Hanging cabinets for a beginner

[Kodi Crescent]

I am in the process of hanging my first set of cabinets.  This is related to the drywall thread also in this section of the forum.

Now that my drywall is close to being finished, I realized that maybe I should have put blocking up in the wall before I drywalled over it.  So this leads to a question -

When hanging kitchen cabinets, how are they secured?  Is there blocking, or are they just secured to the studs and then secured to each other for strength?

Any other ideas for hanging them?

Thanks!

(And yes, Tom, go ahead and laugh.  [big grin])

 

[abgoto]

When hanging cabinets by yourself, one way to make sure they are secure and level is to use a french cleat.  I draw a level line at the appropriate height, then cut a 1x6 piece of oak in half on a 45 degree angle, hang one half on the wall secured to each stud with 3 inch #10 screws, then cut the other half to fit each cabinet.  Depending on your cabinets, you may need to attach a 1x2 piece of poplar to the bottom of each cabinet so that the cabinet hangs plumb from the cleat.  Now you can adjust the spacing between cabinets as needed, and once finalized, cut filler pieces to fit.  Screw the cabinets to the top cleat, then to each other sequentially.

 

[tjbnwi]

I am in the process of hanging my first set of cabinets.  This is related to the drywall thread also in this section of the forum.

Now that my drywall is close to being finished, I realized that maybe I should have put blocking up in the wall before I drywalled over it.  So this leads to a question -

When hanging kitchen cabinets, how are they secured?  Is there blocking, or are they just secured to the studs and then secured to each other for strength?

Any other ideas for hanging them?

Thanks!

(And yes, Tom, go ahead and laugh.  [big grin])

I'll start with the last statement----I'd only laugh with you, never at you. When I taught automotive technologies at the collage level one of the most important staments I made the first day of a new class was- "The dumbest question ever asked it the one that wasn't." I'd rather have questions asked than leave someone wondering. I may not know the answer, but I know someone who will.

I hang wall cabinets before base cabinets, just the way I do it.

Removing the doors and drawers make installing the boxes much easier.

Blocking is more important with light gauge steel studs than wood studs. There is no reason the cabinet screws cannot be set into the studs. Happens more often than not.

Careful layout of the studs then transferring the number to the cabinets is key to success. Drill hole in the cabinet slightly smaller than the screw root, insert screw, it should stay in place as you set the cabinet. Start in a corner, scribe to fit, a ledger board screwed to the studs at the proper height of the bottom of the wall cabinets will support the cabinet while you screw it in place. Clamp the faces aligned and tightly, pre-drill install screws. Sometimes it helps to leave the the cabs a little loose on the wall as you assemble everything, then tighten s an assembly.

Base cabinets are normally set to the high spot on the floor. Assemble as noted above.

Tom

 

[mastercabman]

First thing
Locate all your studs where your cabinets will be
Then make sure you find the center of each studs
don't rely on the 16" OC
I hang wall cabinets with a 3" large washer head screw to the wall and use 2.5" flat head screws to connect the cabinets
Typically I start with uppers then the bases
But there are jobs that I do it the other way
I use a device called T-Jack to support my cabinet when installing
There's also the 3rd hand from Fastcap
The only time I wished there was blocking in the wall is when I'm putting up a small cabinet that falls between 2 studs
In that case I keep togglers for that
I like the Hilti version
I also use a little liquid nail when using togglers
Another tip:  when hanging a wall cabinet,drive 1 screw not too tight then connect the next cabinet then secure the first one and so on
Much easier to flush up the stiles together
Don't forget to shim your cabinets if needs to be off the wall
After your walls are up you can go with the bases
Find your high spot and start with your corners if that's what you have
A laser makes your job much easier to level your cabinets

 

[Sparktrician]

Four things I'd add to what Tom and Mastercabman have said:

• Use a long straightedge (6' level, held horizontally) to find the high points in the wall to which the upper cabinets will be mounted so you know where you'll need shims ahead of time, and can plan to place plenty near the place of need.  I prefer GRK cabinet screws for hanging the boxes.  Blue painters tape is great for marking stud locations.
• Similarly use a 6' level held vertically to locate places where the wall bellys in or out or is out of plumb, for the same reason.
• When dealing with base cabinets, I similarly locate the high places in the wall using a straightedge.
• I prefer to create a ladder base for the base cabinets.  It is far easier to level and secure the ladder base, then add the cabinet boxes with separate toekicks, than to install a cabinet at a time, then go back and try to get them all level and plumb.

 

[Neal W]

I'm certainly no professional installer, but I did install my own kitchen cabinets.  Here is what I did to make it easier.

1. I found the height I wanted the bottom of my wall cabinets to be.  I drew a level line along the wall.  I attached a 2x4 to the wall, drilling the 2x4 into the studs.  Then I was able to lift the cabinets into place.  Since the stud holds the weight, my wife was able to keep the cabinets pushed tightly against the wall.  I screwed the cabinets into the wall studs. 

2.  I purchased screws designed for faceframes (square drive very small heads which countersink easily.  I clamped the faceframes together, shimming the gap in the back of the cabinet to keep them together.  I predrilled for the faceframes and screwed them tight.  Take your time to make sure they lineup. 

3.  Remove the sacrificial stud you used for a level line.  Puty the screw holes in the drywall and sand it. and good as new. 

