Saturday 17 August 2013

How To Install Kitchen Base Cabinets

Cabinets are a fundamental part of any kitchen. Kitchen cabinets not only provide storage, but they define spatial organization and workflow for one of the most used spaces in a home. As such, cabinets are a focal point of every kitchen, and proper installation is essential to both aesthetic and functional qualities.

The cabinets need to be square, level, and secure so doors and drawers operate properly and provide stable support for the countertops and fixtures. With the right tools and a little patience, installing kitchen Base cabinets is a project any do-it-yourselfer can handle. Join the At Home channel’s host, Jeff Wilson, as he installs new base cabinets for a small kitchenette.

Installing new kitchen cabinets may seem intimidating, but the techniques are really quite simple. Think of it as screwing a series of boxes to the wall and to one another in the proper sequence. If your cabinet plan is correct, your main job is to find the best starting point and keep everything level. In this story we'll show you how to master these key steps. kitchen backsplash materials We'll tell you how to lay out the cabinet positions ahead of time to avoid missteps.

Around the Corner 
Usually, the best place to begin installing your base cabinets is the corner. In case of measurement errors or irregular cabinets, you want to make sure the corner cabinet is placed correctly. You can then begin to build out from either side.

Stud alert 
You are going to need to know where all the studs are in your kitchen wall. Using a stud finder, mark all the studs in the wall near both the bottom and top horizontal lines you have made. Draw vertical lines connecting these marks as a guide. Repeat this for each stud. Don Vandervort has great pictures that help illustrate these steps.

Measure up 
Make sure you measure the height of the cabinets. Then, measure this same distance from the mark you made for the highest point of your floor. Make another mark; this will be where the top of the cabinet should come to. Draw a straight line across the entire wall space that will be used for the cabinets.

Not all floors were created equal
Most floors have a slope to them and this slope can potentially ruin your base cabinet installation. You will need to figure out the highest point of your floor and mark it on the wall. Draw a straight line across the entire wall space that will be used for the cabinets.

Which came first-the base or the wall
Make sure you fully plan out whether you will be installing the base or the wall cabinets first. There are positive aspects to choosing either route, but you need to decide which way works best for your installation situation. Bruce W. Maki has a handy guide to the pros and cons of both installation plans. 

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