Installing Custom-Built and Ready-Made Cabinets

Decide early on regarding the exact location for your cabinets before purchasing ready-made units or custom-made ones. It is a practical rule-of-thumb that wall-mounted cabinets are installed first before base cabinets.

How to install wall-mounted and base cabinets

Plan the layout carefully before proceeding with the installation of wall-mounted and base cabinets. Prepare the tools that you will need. These include: a level, a carpenter's square, screwdrivers, a tape measure, a drill, drill bits, touch-up pens, a pencil, glue and a putty stick to match the finish. A corner of the room is the most common place to begin with.

Before working on the base cabinets, make sure that the wall cabinets are installed first.

1.Pencil in the points where the bottom of the cabinet should be aligned.

2.Before driving the screws into the wall studs, align the support rail's top edge with the cabinet's bottom line. Working from inside the cabinet, mark the position of the wall studs and drill holes on the rear of the cabinet.

3.Screw the cabinet to the wall using screws that are long enough to reach and penetrate the studs.

4.Using a C-clamp, attach the next cabinet, all the while making adjustments in order that the front and top edges of the cabinet are flush. To fasten frameless cabinets together, use a drill bit and drill through the shelf system holes. Two- piece connecting screws could then be used to attach these pieces to each other.

After installing the wall cabinets, you may then start working on the base units. Again, carefully measure and mark the walls where the cabinets are to be positioned, using a floor plan as a guide. To avoid unnecessary damage, it is advisable to remove the cabinet doors prior to installation. The can easily be reattached later on. Just make sure that the doors are marked to avoid interchanging them with each other.

How to install ready-made cabinets

Custom-made cabinets could create quite a dent in your budget. If you are aiming to keep within a certain price range once you decide to replace or install new cabinets, consider ready-made units that are relatively easy to install and are less expensive. You don't have to worry about limited styles. Custom-made cabinets now come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, as more and more people opt to take on home renovation tasks themselves. To install ready-made cabinets, you only need minimal skill and a few essential tools.

If you do decide to hire a professional cabinet installer, ask around to ensure that the person you would pay to work on such an important task is competent and ingenious enough to troubleshoot minor problems. After the installation of your wall-mounted cabinets and base cabinets, make sure that the units are put on straight and square. Any lopsidedness should never be left unchecked, as these cabinets would have to safely store your precious items.