Bridge cabinets (the ones over the fridge and microwave) were a little more difficult, but still were done similarly. 

Base cabinets were all about getting them level.  Lots of shims.  Once level, screw them to the walls, clamp the face frames and screw them tightly together. 

 

[John Beauchamp]

There are several good ideas here so I will only add to them. A laser or level line at the bottom of the upper cabinets is good, but I would never screw a cleat to the wall for support that had to be filled later, it's not necessary and creates extra work. If you take a 2x4 and cut it 2" less than the floor to level line measurement then cut another one about 14"  lay the first one flat on the floor and screw the short one on the end so it makes a 90 just like if you had bent it over. Now take a piece of plywood and fasten it to the side so it can't move. If you cut the plywood as a triangle you can use the other half for the second brace. 12" x 12" is big enough to cut the two pcs. You should now have something that when put against the wall should be about 1/4" below your line, shim it up to the line and put a 2 screws through it into a stud below the top of your lower cabinet  height, this way you won't have to fill holes later. Now set the cabinet on top of these braces and screw to wall. I use one for small cabinets and two for large ones. This way I can hang by myself. I also use cabinet claws which holds the fronts together and flushes them on the front     

 

[Holzhacker]

I've hung more cabinets than I care to remember
As others have mentioned ...
- if you could have put 2x's inside the wall between studs at the appropriate heights before installing drywall that would have been good; generally though you don't need it, you generally need it for big heavy cabinets, odd size cabinets where you realize hitting studs is going to not space out well per cabinet, or you know the client plans on loading up
- I mount a straight rail on the wall at 54", fast easy, patching 3,4 screw holes is nothing to do when you remove the rail; most of the time these days there's a fancy backsplash going in so the screw holes are irrelevant
- always, always, always take the doors OFF, if something slips, happens, whatever, dealing with a damaged door is never worth the time you thought you'd save
- take shelves out to make cabinets lighter
- taking the doors off also allows you to clamp the face frames easily for screwing together
- all excess tools and crap out of the kitchen when hanging
- don't be slimeball contractor and use bugle head black drywall screws to hang cabinets

- keep cardboard around to protect front of cabinets

 

[Sparktrician]

One item I forgot to mention is to locate any plumbing and electrical hidden in the walls BEFORE starting to hang the cabinets. This was one lesson learned early on, and fortunately, it was due to someone else's mistake.  (WHEW!!!)  [scared]

 

[Kodi Crescent]

Thank you, everyone!

 

[Brent Taylor]

I installed plywood strip in the areas where I hang upper  cabinets, it made it easier for me to hang them by myself. 

 

[tjbnwi]

Could always go french cleats for the install.

Tom

 

[Kodi Crescent]

I'm thinking of french cleats since I'm a beginner.  I haven't figured out what I'm going to do yet.

 

[tjbnwi]

I'm thinking of french cleats since I'm a beginner.  I haven't figured out what I'm going to do yet.

Stop over thinking this, just install the cabinets.

Tom

 

[leakyroof]

I'm thinking of french cleats since I'm a beginner.  I haven't figured out what I'm going to do yet.

Stop over thinking this, just install the cabinets.

Tom

  I installed Strongbacks into the wall studs for where the upper cabinets were going in our Kitchen. Much easier and piece of mind to screw into a 2X6 that spans multiple studs, especially since my wife likes to load up the cabinets with things that are heavy.  [cool]

 

[sancho57]

DONT USE DRYWALL SCREWS, USE # 10 CABINET HAGING SCREWS

 

[ewils91]

Leakyroof, I renovated our kitchen and had tons of empty space to grow. My wife went out and bought more stuff the first day to fill it back up. Guess she doesn't like open spaces, wish she could fill the one between my ears. [big grin]

 

[Sparktrician]

DONT USE DRYWALL SCREWS, USE # 10 CABINET HAGING SCREWS

I'm going with GRK Cabinet Screws.

 

[WastedP]

I installed Strongbacks into the wall studs for where the upper cabinets were going in our Kitchen. Much easier and piece of mind to screw into a 2X6 that spans multiple studs, especially since my wife likes to load up the cabinets with things that are heavy.  [cool]

I'm certainly not going to discourage anyone from overbuilding something, but in over 17 years of cabinet work, I have yet to see a cabinet fall off of a wall.  I did take on some warranty work for a place that sold some very poorly constructed cabinets, and even though several incorrectly installed refrigerator cabinets completely fell apart, the backs remained attached to the wall.  The screws to stud connection wasn't an issue. 

I have removed cabinets in medical offices where the installer had missed studs with every single screw.  one 30" wide cabinet only had two screws in it, and they both missed hitting some meat.  Because they were installed over fresh paint, the adhesive property of the paint alone was holding cabinets full of three-ring binders to the wall.  They had to be pried off.  I could do pull-ups on them with the screws out, and I'm a pretty good cook.

 

[leakyroof]

Leakyroof, I renovated our kitchen and had tons of empty space to grow. My wife went out and bought more stuff the first day to fill it back up. Guess she doesn't like open spaces, wish she could fill the one between my ears. [big grin]

  yes, I know the feeling.... [scared]  We had 1/4" thick glass shelves on some of the glass fronted upper cabinets to start with.  Eventually she overloaded one of them and it broke with a loud crash inside the cabinet.  I switched to 3/8" thick glass shelves after that and put all those 1/4" shelves in the basement for storage-  [embarassed]