Kitchen Renovations 101: Installing Your Custom Built Kitchen Cabinets
By Cheri WatkinsRefacingCabinet.com Columnist
Verify Stud Locations and Attach Kitchen Cabinets to Walls
Insert a small finishing nail to verify the first stud's location. Next, measure from the cabinet edge to stud one, then from stud one to stud two.
Mount the upper cabinet to the wall using four 2 1/2 inch deck screws with cabinet washers. Use a cabinet jack and a helper to keep upper cabinets steady, while attaching to the wall.
Use a level to check that the cabinet is plumb and straight. Use a shim to fill in any spaces between walls and cabinets or adjacent cabinets.
For cabinet runs, clamp the second cabinet to the first. Use a 2 1/2 inch deck screws to steady the second cabinet into place at the upper corner wall stud. Then, attach the two cabinets together using a 1 1/4 inch screw. Again, check using a level.
Repeat this process until all base and upper kitchen cabinets are installed.
Add Finishing Touches to Kitchen Cabinets
Locate hinges and doors, knobs and pulls. Attach doors and hinges to the outside for face frame cabinets. Hinges are mounted on the inside of the door for frameless cabinets. Add knobs and pulls to doors using provided hardware.
Finally, pat yourself on the back for learning how to build your own custom kitchen cabinets! Soon, you can apply these skills to another do-it-yourself project.
To see the full list of articles in this series visit our How to Build Your Own Kitchen Cabinets series page.
About The Author
Cheri Renee began her professional writing career at Greenspun Media Group's Showbiz Weekly magazine (now LVM). Several years later, she discovered an interest in interior design and home improvement, while on assignment for GMG's H&D magazine. Cheri has consulted as an English language arts editor for McGraw-Hill Education, and a biomedical research copyeditor for faculty at UNLV, and Sunrise Children's Heart Center. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Augusta State University and an M.S.T. in Adolescent English Education from Fordham University.
