How to Install Kitchen Cabinets

Fitting Kitchen Wall and Floor Cabinets

Setting up the base units

The first thing to do when you install kitchen cabinets after establishing the floor level is check the height of the floor units and of the plinths. The units I normally install are 720mm high and the plinths 170mm, making the total height 890mm. Always starting at the lowest point in the room, I use a 1800mm spirit level to mark a line around all the walls at 895mm. That will be the top of the base cabinets, the bottom of the counter top.

The base units I generally install come with plastic legs that are height adjustable. Unwrap the base units and screw the legs onto the bottom. I adjust all these to 175mm before screwing them to the bottom of the cabinets. As you can see in the picture below, the front of the unit is on the left and the feet have a flat part which should face the front for the plinth to butt up against. Also, the flange should overlap the outer edge of the carcass otherwise all the weight is being loaded onto the bottom shelf of the unit. People often sit up on counters, and if the kitchen is having granite worktops as well and the legs aren't fitted like this there's a good chance the weight will eventually ruin the bottom of the carcass. (If they are having granite counters then before putting the plinths on right at the end of the job you can cut solid timber blocks under the units for extra strength).

Fixing the base units to the wall

Wall and base units have french cleat style brackets that screw to the wall and clamps inside the unit that hook over them. These clamps have screws in them to finely adjust the unit for height.

Once the units are in position the bracket positions can be marked on the wall like above. Then I remove the units and fix all the brackets to the wall.

Fix the units to each other

It's important when you install kitchen cabinets to also fix them to each other for extra strength. I clamp the units together in the right position and to stop them moving before drilling a hole straight through for the bolts. Ideally these want to be in a discreet/least visible position. Sometimes you can fit them behind hinges or where a shelf will later hide them from view. Hold or clamp a scrap piece of timber on the other side when drilling to prevent annihilating the inside of the unit when the drill bit breaks through.

Once levelled across the back and from front to back I always use a framing square to check that the front of the units are square too. If you don't install kitchen cabinets square and level it will be impossible to get the doors to all line up nicely later on.

Fixing kitchen wall units to the wall

If not specified on the plan, the height of the kitchen wall units can be governed by a couple of things. Firstly, If there is going to be a larder unit the top of that will determine the top of the wall units. This is important, as the cornice will need to fit continuously round the tops. Another way if there is no larder unit may be the height of the tiles. If the kitchen is having 4 rows of 100mm tiles you may want to put the bottom of the wall units a little above the finished tile height. An extractor hood may also give the answer. Sometimes they are built into a shorter wall unit and need to be a set distance above the hob (600 for example) so work that out first and go from there.

The easiest way I've found to install kitchen cabinets to the wall is to fix a batten for the units to sit on. This as well as being a level line to sit them on is also a good support when you're working on your own. Quite often the wall units will have the same french cleat style brackets as the base units and I also screw through the bottom of the units back into the wall for extra strength/support.

If hanging wall units on a masonry wall it's OK to use brown rawl plugs and chunky screws. When I'm fixing the kitchen wall cabinets to a plasterboard wall I always use Ralwplug setting tool. This is pretty much the strongest fixing you can get in hollow cavities like plasterboard if you can't fix straight into a stud. The plugs are like rivets and are strong enough to take the weight of a kitchen cabinet as well as all the tins of food/plates etc. that are going to get loaded into it.

Hanging kitchen cabinet doors

Hanging the doors is fairly straight forward. Most off the shelf kitchens use concealed hinges. These are adjustable and can open to 110°. Part of the hinge screws to the door the other to the unit and the holes to screw into are either pre-drilled or marked with a pinhole.

Once on, the doors can be adjusted up and down, left and right + forward/backward a little. When they all line up perfectly click the soft closers onto the hinges and the little cover caps if supplied.

Install kitchen cabinets handles

Quite often the position of the handles are marked with a pin prick inside the cabinet door. I always double check the positions line up with the handles and make sure the client is happy with where they are. As in the picture below I always hold a scrap piece of timber on the back of the door I'm drilling to prevent damaging the surface when the drill bit comes out .

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