Today’s homeowners are not afraid to get their hands dirty, taking on projects in the kitchen and bathroom that save them the hassle of hiring a contractor. Kitchen cabinets are no exception. By purchasing from an online retailer like TheRTAStore, homeowners are able to get pre-assembled or ready to assemble cabinets for less and install them at practically no cost. If you’re ready to tackle installing kitchen cabinets, follow this guide for the steps you will need to take.
Difficulty: Moderate
Duration: One day
Step 1: Use a free kitchen design tool to determine the layout of your kitchen. Knowing where current appliances are and the measurement of your kitchen will help you determine the size and number of kitchen cabinets you need. Once you know what you need, you can figure out what you want. Cabinets come in different materials and finishes, and are sold either pre-assembled or ready to assemble. With ready to assemble (or RTA) you will pay slightly less money with the responsibility of assembling the cabinets falling in your hands. Perfect for the avid DIY’er!
Step 2: Once you have your cabinets ready (either arriving pre-assembled or after you’ve assembled them yourself) you can begin to prep the area for installation. If you are installing new cabinets in the same format as your old ones, where they will be placed should be easy enough but you will still want to create a level grid. Measuring up the wall, mark a horizontal line for the top of the cabinets. Below the top mark line, draw a second line 2 ½ inches lower to indicate where the suspension rail will go. Vertical lines should also be drawn to show precisely where individual cabinets will be installed. You can also draw letters or numbers to ensure your kitchen cabinets are installed in the right order, and then mark your wall studs.
Step 3: Starting with the wall cabinets, screw your suspension rail to the wall studs and begin hanging cabinets starting at the corner. Do not secure too tightly so that you have the opportunity to adjust the level once all cabinets are installed. Once they are, join cabinets together with screws and tighten up the mounting.
Step 4: Draw another level, which will serve as the top of your base cabinets. Attach wall strips as a support for cabinets, and begin installing starting with a corner piece. Once the cabinets are secure, work from inside the cabinets to screw on your filler. Apply caulk around the pieces and then go ahead and add your cornice and molding.
Step 5: Once your kitchen cabinets are installed you can put up shelving and attach your doors, drawers and cabinet hardware. This step should always be done last. If you are installing a countertop as well — you may want to save that for day two! Once the project is complete, the kitchen sink and faucet installation will be the final addition to your DIY kitchen remodel.
