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Project Difficulty:
Moderate
Estimated
Project Time: 30 minutes per cabinet
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Cabinets
Stud finder
4-foot spirit level
Pencil
Measuring tape
Wood shims
Handsaw
2-1/2" and 3-1/2" wood screws
Flathead and Phillips screwdrivers
Utility knife
Filler strips, as needed
C-clamps
Handsaw
Power drill and bits
C-clamps
Construction adhesive or contact cement
Vinyl or wood base molding or quarter-round molding
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Before installing new kitchen cabinets, be sure that the walls are plumb. Even minor imperfections can lead to misaligned cabinets. Fortunately, you can readily accommodate such imperfections during the cabinet installation. Before you begin, locate and mark the studs along the wall where the cabinets are being installed.
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1.
Find the High Spot
Using a 4-foot spirit level, find the high spot in the floor along the proposed cabinet wall as follows: Check the floor to see whether it is level. If it is not, slide the level along the floor, parallel to the wall, until the bubble shifts over from one end of the glass tube to the opposite end. Mark this location as the high point of the floor. Measuring up the wall from this point, mark the cabinet height on the wall. Using the spirit level as a guide, scribe a reference line on the wall the full length of the cabinets. (Fig. 1)
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2.
Install the Cabinets
Slide the first cabinet against the wall. Using wood shims at the base of the cabinet sides, level it to the reference line. Add shims at the back or front to plumb it. Once the cabinet is level and plumb, screw through the mounting rails and into the studs using 3-1/2-inch screws, and then trim the shims using a utility knife or a wood chisel. (Fig. 2)
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3.
Install Filler Strips
If a cabinet run requires filler strips, carefully measure and rip-cut each strip to fit. Pull out the end cabinet, clamp the strip to the stile of the adjoining cabinet, and then drill pilot holes for the screws through the edge of each stile and into the filler. Countersink the holes so that the heads of the screws will not project above the surface. Fasten the screws, slide the cabinet back into position, and level it once again. (Fig. 3)
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4.
Join the Cabinets
Connect the cabinets by screwing them together through their stiles. Drill and countersink holes for two 2-1/2-inch wood screws at each joint. Be sure that face frames remain square and on the same plane as you tighten the screws. (Fig. 4)
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5.
How to Turn a Corner
At corner joints a filler strip will be needed. Install one of the cabinets, and then screw the filler strip to the other one. Butt the two cabinets together, and then drive screws into the filler from the first cabinet, offsetting them from the other screws. (Fig. 5)
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6.
Leave Space for Appliances
Wherever there will be a dishwasher, range, or other built-in appliance, provide an opening the exact width required for clearance. Check the manufacturer's literature for this dimension. Measure the opening at the front and rear and at the top and bottom. (Fig. 6)
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7.
Conceal Space between Cabinet and Floor
There are several ways to conceal the shim space between the base cabinets and the floor. One way is with vinyl base molding. You can attach this type of molding to the toe kick using either construction adhesive or contact cement. It is flexible enough to be easily pressed into place, and then it can be neatly trimmed using a utility knife. You can also use traditional wood baseboard molding, cut cabinet-grade plywood, or quarter-round molding to trim a toe kick. (Fig. 7)
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