Marking studs. Finally, find and mark stud cen-
kick will be 4 in. above the finish floor. if you’re installing tile over a mortar bed
ters, to which you’ll screw the cabinets. To find
(1 in. to 11⁄2 in. thick), make the rough toekick 5 in. to 51⁄2 in. high.
studs, use either an electronic stud finder, rap the
walls with your knuckles, or drive small finish
kitchens and baths
363
to construct, and they’re far more stable than a
level in all directions. So take pains to be sure
1-in.-high stack of shims. Once you’ve leveled the that first corner top is at the right height—in
toekicks, place the base cabinets atop them and
relation to the base cabinet layout line—and level
see how everything fits together. If this dry run
in all directions. Once that corner cabinet is per-
looks good, set aside the cabinets and screw the
fectly level, you have a good shot at extending
toekicks to the subfloor.
that level outward as you add cabinets.
When you’ve leveled the corner cabinet in all
Setting cabinets with integral toekicks. If
directions, you can screw it to the toekick and,
your cabinets have integral (built-in) toekicks, be through its mounting rails, to the studs behind
sure to review the preceding section on rough
it. But more often, carpenters prefer to “gang”
toekicks. Shimming units with integral kicks is
cabinets together, lining up their tops so they’re
similar but more difficult. Basically, you’ll shim
level and, using quick-release clamps with pad-
each cabinet under its sidewalls, front, and back.
ded jaws, aligning and drawing the cabinet
The difficulty arises because you can’t go back
edges or face frames together. Once you’ve lined
Because you’ll be securing both base
and adjust rear shims once you’ve installed the
and wall cabinets to stud centers, use
up the cabinet edges and frames, use wood
next cabinet. So take the time to level the top of
an electronic stud finder to help
screws to join them. Drill pilot holes first with a
each base cabinet perfectly. Otherwise, the order
locate them.
countersink bit so the screw heads will be flush.
in which you install cabinets is the same for
If cabinet panels are 3⁄4 in. thick, use 11⁄4-in.
either type.
screws to join them so the screw points don’t
Setting base cabinets. If you’re installing a
pop through.
single run of cabinets along one wall, it really
After securing the cabinet edges and frames,
doesn’t matter where you start. However, if
check the cabinet tops for level and height one
there’s a sink cabinet centered under a window,
last time. Then, depending on the type of cabinet,
start there. If your cabinet layout is L- or
screw the cabinet bottoms to the toekicks, or
U-shaped, start in a corner because there, where
screw integral toekicks to the subfloor. Finally,
cabinet runs converge in a corner, their tops will
screw the cabinet backs to the studs, through the
need to line up perfectly if the countertop is to be pilot holes you predrilled. If a wall is wavy, shim
TWO WAyS TO SEcurE A TOEKIcK
P R O T I P
as you install each cabinet,
first transfer the stud center
marks to the mounting rails on
the back of the cabinet. then
drill through the marks, using a
bit that’s smaller than the shanks
of the mounting screws—or a
countersink bit. drill slowly to
avoid splintering the plywood on
the inside of the cabinet, or stop
the countersink bit just as its
point emerges. Finish drilling
from the other side.
Once you’ve leveled all the toekicks in a cabinet run,
If a floor is badly out of level, avoid using a stack of shims
screw them to the subfloor. If you use square-drive
to level a unit because they wouldn’t be stable. Instead,
screws, the driver bit is less likely to slip out when the
use plywood ell supports: Screw one leg of the ell to the
screw meets resistance.
subfloor, then screw the leveled toekick to the other leg.
364 chapter 13
low spots behind the mounting rails; otherwise,
screws could distort the mounting rails and pos-
sibly misalign the cabinet boxes. Screws should
sink at least 1 in. into the studs, so use #8 screws
that are 21⁄2 in. or 3 in. long. Don’t use drywall
screws because they don’t have much shear
strength. If your base cabinets have top and bot-
tom mounting rails, drive two screws per stud to
anchor the cabinets—in other words, sink a
screw each time a mounting rail crosses a stud.
Later, you can use wood-grained, stick-on screw
covers to hide the screws.
