KITCHEN CABINET AND COUNTERTOP INSTALATION PREPARATION: The cabinet installation is part of the Finish step of building the house. MATERIALS: Cabinet plan Cabinets/Fillers/Toe kick/countertop(s)/backsplash Square drive, Merillat or equivalent, cabinet screws (2 ½ ) Drywall screws (2 ½ ) for cabinet face frames Drywall screws (2 ) to attach countertop to cabinets 3- packs of shims Hood Vent fan cut out template Kitchen sink cut out template Bathroom sink cut out template Wood glue (to assemble counter top) Sub floor adhesive and large caulk gun (to attach backsplash/toekick) Countertop matching caulk and caulk gun for backsplash At least 2 people will be needed to complete the installation. A 3rd person may be needed and should be available from the door hanging crew. In addition you will need: Special Kitchen Cabinet Clamps or speed clamps Cordless drill(s) Drill bits 1/8, 7/32 and a countersink 1 paddle style drill bit for water supply line holes 3 hole saw for water drain lines Stud Finder may be helpful to verify blocking or locate studs if blocking is suspect. Levels (2, 4 and 6 ) Mitre saw (probably on site with door hanging and trim activity) Jig saw ( ) Using the plan, take an inventory of the cabinets, including the bathroom vanity. Do a quality check to make sure none of the cabinets are damaged.you will be starting with the upper cabinets, so if the base cabinets are missing or damaged, you have time to get them to the site. Some installation may include an additional vanity, counter top and backsplashes for the Basement Bath. Thoroughly sweep the floor area, making sure all drywall mud etc is removed. Separate the cabinets with the wall units being closest to kitchen.
STEP 1: Locate the high point of the kitchen floor, along the outside walls, with a 6 level and or a long, straight 2 x 4 and a level. Using the highest point found, mark a level line on the 3 kitchen walls at the height of the base cabinets 34 ½, UNLESS GIVEN ANOTHER NUMBER BY THE HOUSE LEADER OR HFH STAFF. Set a 2nd mark at 54 up from the high point and mark a level line on the 3 kitchen walls. This will be the BOTTOM of the full height upper cabinets. Mark these lines just dark enough to be seen. Using the cabinet plan, you will see the cabinet over the stove and refrigerator will be higher up the wall. Using the plan, do a rough layout, marking the cabinet locations, sizes and hinge orientation on the wall, ABOVE the 54 mark and BELOW the 34 ½ mark. NEXT, verify the location of cabinet blocking behind the drywall. Standard locations are: 80 ½ - 84 off the floor 52-57 ½ off the floor. # 32-35 1/2 off the floor 30-33 ½ off the floor also for bath vanity # Note: Blocking is at this height, so a ledger can be attached to support the upper cabinets during installation. If blocking is not set at correct height, wall studs will have to be located. They are marked on the floor with orange paint or can be found on either side of the electrical outlets. Use and 8d nail, between the edge of the electrical box and drywall, to verify which side the stud is on. Cabinet blocking specifications for Handicap applications are in the section covering Kitchen Cabinet Blocking. WALL CABINETS: Start the installation with WALL cabinets in the LEFT corner, facing the street. Attach a ledger board, usually a piece of door casing which is in the house for the door install, at the 54 line on the garage wall and front wall of the house, with drywall screws. CRITICAL: USE ONLY SPECIALTY CABINET SCREWS, NOT DRYWALL SCREWS, TO ATTACH CABINETS TO THE WALLS. Single door wall cabinets can be turned over to change from Right to Left hand hinge. REMEMBER to turn the shelf support brackets over when replacing the shelves.
