DIY Network

Kitchen Upgrade: Installing Cabinetry From "Sweat Equity" episode DSEQ-102

Marc and Kim boost value to their home by replacing their dated purple cabinets with mid-grade maple for a cost of $3,500. With Adam's help, they start with the overhead cabinetry and move on to installation of the base cabinets.

advertisement

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F
	Figure G
	Figure H
	Figure I
	Figure J

Materials:

ledger board
tape measure
screwdriver
drill
level
speed square
jigsaw
quick-action clamps
wood shims

Cabinetry Tips:

• When installing cabinets, mark studs for easier installation.

• When planning cabinet layout, be sure that all doors will be able to open fully without getting in the way of each other.

• No matter how nice they are, clean installation is key to perceived value of cabinets.

Safety Alert: Always wear protective eyewear when working near power tools.

Cabinetry

• After demolition of the kitchen (figure A), Adam helps Marc and Kim measure the kitchen for the new cabinetry. In their measurements, they make sure to accommodate their current appliances and cover as much wall space as possible.

• To determine whether the kitchen walls have sloped over the years, Adam guides them using a ledger board and a level (figure B). While keeping the board level, he measures across the wall at designated heights, determining a mild slope of one inch. This is a defect that can later be disguised with a piece of trim.

• Before handling the new cabinetry, Adam has Marc and Kim remove all of the doors to allow easy access inside the cabinets and to protect them from unnecessary damage (figure C).

• To temporarily support the weight of the first overhead cabinet, Adam screws in a board called a batten (figure D). This batten board helps brace the cabinet during installation and is later removed.

• With the batten board in place, Adam positions the cabinet and makes sure it sits even and plumb with the wall using a level (figure E).

• Next, Marc uses a power drill to permanently attach the back panel of the cabinet into an underlying stud in the wall marked earlier (figure F).

• To fit a cabinet over an obstruction, such as an electrical outlet, he transfers measurements off the wall to the back of the cabinet, using a tape measure and a speed square to mark for a cutout.

• Marc drills four holes inside the corners and then uses a jigsaw to remove the cutout (figure G). The cutout area fits directly over the obstruction and the cabinet can be attached (figure H).

• To partner two cabinets together, Marc makes sure each is flush with the one attached before it. Then, he temporarily holds the faces together using quick-action clamps. He pre-drills holes through both faces and uses finishing screws to permanently join the cabinets together (figure I).

• With the overhead cabinets properly secured, Kim helps out with the base cabinetry. With the cabinet in position, Kim learns to use wood shims to make sure it is plumb and level (figure J). To finish the job, Adam secures the base cabinet by screwing the back panel into the underlying studs behind the wall.

• Having secured and leveled the base cabinets, Kim gets started creating templates for new pre-fabricated granite countertops. When finished, these templates serve as instructions for granite fabricators, who customize the countertops at the shop. To demonstrate the first template, Adam cuts four thin plywood strips to length matching the top dimensions of the cabinet (figure K). Then, after applying hot glue to the joints, he squeezes the overlapping strips together (figure L).

• Next, by marking the sides of the template he indicates the orientation of the countertop. He also indicates an overhang for the front face of the granite slab. Before moving on to the next stage of the remodel, the templates are submitted to the fabricators.

Figure K

Figure L

For more information on kitchen cabinetry, visit DIY's Everything Cabinets.

RESOURCES :

Maverick Home Remodeling, Inc.
Website: www.maverickhomeremodeling.com

Aristokraft
Website: www.aristokraft.com

Granite Marble Slab Warehouse
Website: www.granitemarbleslab.com