Learn essential refurbishment skills with our home DIY short courses in Sydney!
A practical, beginner-friendly workshop teaching participants how to plan, dismantle, install, and refurbish small-to-medium kitchens. The session combines demonstrations with hands-on practice, focusing on safe techniques, DIY-friendly tools, and budget-conscious options such as reuse and upcycling. It is recommended that the participants have completed a Home DIY workshop
By the end of this workshop, you will have explored concepts and techniques such as:
- Plan a small-to-medium kitchen layout and budget.
- Safely dismantle old fixtures and prep walls/floors.
- Fix, plumb-line, level, and anchor base/wall cabinets.
- Measure, cut, join, and fit laminate/timber worktops; cut a sink/hob opening.
- Install/seat a sink and tap set (dry fit) and apply silicone correctly.
- Reface/refresh cabinets; tile and grout a splashback; select/fit basic lighting upgrades.
- Diagnose common alignment and sealing issues and know when to call a licensed pro.
During the workshop, participants will work with techniques and ideas such as:
- Welcome, WHS briefing, PPE; tool demo & lab rules (RCDs, dust, noise).
- Kitchen workflow overview (measure → design → services → install → finish).
- Activity: Measure a mock space; check plumb/square with level & laser; sketch a plan.
- Budgeting basics; reuse options (salvaged cabinets/doors, upcycling hardware).
- Demo: Safe removal sequence (doors → drawers → benchtop → base units → wall units).
- Identifying live services; isolation/lock-out concept (demo only).
- Surface repair: packing studs, wall repairs, primer/sealer.
- Hands-on stations:
- Remove/label hinges & hardware.
- Patch & sand wall defects.
- Locate studs/services; mark fixing lines.
- Set a level datum; install base units, shim and clamp; fix to studs/masonry.
- Scribing to uneven walls; corner units and fillers.
- Hands-on: Teams install a short cabinet run + one wall unit; verify level, square, reveals.
- Worktops: measuring cut lines/overhangs/joins; track saw & jigsaw techniques.
- Sink/hob cut-out on sacrificial board; dry-fit sink and tap (no live connections).
- Cabinet refacing: clean/degloss, prime, paint; replacing doors; stick-on veneers.
- Hands-on:
- Degloss → prime → top-coat on sample doors (quick-dry demo paints).
- Drill & fit new handles with a jig.
- Backsplash tiling: substrate prep, layout, adhesive choice, trims.
- Hands-on: Tile a 600×300 board; cut a tile; grout and sponge finish.
- Lighting upgrades overview: under-cabinet LED strips (plug-in/low-voltage kits), switching options (theory only).
- Silicone sealing best-practice: masking, tooling, curing. Hands-on: Apply and tool a silicone bead on demo sink/worktop and upstand.
- Door/drawer alignment: 2-way/3-way hinge adjustments; runner tweaks.
- Issues clinic: Gaps/out-of-square → fillers & scribes. Benchtop edges & end-caps. Splashback lippage/pinholes; grout repairs. Plumbing/electrical red flags → when to call a pro.
- Teams complete a mini-install:
- Set two base units + one wall unit
- Dry-fit benchtop with cut-out
- Seat sink, install handles
- Tile a small panel, silicone perimeter
- Trainer checks fixings, level, finish quality.
- Personal project consults (quick plan/photo desk-crits)
Course content and learning outcomes are intended as a guide and may vary depending on the facilitator, class pace, participant questions, and workshop discussions.
Who is this Kitchen Refurbishment Course for?
Learners who have completed Home DIY Basics, or who have existing skills in Tiling and Plumbing.
Where is the workshop located?
Workshops are held at the Summer Hill campus. You'll receive full venue details when you enrol.
Tools will be available to use at the workshop, but feel free to bring any from home that you would like to use. Likewise, PPE can be provided at the venue if needed. Must be able to use basic hand tools.
- A face mask
- Safety glasses or goggles
- Earmuffs or earplugs
- Gloves
- Closed shoes required
Content may vary slightly depending on class pace, participant interests, and instructor approach.
