Installing Kitchen Cabinets

[waffle]

I should be getting new kitchen cabinets (base and wall) on Wednesday. I've been doing a bit of research on how to install them, but wanted to see if anyone here had some tips/tricks on how to make the job go a bit smoother.

Thanks

[music lover]

I've done it before. Off the top of my head:

- start in the corner
- install the uppers first so that the bottom cabinets are not in the way
- locate the studs in advance and transfer the measurements to the inside of the cabinets so you know where to put the screws
- take the doors off to hang the cabinets...less weight, plus the door doesn't swing open and smash you in the face, lol.
- screw a 2x4 to the wall so you can rest the upper cabinets on it while attaching them. The time spent patching a few screw holes is nothing compared to the time and effort saved trying to hold the cabinets in place while attaching them
- find the highest spot on the floor and make a mark from there to where the top of the bottom cabinet will be in that location. Make a level line around the room from that mark and shim the other cabinets up to that line.
- use clamps to join the next cabinet to the one just installed

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

- screw a 2x4 to the wall so you can rest the upper cabinets on it while attaching them. The time spent patching a few screw holes is nothing compared to the time and effort saved trying to hold the cabinets in place while attaching them

If you put in a tile backsplash, which is shockingly easy to do (I used SimpleMat even though it's expensive to make it go faster) you don't even have to patch the holes.

[Greg]

music lover has all the tips and I'll add a couple.  The uppers will look best if you attach them together before putting them on the wall.  This will make them a heavy, ungainly assembly so I'd offer that a helper is a must for lifting them into place.  If you're doing them yourself you may want to install the base cabinets first so you have something to put blocks and cribbing on to support the uppers while you position them just right.  I've done it both ways many times.  It will just depend on the number of cabinets and the layout.

For the uppers make sure to use cabinet screws with flat washer heads rather than say drywall or other bugle head screws.  If you have cabinet structure for it, use an upper and lower screw for each stud.

[MudDuck]

Also: if you have counter tops coming in large pieces, make sure they will fit into the room with the wall cabinets installed. People often have to take out a few wall cabinets in order to fit the counters in when the kitchen is walled-in, and if that's going to happen, you may as well just wait.

[Goldielocks]

We install on a rail system so you aren't missing studs.

Bases first, the. Use car portable hydraulic jacks to hold uppers for you while you install. Use wood to cover the bases to protect them from the jack.

Have a strong helper otherwise

Be prepared for u level walls and need to shim in many directions.

[waffle]

Thanks for all the advice so far. How long does it usually take to shim things? Would a leveling system like http://www.ez-level.com/ be worth it?

[music lover]

Thanks for all the advice so far. How long does it usually take to shim things? Would a leveling system like http://www.ez-level.com/ be worth it?

You don't need a fancy or expensive level...any accurate level will work just fine.

Locate the high spot on the floor and then mark the wall at the top of the cabinet that will go there in that spot. Make a level line along the wall from that mark. Put each cabinet in place using shims to raise it to the line (if required). Then level them front to back by putting shims under the front.

[Uturn]

Thanks for all the advice so far. How long does it usually take to shim things? Would a leveling system like http://www.ez-level.com/ be worth it?

Nope, these work just fine

[waffle]

I wasn't referring to levels. The link was for a leveling system which takes the place of shims.

[Greg]

I wasn't referring to levels. The link was for a leveling system which takes the place of shims.

Shims work pretty well and won't break.  That said, a custom cabinet maker I know uses adjustable feet to level the plinth blocks (box under the cabinet) so that the cabinets sit level, but it's a different arrangement than with pre-made cabinets.

I use shims when I level cabinets.

[sistastache]

+1 to using cabinet screws. Do not use drywall screws, your cabinets can actually fall off the wall with this type of screw ( it pulls through the hang rail and remains attached to the wall while your cabinet is on the floor).
Also make sure you account for the height of your flooring. You don't need to install your flooring under the cabinets, but shim the bases up that dimension from your finished floor height, your dishwasher will need to fit into the cavity below the countertop with the flooring installed underneath, you don't want to block it in.  Your upper cabinets should be hung 54" from your finished floor height.

[KaizenSoze]

Everything said in this thread. Also, measure, measure, and measure again.

I can't agree more with the comment about screws. It's completely worth it buy quality screws.

It cost of most of day because the screws that came with the cabinets were garbage. They would not drive into the maple.

[music lover]

Everything said in this thread. Also, measure, measure, and measure again.

I can't agree more with the comment about screws. It's completely worth it buy quality screws.

It cost of most of day because the screws that came with the cabinets were garbage. They would not drive into the maple.

If you're putting a screw through maple, drill a pilot hole first. Maple is rock hard.

[KaizenSoze]

Everything said in this thread. Also, measure, measure, and measure again.

I can't agree more with the comment about screws. It's completely worth it buy quality screws.

It cost of most of day because the screws that came with the cabinets were garbage. They would not drive into the maple.

If you're putting a screw through maple, drill a pilot hole first. Maple is rock hard.

We tried that the original screws were still getting stuck half way in. The drive part of the screw matters a lot. If it's a hard wood then you need something better than a standard Philips in our case.

[music lover]

Everything said in this thread. Also, measure, measure, and measure again.

I can't agree more with the comment about screws. It's completely worth it buy quality screws.

It cost of most of day because the screws that came with the cabinets were garbage. They would not drive into the maple.

If you're putting a screw through maple, drill a pilot hole first. Maple is rock hard.

We tried that the original screws were still getting stuck half way in. The drive part of the screw matters a lot. If it's a hard wood then you need something better than a standard Philips in our case.

We use Robertson screws up here...they are far superior to Phillips. I never use anything else unless there is no choice. They are built to such exacting tolerances that you can put the screw in the driver and hold it upside down and it won't fall out.

[waffle]

Great advice on the screws. I probably would have just used normal construction or drywall screws. We have most of the walls finished up and painted so hopefully by next weekend we will be installing cabinets.

[Greg]

Robertson (square drive) screws are nice.  Drywall screws are barely adequate for drywall, usually very brittle.  That brittleness is what makes them dangerous to use for anything else.  I've seen them in auto repair, shelves, joist hangers, etc. and it's cringe-worthy. 

[waffle]

I haven't leveled and attached the base cabinets yet, but the uppers went up really easily and are looking great so far.

[KaizenSoze]

Looks good. Went smoothly?

[waffle]

So far so good. attached the 3 cabinets on the left together and then hung them as a unit. Then added on the one over the refrigerator. I still have the other half of the cabinets to do on the other side of the room.

[couponvan]

I haven't leveled and attached the base cabinets yet, but the uppers went up really easily and are looking great so far.

Nice! You are going to love that microwave up higher off the cook stove.

[waffle]

I haven't leveled and attached the base cabinets yet, but the uppers went up really easily and are looking great so far.

Nice! You are going to love that microwave up higher off the cook stove.

Yeah I really didn't like how far down the old microwave hung down. We went with the shorter cabinet above the stove just so the microwave would fit better.

[waffle]

Update: The granite company came out yesterday to measure for the template and he approved of my install job on the cabinets. It was a bigger pain to get the base cabinets level than I anticipated, but it worked out in the end.

[couponvan]

Update: The granite company came out yesterday to measure for the template and he approved of my install job on the cabinets. It was a bigger pain to get the base cabinets level than I anticipated, but it worked out in the end.

I agree - the base cabinets for us were harder than the uppers and we wanted to make sure our dishwasher/beverage center had proper clearance with the flooring we were doing.