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Kitchen Remodeling: Buying Stock Cabinets

The kitchen remodeling “bug” will strike 8 million households in the United States this year. Homeowners will be stricken by cases of not-enough-storage-itis, the-color-is-driving-me-nuts-obia, or the dreaded saggy-doorbusted-drawer-itosis. Whatever the ailment, a kitchen cabinet transplant is often the cure. And when preceded by a proper dose of planning, a moderate injection of cash and plenty of elbow grease, the operation can be a rousing success.

This article will show you how to install “stock” kitchen cabinets – like those you see displayed and offered for sale at large home centers. Installing stock cabinets is a great project for the moderately skilled, ambitious DIYer who wants to save money and feel the satisfaction of a job well done. Here’s the lowdown.

Ordering stock cabinets

You can order your cabinets through home centers, specialized kitchen centers, or in some cases. direct from the manufacturer. Larger home centers often have a consultant or designer on staff, whose services are free, to help you with your cabinet selection and purchase. You may or may not pay a design fee when working with a specialized kitchen center. It pays to shop around for a cabinet style, price and consultant/salesperson you like.

Getting ready

Begin by tearing out the old cabinets and counter tops. The cabinets can be reused in a laundry room, garage or workshop, so remove them carefully. If they were built on-site, they may be nearly impossible to salvage in one piece. Many old counter tops were glued and screwed down, so it may take some real prying to remove them.

Next, mark the position of all your base and upper cabinets along the horizontal lines. Check walls for plumb. If the walls that the cabinet sides butt into lean drastically in or out, you may need to add a thin filler strip to a top or bottom cabinet to make up for the difference.

Finally, unbox your new cabinets and remove all the doors and drawers. Code each door, drawer and cabinet with numbered masking tape so you know where they go. Okay, you’re ready to start installing.

Installing lower cabinets

Some pros like to install the upper cabinets first so they won’t have to reach over the lower ones to install the uppers. Others like to install base cabinets first; it allows them to space the uppers an exact height above the base cabinets, which is convenient for appliance garages or full-height back splashes.

Always start installing from a corner. Roughly position a corner cabinet and the one abutting it, then clamp the two together. Make sure the heights are equal and the face frames even.

Use wood shims (small wedges available at most home centers) to raise the backs of the cabinets to the height of the horizontal line on the wall. Then use a 2-ft. level and shims to level the front. Take your time and do this right–failure to do so means wavy cabinets and terrible hassles getting the counter tops to fit.

Installing upper cabinets

To install the uppers, follow the same basic procedure as you did for the lowers. Start by carefully positioning and leveling the corner cabinet. Often the wall corner isn’t square because drywall compound or plaster used to finish the walls was applied too heavily in the corners. If this is the case, mark the top and bottom of the cabinet on the wall, then shave excess material out of the corner with a scraper or putty knife.

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