Installing Floor Cabinets

Mark the layout of the cabinets and all floor based appliances.

Installing floor cabinets.

The first step in how to install kitchen cabinets is finding the highest point on the floor. Shim clamp and screw the frames together. This is a critical step because every part of your diy cabinet installation relies on the reference point you make. Install 2 x 2 support.

Typically cabinets come before flooring. It s best to try to start the base cabinet installation as close to this high point as possible it s easier to shim under the cabinets on the lower spots to make them level with this first one rather than starting on a low point and having to trim the bottoms of the cabinets. Floor covering or finish flooring is the surface that you see and walk on not the subfloor under the underlayment or underlayment between subfloor and finished layer. Cabinets that make up islands and peninsulas need to be secured to the floor.

Join the island cabinets and set them in place. Use 2x2s to secure cabinets to the floor for kitchen island installation. The corner base cabinet sets the trend for all of your other base cabinets so take the time to do this step well. If you re installing a new floor this is the best time to do so since you can run it under the cabinetry unless you re installing a floating floor.

A floating floor should be installed after the cabinetry but the cabinetry must be raised to a height just above the flooring. Those are all good reasons to lay a kitchen floor after the cabinets are in. An uneven floor will lead to uneven base cabinets and you won t appreciate how crooked they appear. Install plywood in remaining area to exact height of tile floor to finish cabinet install.

Take your time and get it right. Screw the cabinet to the blocking with two. If the floor isn t level find the highest point in the floor along the wall where the cabinets will be installed. Kitchen floor cabinets photo 11.

Lower the cabinet over the blocking. Shim beneath the cabinet to align it with the top of cabinet line you drew on the wall. Install tile under cabinets and floor based appliances with a 2 inset this allows you to move the pattern and grout lines where needed. To begin kitchen island installation first trace an outline of the cabinets on the floor.

When determing how to install base cabinets on uneven floors check for level and plumb and add shims until the cabinets are at the same level. Put all the base cabinets in place then mark a line on the subfloor corresponding to the front edge of the toekick. Draw a second line to mark the thickness of the cabinet base then screw 2x2s to the floor along the inner line. Kitchen floor cabinets photo 10.

Identify the highest point on the floor where you will be installing base cabinets. In most cases given standard flooring heights you will install the cabinets before the floor covering.