Installing Floor Cabinets

The corner base cabinet sets the trend for all of your other base cabinets so take the time to do this step well.

Installing floor cabinets.

The first step in how to install kitchen cabinets is finding the highest point on the floor. 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. This is a critical step because every part of your diy cabinet installation relies on the reference point you make. 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 10. Typically cabinets come before flooring. Mark the layout of the cabinets and all floor based appliances. Install tile under cabinets and floor based appliances with a 2 inset this allows you to move the pattern and grout lines where needed.

Use 2x2s to secure cabinets to the floor for kitchen island installation. 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. Screw the cabinet to the blocking with two. But if you have to install the flooring first here s a method that will avoid some of the problems i just described.

Take your time and get it right. Kitchen floors especially those in older homes are often not perfectly level and flat. Shim beneath the cabinet to align it with the top of cabinet line you drew on the wall. Install plywood in remaining area to exact height of tile floor to finish cabinet install.

Cabinets that make up islands and peninsulas need to be secured to the floor. In most cases given standard flooring heights you will install the cabinets before the floor covering. Shim clamp and screw the frames together. Put all the base cabinets in place then mark a line on the subfloor corresponding to the front edge of the toekick.

Join the island cabinets and set them in place. Lower the cabinet over the blocking. Those are all good reasons to lay a kitchen floor after the cabinets are in. A floating floor should be installed after the cabinetry but the cabinetry must be raised to a height just above the flooring.

Kitchen floor cabinets photo 11. An uneven floor will lead to uneven base cabinets and you won t appreciate how crooked they appear. Otherwise you ll have trouble installing appliances later. Draw a second line to mark the thickness of the cabinet base then screw 2x2s to the floor along the inner line.

To begin kitchen island installation first trace an outline of the cabinets on the floor. 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.