START THE INSTALL: Place the Wall Corner 2430 cabinet and a W1230, per the plan, on the floor. Mark the hinge location on the cabinet with a PENCIL and remove the doors. CHECK SHELF SUPPORTS TO ENSURE CABINET IS RIGHT SIDE UP AND THE HINGE IS ON THE CORRECT SIDE. Attach the cabinets through the face frames, with 3 evenly spaced 2 ½ drywall screws, 1 ea. above and below the hinges and 1 in the middle. Align the face frames and clamp cabinets together. Drill the initial hole through both face frames, with a 1/8 drill bit. Enlarge the hole, IN THE FIRST CABINET ONLY, with a 3/16 drill bit so the screw will not bind going through the cabinet. Counter sink the hole, so the screw sits flush to the face frame. WITH BLOCKING: Pre- drill TOP holes in upper cabinets, 1 down from the inside top of the cabinet, with a 7/32 bit. WITHOUT BLOCKING: LAYOUT FOR WALLS STUDS BEFORE DRILLING. Lift the assembly on to the ledger, tight against the FRONT/SIDE walls. Temporarily attach the cabinets to the wall in the top holes. Check for level and plumb on all sides of cabinets. Shim as needed and attach permanently with 4 CABINET screws on the top and bottom. Moving down the garage wall, the next cabinet is a W-3015. It will need the BACK cutout for the vent in the wall and possibly an electrical outlet. Position the cabinet on the wall, ABOVE THE VENT ROUGH IN, mark the vent location on the Bottom of the cabinet. Remove the cabinet and extend lines down rear of cabinet. Complete the layout, drill starter holes and cut with a jig saw. The bottom of the cabinet will also be cut out for the Stove Hood Vent, using an onsite TEMPLATE. Place the template in side the bottom frame, mark the vent opening, drill starter holes and cut. MAKE SURE THE ELECTRICAL WHIP COMING OUT OF THE WALL IS 1 BELOW THE CABINET. If not, lower as needed. OR
Layout for the electrical outlet, ALLOW 1 ON EACH SIDE AND TOP AND BOTTOM and cut the cabinet, as needed. THE ELECTRICAL COVER PLATE MUST BE FLUSH TO THE WALL. Continue down the wall installing a W2430 and a W3015 over the refrigerator. Go back to the corner and locate the W3630, the next cabinet going toward the kitchen window. Move the ledger to the front wall. Mark hinge location and remove the LEFT door ONLY and place the cabinet on the ledger. CHECK SHELF SUPPORTS TO ENSURE CABINET IS RIGHT SIDE UP. Attach the face frame to the corner cabinet, check for plumb and level and then attach to wall. Repeat the process starting from the other inside corner installing a Wall Corner 2430 and a W-2430, working back toward the kitchen window and then down the interior kitchen wall with 2-W3030 s. The ledger can be moved to the INTERIOR kitchen wall. BASE CABINETS: The BASE cabinet installation will start with a Lazy Susan, in the corner where the water line to the outside hose bib, is located. Remove the LS door. A ledger for the counter top may be needed in the corner behind the LS. Attach 1 x 4 with 2 ½ drywall screws into the blocking flush with the level line. Draw a plumb line DOWN the wall from the W 1230 that frames the Right side of the stove opening. This line will establish the LEFT edge of the Lazy Susan. Move the Lazy Susan into position. Shim as needed to bring the cabinet UP to the level line established in previous steps. Check for level in all directions before attaching to the wall. Position the Base 24 up to the level line, leaving a 30-1/4 opening between the front face frames of the cabinets for the STOVE. Attach to wall. Move the B-24 cabinet in place between the LS and the SB. MAKE SURE THE SIDES OF THE B-24 ARE UN FINISHED. Shim cabinet UP to the level line and attach to the face frame of the LS and to the wall. NOTE: Once base cabinets are level front to back, there still may be a gap between the back of the cabinet and the wall. THIS IS BECAUSE THE WALLS ARE OUT OF PLUMB. Place shims between the back of the cabinet and the wall, drill pilot hole and attach to wall with Specialty Cabinet Screws. DRILL HOLE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SHIMS, NOT THROUGH THE SHIMS.
