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Crappy cabinets, shelves made of MDF. The contractor will be installing tile backsplash next week. I thought it would be the right time to fix the shelves, too.

The question is about the bottom shelves. I am less worried about internal shelves - these can be braced easily.

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Edit: Upon doing some research, I came across this product. Google "shelf stiffener". I have not tried it but it looks promising.

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4 Answers 4

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Assuming you don't want to spend the money replacing with all solid wood cabinets (which is what I did last year), you could double the shelves up and screw the old one into the new one. Use screws no thicker than the two boards combined (obviously).

saggy shelf

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  • That's neat. Other than some minor issues with the screw heads showing and the solid wood boards taking up some space inside the cabinet, I think it's a viable option.
    – user443854
    Commented May 14, 2019 at 17:45
  • A bit more expensive but possibly permanent solution, inspired by this answer: use aluminum angle. Run one along the back and one in front. The one in front can be flipped to face downwards to minimize obstructing the shelf.
    – user443854
    Commented May 14, 2019 at 22:59
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Older cupboard shelves often had a 2" by 1" or 1" by 3/4" frame under the shelf which gave so much support.

This was often decorated with a facing strip with carvings...

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  • I know what you mean. I wish my cabinets had this support structure.
    – user443854
    Commented May 14, 2019 at 17:46
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Flip them. They're likely harder now than when they were new and won't sag as readily. I don't know how the cabinets are assembled, but the bottoms may be removable for flipping as well, or flip the entire cabinet.

Otherwise, you could double the bottoms. Fasten a new shelf inside with suitable screws. 1/8" to 1/4" shims at each end would draw the center up more effectively.

BTW, they're probably particle board, not MDF.

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  • Doubling was the first answer above...
    – Solar Mike
    Commented May 14, 2019 at 15:35
  • Yep, and it's part of the this answer, wiith additional suggestions. Answers often overlap.
    – isherwood
    Commented May 14, 2019 at 15:48
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Thanks all for the discussion. This is what I ended up doing. Project cost: 60$, beer.

The shelves are 12" wide. The select board from Home Depot is 11.5", so I had to glue a piece to extend them to 12". The glue was left to dry overnight, then sanded smooth with a belt sander. The grooves in the shelves were cut with a router. The finish is Minwax wipe-on poly.

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