Cabinet Installation

Nowadays there’s an abundance of elegant as well as simple stock cabinets to choose from, as well as door styles which is typically the focal point of the cabinets. I’d like to cover the basics of a simple installation and the tools required to do the job.

Of course the place to start is on paper. Most places that supply the cabinets will do a layout for free. So I recommend drawing a simple outline of the room and pencil in the dimensions accurately. Be sure to include the door and window measurements, right up to the edge of the casing. Then, based on the space you have and what you want, the supplier can provide you with a few layouts to chose from. You can get this process in motion even before you select the actual cabinet style since the sizes are the same.

Assuming we have a simple L shaped layout, it’s important to find the high point in the floor. If you’ve got a ten or twelve foot straight run of cabinets, get a 2 x 4 the corresponding length, and make sure it’s straight. Lay this on the floor, on edge, and put a four foot level on it to check for level. If you are attaching a 90 degree return, you must check that for level as well. Now, measure up from the high point the height of the cabinet, and draw a level line as far as the cabinets are going to go on the wall.

Starting with an inside corner base cabinet, level it left to right, parallel to the wall, and front to back. Use shims under and behind the cabinet if needed to get it level. Locate the studs behind the cabinet, predrill and countersink one hole per stud and screw the cabinet to the wall. Working from that cabinet, lay the next cabinet in line alongside it and attach these two cabinets together, perfectly aligned along the cabinet faces and flush with the top and bottom. You’ll need to predrill a clearance hole through the edge of the cabinet frame, or style as it is called, countersink the hole and also drill a pilot hole in the other cabinet. A clearance hole is a hole large enough for the screw to pass right through without grabbing the threads, and a pilot hole is a hole slightly smaller than the threads but will prevent splitting of the wood and guarantee the exact location the screw will go. After drilling your clearance hole, you’ll need to clamp the two cabinets together to line them up as described above. (Special clamps are available to hold them together and flush at the same time.) I recommend attaching them in this manner in at least two, possibly three locations along the style. After the cabinets are together, shim and attach to the wall and continue on down the line.

Hanging wall cabinets are the same basic procedure. It will be helpful to cot a block of wood to the desired length from the base cabinets to help hold them in place. Be sure to get screws in the top and bottom support rails in the hanging cabinets. Standard height to the top of hanging cabinets is seven feet.

Kitchen cabinets offer many options and accessories, too many to attempt to include in this column, however, with a good supplier and the knowledge of the basic cabinet installation you should be able to handle the vast majority of your installation. The only way to top this job is with counters, and we’ll have to cover that installation in another column.
 

Estimated time: One hour per cabinet

Tools/materials needed:

Cabinets, cedar shims, three inch wood screws, clamps, drill, hammer, tape measure, four and two foot level

Home Office

People nowadays area more and more in need of a good home office. Whether you are running a business from your home, or just running your home out of your home, an appropriate work station will make everything you do more efficient.

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