Setting sink bases. Sink bases with back panels
take a bit more work because you must bore or
cut through the back panel for pipe stub-outs
and electrical outlets, if any. Perhaps the easiest
way to transfer the locations of those utilities to
the back of the cabinet is to position the cabinet
as close as you can to layout marks on the wall,
then place a spirit level behind it. Holding the
level vertically, place it next to each stub-out,
plumb the level, and mark that pipe’s position on
the wall and on the cabinet’s back stringer. Pull
the sink base away from the wall, measure how
far each stub is below the layout line, and mea-
Once you’ve leveled the toekicks along a wall, start setting the base cabinets on top, and check
sure down an equal amount on the back of the
them for level as well. If the cabinets are in an L- or u-shaped layout, work outward from a corner.
cabinet. Use a slightly oversize hole saw to bore
When you’re sure that base cabinets
If the walls are irregular—and most are—shim behind the
Screw through cabinet bottoms into toekicks. Predrill
are at the correct height and leveled,
cabinet-mounting rails before screwing them to the
screw holes with a countersink bit so screw heads will
align their front edges or face frames studs. Otherwise, back panels and rails could distort.
be flush. Then cover them with wood plugs or stick-on
and use padded clamps to draw
screw covers.
adjacent cabinets together. Then sink
two wood screws through side panels
to secure them.
kitchens and baths
365
scribing A BASe CABInet
To cut down a base cabinet (with an inte-
Top mounting rail
gral toekick) whose top is too high, place
Base-cabinet
layout line
the cabinet as close as possible to its final
position and shim it level. set a pencil
X
compass to the distance the cabinet top
projects above the
base cabinet layout
line, and scribe the base of the cabinet
Spirit level
along the floor. By cutting along those
scribed lines with a jigsaw, you’ll reduce
Cutline
the height of the cabinet the correct
amount. if either side panel is finished,
place masking tape along the base of the
Cabinet
panel before scribing and cutting. a pencil
Scriber or
X
compass
shimmed level
line drawn on the tape may be more visi-
ble, and the tape will keep the metal shoe
If a base cabinet with an integral toekick sits
above the base-cabinet layout line once the unit
of the jigsaw from scratching the panel.
has been leveled, scribe and trim its bottom to
reduce its height. Set the scriber to the amount
(X) that the cabinet sits above the layout line.
holes, stopping when the saw’s center bit comes
to the subfloor. For that reason, use ell supports
through the inside of the cabinet. Finish drilling
to level rough toekicks or integral toekicks and
from the inside of the back panel to avoid splin-
anchor them to the subfloor. Here, glue and
tering it.
screw the ells to the subfloor after snapping
Setting islands. Kitchen islands are installed
chalklines to show you exactly where the island
much the same as other base cabinets, except
will sit. Place an ell at least every 18 in. to 24 in.,
that they can’t be screwed to studs. Therefore, the and to further bolster rough toekicks, add cross-
rough toekick must be sturdy and well attached
pieces at the same interval. You can’t overbuild a
kitchen island, especially if you’ve got kids who
think cabinets are jungle gyms.
hanging Wall cabinets
Wall cabinets must be leveled, plumbed, and
solidly anchored, so transfer the locations of stud
centers to the back of each wall cabinet, and
predrill screw holes in the mounting rails, as you
did for base cabinets. Remove the doors and
shelves so the cabinets will be easier to lift and
position next to the alignment marks you drew
earlier along the wall cabinet layout line. Before
lifting anything, however, use a 6-ft. spirit level
to refresh your memory as to where the wall’s
surface is out of plumb and where it bulges or
recedes. Make light pencil notations on the wall.
Supporting cabinets. It’s better to have a helper
hold wall cabinets in place as you mount them.
But if you’re working solo, the simplest support
is a temporary support strip, a straight, predrilled
Bore slightly oversize holes in the sink cabinet so you’ll have an easier time lining up pipe stub-
outs. When the installation is complete, spray expanding foam to fill the gaps.
366 chapter 13
ScrIBINg A PANEL TO AN IrrEguLAr WALL
To scribe an end panel (here, a refrigerator panel), first
A belt sander held 90° to a scribed line enables you to see
Hanging wall cabinets is easiest with
level and plumb its edges. Put painter’s masking tape on
how much wood you’re removing. use a 120-grit belt,
four hands: Two hold and adjust, while
the panel, and scribe directly onto the tape to make the
back-bevel the edge slightly, keep the sander moving, and two check level and drive screws.
line more visible. If the wall irregularity is slight, hold a
stop just shy of the line. Finish off with a sanding block or
pencil flat to the wall and slide it up and down.
a handplane.
