Cabinets - How to install Kitchen Cabinets

If you are a homeowner with intermediate carpentry skills and don’t mind the work, mess, and time involvement, you might consider taking your old kitchen cabinets down and replacing them with new as a do-it-yourself project.

Unless, of course, you will be replacing old cabinets with custom-made; in which case the cabinet builder should do the installation work his or her self to ensure workmanship and dimension accuracy of each unit.

To remove old cabinets yourself you will need the following:

• Measuring tape
• Level
• Phillips and flat-head screwdrivers
• Shims
• Hammer
• Stud sensor
• Drill with drill bits and screwdriver attachment
• Hole saw
• Decorative molding or valance
• Trim
• Finish nails
• Chalk line
• Utility knife
• Safety glasses

Wall Cabinets

The most difficult part of hanging wall cabinets is lifting them to the appropriate height and holding them in place. This makes installing wall cabinets a 2-person job.

1. Remove old cabinets; repair any holes in the walls.
2. Locate wall studs using the stud finder. Snap vertical chalk lines to indicate either stud centers or edges. Note: studs are spaced at regular intervals. Most common is 16-inches, although 24-inch intervals are sometimes used in newer houses. Once you locate one stud and determine the distance to the next, measure to locate others.
3. Measure 54-inches up from the floor at both ends of the wall; this is the standard height of wall cabinets. Snap a horizontal chalk line.
4. Start in the corner, at the highest floor point; nail up a 1X3 temporary straight so it is level. It may not match the vertical chalk line if the floor is not level.
5. Place either a corner or end cabinet on the temporary straight; make sure it is level. Drill 3/16-inch pilot holes through the top hanging strip inside the cabinet into wall studs. Drive 2 ½-inch roundhead screws into the pilot holes.
6. Position the next cabinet on the temporary straight, snug against the first; make sure it is level. Drill 3/16-inch pilot holes through the top hanging strip inside the cabinet into wall studs. Drive 2 ½-inch roundhead screws into the pilot holes.
7. Install remaining wall cabinets following step 6.
8. Clamp together face frames of adjacent cabinets; counterbore 2 ½-inch drywall screws through the inside edge of one face frame to the other.
9. Fit a filler strip into the remaining gap at the wall juncture. Attach the filler strip to the face frame of the last cabinet with counter sunk screws.
10. Remove the temporary straight; plumb cabinet fronts by shimming between the wall and bottom hanging strip of the cabinet at stud points.
11. Drill 3/16-inch pilot holes; attach bottom hanging strip to shim and stud using 2 ½-inch roundhead screws. Trim shims using a utility knife.
12. Apply trim using finish nails to cover gaps between the backs of cabinets and wall. Stain or paint trim to match cabinets.
13. Fill the gap between cupboards over the sink space using decorative molding or a valance; stained or painted to match the cabinet. Secure in place using counterbore screws through adjacent face frames into the valance.

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Base Cabinets

1. Remove old cabinets; repair any holes in the walls.
2. If you plan to install new vinyl flooring, do so before new cabinet installation. If you plan to install marble, tile, or a wood floor, use a piece of plywood the same thickness the new floor will be; lay the plywood under the cabinets to serve as a height reference.
3. Mark the locations of wall studs using the stud finder. Note: studs are spaced at regular intervals. Most common is 16-inches, although 24-inch intervals are sometimes used in newer houses. Once you locate one stud and determine the distance to the next, measure to locate others.
4. Not all floors are perfectly level. You will want to use the high point as the reference for installing the cabinets. Mark a level line at the height of the base cabinets at the highest point of the room floor.
5. Set a cabinet in place; level it to the line by tapping wood shims under low points. Level cabinet front to back, and from side to side.
6. Drill pilot holes into a stud; drive screws through cabinet framing into the stud using the drill screwdriver attachment.
7. Once cabinet is level and securely in place, remove any shims using a hammer and chisel.
8. Clamp together face frames of adjacent cabinets. Counterbore screws into the inside edge of one face frame, ¼-inch into the other.
9. Follow steps 5 to 8 for installation of remaining bottom cabinets.
10. Before installing the sink cabinet, measure from the reference line to the top and bottom of the drain and water supply pipes; measure from the side of the adjacent cabinet to both sides of the drain. Transfer measurements to the back of the sink cabinet; drill appropriate holes using a hole saw.
11. Complete the job by installing molding or filler strips to cover any gapes between the counter and the walls or floor.

Note: if a thin shim is required between cabinets to compensate for minor irregularities, make sure face edges butt tightly.

Handy Tips for Project Success

• Schedule enough time to complete the project. Once old base and wall cabinets have been removed, expect to spend 4 to 5 hours for a straight run of cabinets; more if corner cabinets are complicated.
• Before installing cabinets, separate base cabinets from wall cabinets. Install wall cabinets first so you don’t have to lean over base cabinets.
• Remove cupboard doors before installing wall cabinets; they will be lighter and easier to handle.
• Use the type screws specified by the manufacturer; drive screws through frames as opposed to the back or side panels, which are thinner and less sturdy.

Note: another, more cost-effective alternative to replacing old kitchen cabinets with new is this. If old cabinet construction is still sound and strong, give them a “face lift.” Clean, sand, and refinish just the doors, or all cabinetry – if needed; Replace handles, knobs, and any other hardware desired, with new. This can save a considerable amount of money in renovation costs, while yielding great results.

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