SETTING THE SINK BASE CABINET: This will be one of the more challenging cabinets to install, because of the cutouts for plumbing and electrical. Hold the H/C water lines plumb and mark their centerline and the PVC drain centerline on the wall. Extend the lines up the wall, just above the LEVEL cabinet line. Measure out 1 on each side and from the top and bottom of the electrical box. Extend the side lines above the level cabinet line. Measure DOWN from the cabinet level line to the line 1 above the electrical box and write the # on wall. Measure DOWN to the line 1 mark below the electrical box and write the # on wall. Establish the EXACT location of the Sink Base cabinet. The objective is to have the center of the SB MATCH the centerline of the window. However, reality is that it may be off depending on several factors. With the SB positioned against the B- 24, transfer the marks from the wall to the top, rear edge of the cabinet with a framing/speed square. Move the cabinet to center of the room. Place cardboard on floor and lay the cabinet face down on cardboard. Extend the lines for the electrical box down the rear of the cabinet using the numbers from the wall. Connect the lines and draw the outline for the electrical cutout. Verify the numbers. Then drill a hole in the corners and cut the opening with a jig saw. NOTE: Remove drywall screws in the sides and rear of the SB BEFORE install. They will interfere with the C-top install. Establish the distance from the wall to the centerline of the H/C water pipe and PVC drain line. Transfer the numbers to the floor of the SB cabinet. REMEMBER to subtract the thickness of the rear wall of the cabinet. Drill water lines holes with a 1 paddle bit and the drain pipe with a 3 hole saw. Hold the cabinet up above the pipes and feed the water lines through the holes and set the cabinet over the drain line on the floor. Check fit, adjust as needed and attach to wall.. A Blind Base Corner 45/48 cabinet will go next to the SB-36, and into the corner opposite the LS. This cabinet will be pulled off the interior wall to allow the adjoining cabinet, on the interior wall, to open. Install cover/filler to the open side of the BBC.
The B-36 that attaches to the BBC 45/48 will have a wide stile on the edge next to the BBC and the opposite side will UN-FINISHED. Locate and cut the heat duct by marking lines on the floor for the edge(s) of the duct. Position the B-36 and transfer the marks to the toe kick. Cut the toe kick out with a jig saw 3-1/2 up from the bottom of the cabinet. Level, shim and attach as before. Replace all the kitchen cabinet doors and adjust for proper gaps, as needed. Trim shims next to the walls as well as the floor. TOE KICK INSTALLATION: AFTER the flooring is installed, trim material will be installed to finish the toe kick area of the cabinets. Cut to length and install with sub-floor adhesive and 2 nails to secure while glue sets. NOTE: A cutout will be needed for a heat duct under the cabinet. Mark and cut the toe kick with a jig saw to match cutout in cabinet. BATHROOM VANITY: A 36 vanity will be installed in the Bathroom located tight to the Utility closet wall. Check wall for cabinet blocking. If there, proceed. IF NOT, locate studs to attach Vanity. VERIFY THE HEIGHT OF THE VANITY If 31- ½, establish a level line at that height above the floor. If NOT, use the height of the cabinet. Measure DOWN from the level to locate the centerline of the PVC drain line. Follow the same steps to locate the centerline of the H/C water lines. Transfer marks to rear of Vanity. Extend marks down the back of the Vanity and drill holes as needed. NOTE: Watch out for plumbing vent pipe, IN WALL, where PVC drain comes out of wall. Set Vanity in to place, shim to level and attach to wall. COUNTERTOP AND BACKSPLASH INSTALLATION: A pre-fabricated Laminate counter top and backsplash will be installed in the Kitchen and Bath. Drill holes in the triangles in the front corners of the Base Cabinets. SHORT drywall screws will be placed through these holes to secure the counter top.
AFTER removal of assembly screws, Cut the front and rear frame of the SB to prepare for the Counter-top install. The Kitchen sink wall and interior wall tops may be in 2 pieces and assembled on site. After assembly, place Sub Floor Adhesive along the rear, top of the cabinets, along the walls. Then slide the Top into its final position. 2 drywall screws will installed UP through the holes in the triangles and into the build up in the Top. The small top will be installed on the B-24 to the left of the stove with Sub Floor Adhesive along the rear wall and/or screws UP through the triangle in the front corners. Back splash will be cut to length, except for the B-24 piece, and installed with Sub Floor Adhesive. WHEN CUTTING THE BACKSAPLASH, CUT FROM THE UNFINISHED END ONLY. The B-24 backsplash may not need cutting. Mark and cut the Bath backsplash as above and glue in place. Short pieces of wood will be cut to hold the Backsplash in position until the glue sets. These will go between the top of the backsplash and the bottom of the upper cabinets. Cut them a little short and use shims for tight fit. TT 2/24/2015