3⁄4-in. by 11⁄2-in. plywood strip placed immediately
Ideally, each wall cabinet should be secured to
below the wall cabinet layout line and screwed to at least two studs with two #8 wood screws
each stud with a #8 wood screw (see “Cabinet-
through the top mounting rail and two screws
Mounting and Edge Details” on p. 362). With the
through the bottom rail. However, many wall
cabinet bottom sitting atop it, the strip will sup-
cabinets are too narrow to reach two studs.
port the box’s weight, freeing one of your hands
Screwing cabinet boxes to each other lends addi-
to screw the top mounting rail to a stud. That
tional support and spreads the load. But if a cabi-
first screw will hold the cabinet in place, but don’t net will be heavily loaded or if you’re uneasy
sink it so deep that it bends the mounting rail.
hanging it on only one stud, cut open the wall
and let in (mortise) a piece of 1x blocking into at
Plumbing and shimming. Once that first screw
least two studs. You’ll need to repair the wall—a
is in, the cabinet should stay put, so you’ll have
rough patch is fine if it’s hidden by cabinets—but
both hands free to shim the cabinet and check
you’ll have plenty to screw to.
for plumb. A cabinet sitting on a leveled strip
should have a level bottom and plumb sides—but tying cabinets together. Install the wall cabi-
check to be sure. The front of the cabinet also
nets in roughly the same order you did base cabi-
must be plumb. If it’s not, insert shims between
nets. If the cabinet layout is L- or U-shaped, start
the wall and the cabinet. Although you can
with a corner cabinet and work outward. As you
easily shim behind the top mounting rail, the
set successive cabinets, place a straightedge or a
support strip will prevent shimming from under-
6-ft. level held on edge across several cabinet
neath; instead, shim the bottom corners from
faces to make sure they’re flush. You may need to
the side. If the top of the cabinet needs to come
back out screws or drive them deeper to make
forward, slightly back out the screw in the top
the cabinets flush. Once they’re flush, clamp and
mounting rail. Once all the cabinet faces are
screw them together as you did for the base cabi-
If you plumb and level the corner
plumb, drive a second screw through the top
nets. At that point, you can remove the support
units, it will be easier to level cabinet
mounting rail and a third screw through the
strip. With the strip gone, the space behind the
runs on both walls. The corner strip,
bottom rail, near the shim point. You will add
bottom mounting rail will be accessible, so add
held in place with a clamp, covers the
another screw to the bottom rail later, after you
shims and screws as needed.
gap between the two cabinets. Note:
European-style hinges—seen here on
remove the support strip and shim behind the
finishing touches. Patch holes left by the
the cabinet cases—allow you to
fourth corner of the cabinet box.
support-strip screws or cover them with trim.
remove the doors easily, so there’s
less weight to lift.
kitchens and baths
367
Custom cabinetmakers often use a piece of trim
with the same finish as the cabinets as a support
kitchen cabinet space stretchers
strip and just leave it in place. Thus if the front
getting more storage space sometimes means making better use of the space
of the cabinet has a 11⁄4-in.-wide trim piece run-
you already have. one great way to do this is by converting existing shelves in base
ning along the bottom to hide a lighting strip,
use a piece of 11⁄4-in.-wide trim as a support strip.
cabinets into sliding shelves, which are mounted on drawer glides so they can be
Cover the cabinet-mounting screws with wood
pulled out. With this modification, the whole shelf is accessible, not just the front
plugs or stick-on screw covers. Finally, install the
of it. look for side-mounted, ball-bearing drawer slides rated for 75-lb. or 100-lb.
shelves, drawers, doors, and hardware such as
loads because 24-in.-wide shelves (the standard base cabinet depth) can hold a lot.
pulls or knobs.
a number of manufacturers make shelf mechanisms that slide and pivot, thereby
These days, most cabinets use European-style
improving access into some of the most hard-to-reach places, such as corner cabi-
door hinges (shown on the bottom of the facing
nets. cabinet organizers, whether for spice jars, silverware, or pots and pans, enable
page), which are easy to remove, reattach, and
kitchen users to lay hands on the item they want with less searching.
adjust. Hinges are set into 35mm-dia. holes
bored precisely into the door frames. The doors
are attached to the cabinet box via baseplates.
These hinges easily clip on and off the baseplates
without the need to remove any screws. Once the
cabinets are installed, clip on the doors and use
the adjustment screws to raise the hinges up or
down, in or out, until the reveals (gaps) between
the doors are equal and the doors lie flat.
A Personal Take
on IKEA Cabinets
The Swedish retailer IKEA is one of the largest
sellers of assemble-it-yourself cabinets in the
world. Its cabinets are modestly priced, smartly
designed, reasonably durable, and machined so
exactly that the average Joe or Jane can put
them together. In general, the customer service is
good. Finally, there’s a wide range of support
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