Products

Cabinet Installation Tips

June 1, 2002
3 min read

 

Residential & Light Commercial Construction Standards offers contractors tips for installing cabinetry. Published by R.S. Means, the book includes information compiled from building codes and recognized customs and standards across the country about virtually every aspect of construction.

 

 

 

 

  • Tall wall cabinets (48 or 60 inches) mounted directly on countertops require enough clearance for the doors to open easily. Adding a countertop platform of 3/4 inch to 1 1/2 inches usually solves the problem.

     

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  • Wall cabinets installed to ceiling level must also have door clearance around any surface-mounted lighting fixtures nearby. Recessed ceiling lights avoid the problem. Another possibility is mounting the cabinets an inch down from the ceiling height and trimming the tops with molding.

     

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  • Cabinets with roll-out shelves must have enough clearance for the doors to open past 90 degrees to allow the shelves to be pulled out.

     

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  • Drawer units placed against a wall with a window or door opening need a 1- to 1 1/2-inch filler between the cabinet and the wall. The filler keeps the cabinet drawers clear of the casing when they are opened.

     

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  • Any counter overhang of more than 12 inches needs support.

     

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  • Use outside molding to seal a joint between two panels at right angles, scribe molding to finish along an uneven ceiling, and batten molding to cover joints between adjacent cabinets.

     

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  • Countertop edge moldings used to finish solid-surface counters should be installed unfinished so they can be sanded flush with the top before finishing. Finished moldings can be installed with ceramic tiles and laminate tops.

     

     

    Estimated cost of Cabinetry for an L-shaped Kitchen

     

     
     
    Standard
     
     
    Deluxe
     
    Description
    Quantity/Unit
    Labor (Hours)
    Material Cost ($)
    Quantity/Unit
    Labor (Hours)
    Material Cost ($)
    Blocking for mounting cabinets, 2x4
    32 F.L.
    1.0
    14.98
    32 F.L.
    1.0
    14.98
    Wall cabinets, 12" deep, 36" wide
    Economy
    Hardwood

    5 ea.
     

    3.5
     

    708.00
     

     
    5 ea.

     
    4.9

     
    1,318.80
    Base cabinets, 24" deep, 36"wide
    Economy
    Hardwood

    4 ea.
     

    3.2
     

    1,104.00
     

     
    4 ea.

     
    4.4

     
    2,049.60
    Countertop, 1 1/4" thick
    Plastic laminate
    Granite

    13 L.F.
     

    3.5.
     

    76.28
     

     
    13 L.F.

     
    8.0

     
    1,443.00
    Valance board over sink
    4 L.F.
    0.2
    36.48
    4 L.F.
    .02
    36.48
    Trim, cornice molding, 9/16"x2 1/4" Stock pine
    20 L.F.
    0.5
    20.40
    20 L.F.
    .05
    20.40
    Total
     
    11.9
    1,960.14
     
    19.0
    4,883.26

     

    Source: Interior Home Improvement Costs, R.S. Means, a division of CMD that publishes a complete construction reference library, 27 annual cost guides and 18 CostWorks CD titles. Means also provides electronic databases that integrate with corporate owners’ software applications. CMD is a division of Reed Business Information, a member of Reed Elsevier PLC.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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