Installing cabinets is simple to do. Putting in cabinets oneself and having a finished product that looks like a professional cabinet installer did the project calls for planning, proper techniques, and patience.
The first task in any cabinet installation is to grab precise measurements of the areas where cabinets are being installed. The second is to do a cabinet layout plan to determine cabinet type, size and positioning in the kitchen. The 3rd step is to make sure appliances, electrical, plumbing, lighting, and exhaust ventilation are in the proper locations and the size of all appliances fit/work with your proposed layout. Should you be not comfortable doing a bit of or all of these steps then either have the cabinet company you are ordering your cabinets from send someone to do the measurements and work with you on layout and design or another choice to consider is consulting the design center with a large home improvement stores.
Ensure you have an spot cleared out to place your cabinets when they are delivered that provides you room to work where you plan to install the cabinets and that also gives you room to examine ALL the cabinets, moldings, and fillers pieces. Looking for damaged cabinets, moldings, and filler pieces quickly will allow you obtain a replacement at once. While checking for damage you must also check each item off the delivery invoice to insure that everything to install your cabinets is there. This could seem like overkill, but nothing is more frustrating or kills a install time line more than finding damaged or missing pieces while installing cabinets.
To make sure your install of the base cabinets goes quickly and smoothly first thing you will need to do will be find the high spot in the floor area where the cabinets will go. You will need to should also check out from the wall 21-22 inches in order to see if the floor slopes toward the wall. After you have found the high spot level across from there to the wall making a reference mark on the wall. Now measure the height of your base cabinets as this varies by manufacturer. Now measure up the height of your base cabinets and make another mark. At this point by using this mark transfer a level line all the way throughout the walls where your cabinets will go. Using this line you can determine where level line for the bottom of you upper cabinets will go. This is done by taking the thickness all counter top materials and adding 18 inches. This kind of measurement should be fairly close to 54 inches. Using a stud finder locate and mark all studs just above the level line for the base cabinets, next using a level transfer these marks just below the level line for the upper cabinets. Having studs marked can make attaching cabinets faster and easier. Now double check to make certain plumbing, electrical, etc. are where they should be be.
Now that you’ve got reached this point the entire content of the cabinet install is pretty straight forward and you simply need to make sure you are placing the correct cabinets according to the planned layout. There are however a few tips I will now go over that provides you with that professionally installed look.
Removing all doors and shelves from your cabinets will always make installing your cabinets much lighter and easier.
Whenever making your cut-outs in the back of cabinets for plumbing use a drill which has a hole-saw bit to secure a clean round hole. To know the place that the holes need to go make use of the reference line for your top of the base cabinets and then measure down made by this line to the center of the pipe, write this specific measurement on the wall by the pipe. Next measure over from cabinet next to this to one to the center of the pipe, then take away the distance produced by both cabinets face frames to the back side panels, write this measurement on the wall by the pipe. This gives you the down and across measurement to be layed out on the back of the cabinet. Repeat this for each pipe, then transfer the layout to the back of the cabinet. Make sure you are pulling the measurement from the correct side of the cabinet. Now pick the correct size hole saw, this should be large enough to allow for the pipe to pass through and give you some room regarding adjustment, but also small enough so the trim ring can cover the hole. Once you drill holes start drilling from the back, then once the center guide hole is through the panel switch to the inside of the cabinet to finish drilling the hole. This system offers you a good clean hole and will avoid any splintering of the panel showing inside the cabinet.
Utilize the same technique for figuring out pipe location to determine where to cut out for electrical boxes. To cut these holes you will need to use a jigsaw and cut from the backside of the cabinet. Bear in mind to make certain you are pulling your measurements from the correct side of the cabinet.
To provide an extremely clean look to attaching cabinet face frames together use a countersink bit and drill behind the cabinet hinges and the least visible drawer openings. Areas where it isn’t really possible drill where the normal viewing angle are unable to see countersink hole. Whenever attaching the cabinet face frames to one another be sure to align and clamp them just before screwing all of them together this prevents misalignment.
To achieve the best fit with the end filler pieces measure your filler piece width then subtract the greatest width between the cabinet and wall where filler goes, subtract this specific measurement from filler pieces width. Set the width of a scribing compass to this measurement, plumb and clamp filler to the cabinet. Right now utilize scribe compass in order to transfer the contour of the actual wall to the filler piece. Begin using a jigsaw or even table saw to trim away excess material, leaving the line, at this moment begin using a belt sander to take out the rest of the wood right to the line. Examine fit, tag and then sand all parts that need fine tuning, and then install piece.
Make use of the same technique used for filler pieces to be able to scribe in addition to fit any side finish panels that require to fit an uneven wall.