Now that you have your new kitchen cabinets, you’re ready to move on to the next big step… Installing your kitchen cabinets. While the actual installation of kitchen cabinets is not that difficult, the critical first step is to measure and mark where the cabinets will go. Placing layout marks on the walls and floors will not only help you with kitchen cabinet placement and stud locations, but it will also help you locate where adjustments and shims will be required. Before you begin, there are a couple of items you will need for the project:
Pencil
Level or Laser Level
drill
Measuring tape
Study Finder
clamps
1″ x 3″ piece of lumber (6′-8′ long) or an inverted U-shaped frame (see notes below)
wedges
Screws (long enough to go 1 1/2 into studs)
cutter or chisel
marking compass
An extra pair of hands (you may have to bribe one of your friends)
As I mentioned earlier, you have the option of using a 1′ x 3′ piece of lumber for the installation or building a frame to hold the cabinets (I’ve included a picture of a sample frame below). This can be made 2′ x 4′ and should be tall enough to support the bottom of the wall cabinets. If you plan to install more than one kitchen, I suggest the frame, but a piece of wood will work well if it’s a one-time event. In either case, you’ll need another set of hands to help with the installation.
In this case, we purchased ready-to-assemble (RTA) kitchen cabinets from the RTA Kitchen & Bath Cabinet Store. Now that the kitchen cabinets are assembled, we’re ready to start marking out our layout lines. Some people start with base cabinets, but we’re going to start with wall cabinets first. There is no right or wrong way to start, I just prefer to start with the upper cabinets first.
1. Use a level and pencil to draw a parallel line along the wall about 3 inches from the floor. Measure down from this line to the floor and find the high point of the floor (if you have one), and mark a line at that point. From that high point, measure 34 1/2 inches and draw a level line along the wall to designate the tops of the base cabinets.
2. Now that you have marked the top of the base cabinets, measure another 19 1/2 inches and a level line across the wall to indicate the bottom of the wall cabinets. Lightly mark the dimensions and location of each cabinet on the wall to ensure your original design is correct.
3. Use a stud finder to locate the wall studs. Use a pencil to mark stud locations at least 6 inches above and below the bottom line of the wall cabinets. Draw straight vertical lines between the top and bottom marks to indicate the center of the studs.
4. If you decided to go with the 1′ x 3′ piece of lumber, this is where you’ll use it (if you decided to go with the U-frame, it will come into play once you’ve laid out all the lines) . Screw a 1′ x 3′ temporary support rail to the wall, aligning the top edge of the rail with the bottom edge line of the wall cabinets. Secure by driving 3-4 two-inch screws through the rail into the wall studs.
5. Now that we have all the lines marked, it’s time to start installing your kitchen cabinets. We’re going to start with the corner cabinet (this is where your helper’s extra hands will be needed). Place the corner cabinet on the temporary support rail and have your helper hold it in place. Drill pilot holes through the sturdy back of the cabinet or its support rail and into the wall studs. Screw the cabinet to the wall with two screws that are long enough to penetrate the studs at least 1 1/2 inches. Check that the top of the cabinet is level and that the front of the cabinet is plumb. If you need to correct the position, simply back off the screws a little and place top shims behind the cabinet at the stud locations. If it is plumb and level, drive the screws all the way in and add several more at each stud to ensure the cabinet is securely fastened to the wall.
6. Now we are going to move on to the cabinets on each side of the corner cabinet. As you install each one, use the clamps to secure each cabinet to the neighboring cabinet, then check that it is plumb with your level. On face frame cabinets, it’s a good idea to drill two 1/8-inch pilot holes through the sides of the face frame and use screws. In this case, with ready-to-assemble frameless kitchen cabinets, we are going to screw down the plywood sides and use shims between the cabinets to ensure a snug fit and make sure the cabinet faces are plumb.
7. Once all wall cabinets are in place, install the end base or corner cabinet. Use shims where necessary to level the cabinet and raise the cabinet to the line indicating the highest point on the floor. Make sure it is level front to back and side to side, then screw it to the wall studs. If you do not have a diagonal corner cabinet or blind base cabinet in the corner, push the adjoining cabinet into place and support the two units. Add a filler strip if needed to allow doors and drawers enough room to open and close properly. If necessary, tap shims under and behind cabinet to set plumb and level.
8. Drive screws through cabinet back (and shims) into wall studs. Trim any excess material from the wedges with a sharp chisel or knife. Continue adding adjoining cabinets in this way, joining them the same way you connected the wall cabinets in step 6.
9. If your cabinets end up butting against another wall, you may need a filler strip to cover the last few inches. If you have custom cabinets, they should have been built to fill this space, but if you are using standard or RTA kitchen cabinets, you may need the filler strip. If you need to use a filler strip, keep the last cabinet separate from the other cabinets. Attach a ruler to the face of the nearest installed unit, extending it far enough so you can place alignment marks on the end wall. Leave a 3/4″ offset behind those marks (for the thickness of the filler piece) and fasten a furring strip to the wall. Then install and fasten the last cabinet and measure the gap between its face frame and the wall.
If the wall is flat, simply rip the filler panel to the required width and pin it in place. If the wall is uneven, you will need to mark the filler board. Start by placing a marking compass across the width of the gap, then place a 1″ wide strip of masking tape along the filler panel in the area where it needs to be cut back. Fasten the panel to the final cabinet face frame, then trace the wall contour with the compass. Remove the plate and cut along the scribed line with a jigsaw, then reinstall it to check the fit. When it is good, insert the screws through the adjoining face frame in the edge of filler plate Screw or nail other side to cove.
At this point, your kitchen cabinet installation is complete. If you purchased matching crown molding or any other trim, it should install easily now. Depending on whether you had to use shims under your base cabinets, you may need to install some toe molding to cover the shims or any gaps at the bottom of your kitchen cabinets.
I hope this helps make your kitchen cabinet installation as easy as possible. If you need help with cabinet selection, kitchen design tips, or cabinet style ideas, check out RTA’s Kitchen & Bath Cabinet Shop
