Cabinets

New cabinets can increase the value of one’s kitchen and also make it much more aesthetically pleasing. However, many may believe that new cabinets are too expensive to be able to purchase. One way of reducing this cost is to install the cabinets yourself. You may say to yourself “I can’t install cabinets”, but this is not the case. If you are good with your hands and willing to put a little time into it, just about anyone can install new cabinets in their home. Now, the first thing to do is obtain the cabinets.

Building the cabinets would be a difficult path to choose, yet there are better options out there. The easiest is to go to one of the many large hardware retailers. Many times these stores can help you design and order cabinets through them made to fit right in your kitchen. You can almost always purchase cabinets in this fashion without being forced to have the supplier install them. This way, you end up with cabinets ready made for your kitchen. This does not mean they will be perfect but they should easily fit into your kitchen with minor adjustments. The next step is to obtain the correct tools.

Some of the tools that will be absolutely necessary to do the job properly are commonly found tools. These include hammers, levels, fasteners (screws, nails, etc), and a drill with a screwdriver bit. Some other tools which may come in handy are a utility knife, a handsaw, a caulking gun, and also some shims and wood scraps.

The first step in hanging cabinets on the wall is to make them level. To aid in this screw a thin strip of wood along the wall with the top edge of the wood flush with the bottom edge of the cabinet. This will provide an edge to set the cabinet on while positioning it. With the cabinet in position on the wall sink a couple screws into the wall studs behind it. Check the level of the cabinet and if it is not level then place the shims behind the cabinet, in line with the studs, to push either the top or bottom of the cabinet further out and make it level. When the cabinet is level, sink enough screws through the back or the support rails to hold it to the wall. Attempt to put screws through the cabinet at the places where the shims were placed. This will prevent the shims from slipping later and causing the cabinet to be off of level. Getting the cabinet on the wall was most likely the most difficult part of the project. To do the next one just put another strip of wood on the wall to help you while hanging it and make sure it is level. Another good idea is to use a clamp to hold together the cabinet you are attaching to one that is already hung. This will provide extra support and also help in lining the cabinets up. Putting in cabinets that go on the floor is even easier. This time just use the shims to make the top of the cabinet level and secure the cabinet. Different cabinets have different ways of doing this but it is most likely similar to attaching the hanging cabinets to the wall. When all of the cabinets are in there is just one more step before they are finished. This is to apply a small bead of caulk to the edge where the cabinets meet the walls, floor and ceiling. This will prevent moisture from entering the small amount of airspace behind the cabinets. If installing white cabinets then white silicone caulk can be purchased. Or, if using wood colored cabinets then either a brown caulk may be able to be purchased, or white silicone caulk can easily be painted to match.

Well, that’s all there is to it. That was easier than you thought, huh? This is a DIY project that is well within the skills of many homeowners and can be a great way to save a few bucks.