minutes on a flat surface to give it a new flat "memory". It then fits perfectly nice and flat in the drawer or cabinet.

    I like that it is thick, heavy duty and I can still see the nice wood interior but know that if something sticky or goopy gets on it, I can just wash it and not mar my brand new cabinet interiors.

    I have read the fine print on other liners, the plastic top ones with the nobby latex cushiony grid on the bottom, that they are not meant for lacquered or painted surfaces. We stayed at a beach condo where someone had put those in the drawers and it left a sticky impression of the grid on the lacquered interior. Yuck.

  • kksmama
    10 years ago

    I used a combination. No liners in uppers, custom dividers from Woodhollow in some drawers, clear plastic in the bottom of pot drawers, and thin cork from Bed, Bath, and Beyond in a few drawers like this one. Also in this drawer are adjustable depth bamboo dividers from BBB, and one is covering a liner seam.

  • thepeppermintleaf
    10 years ago

    I don't like lining my cabinets. The liners we have used in the past (the grippy kind with holes) just seem to get grimy pretty quickly. Also, they bunch up and it's harder to slide stacks of plates, etc. around inside the cabinet. To me this is annoying, but maybe others would like them for this same reason!

  • raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
    10 years ago

    I am in the process of putting clear liner in my drawers and cabinets. I bought several different kinds but I think that most will be going back in favor of the clear vinyl. I might put the cushier stuff in the pot drawer.

    Maybe I am unusual, but I found over years (in my previous cabinets) that the interiors do get dirty (if not from spills, then from fine dust and dirt) and need wiping; I don't want to be washing the wood, even though it has a protective finish on it.

    So far I have lined the spice pullout, the pot drawer, the lid/ mixing bowl/Tupperware drawer, and the utensil drawer. Oh, also the pantry shelf under the microwave. I also lined the sink cabinet before I installed my pull-outs. Eventually I will do them all.

  • WatsonsMom
    10 years ago

    Thanks Williamsem for the cork info. I considered your suggestion going with something smaller but didn't see any 1/8" from Lowes.

    Home Depot had 1/8" but for 200 s/f the cost $109.00.

    However, I did find 1/8" APC Cork Underlayment rolls on Wayfair. Wide enough at 48" and they come in 100 s/f rolls and up. Cost $36.00.

    On the Wayfair site, some reviewers indicated they used it for shelf/cabinet liners and were pleased.

    Putting my order in today- will let everyone know how it goes!

    Thanks !

  • gpraceman55
    10 years ago

    We only lined the drawers and cabinet shelves where there is a potential for leaks and spills, like under the sink and in the pantry cabinet. We've had cleaning products leak, bottles of miscellaneous liquids leak, even some potatoes (or maybe it was onions) that got forgotten and oozed out of their bag. So, we wanted to protect our new cabinets from the type of damage that can cause.