How to Hang Kitchen Cabinets

The hardest part of installing new cabinets in the kitchen is securing the cabinets that hang on the walls. They must be fastened into the studs behind the wall to be able to handle the weight of the cabinet and whatever is being stored inside. The installer also must make sure that the cabinets are perfectly square and level. Hanging the cabinets is usually a job that will require two people, one to hold the cabinet up and one to drive the screws into the wall.

You want to begin by preparing the walls on which the cabinets will be installed. Once the old cabinets are out, repair any part of the wall that will not be covered by the new cabinets and paint. It is better to do this while there are no cabinets on the wall than to try to go back later and paint after your new cabinets are up. Once the wall is ready, figure out how high you are going to hang the cabinets on the wall. Typically, you will want to leave about 20 inches of space between the bottom of the cabinet and the top of the counter. So if your base cabinets are 34 inches high, you want to measure 54 inches from the floor and make a mark on the wall when your top cabinets will start and where they will end. Connect a plumb line to the two marks and snap, this will give you a level line for installing your cabinets. The bottom will run right up to the line.

Now that you have your level line for installation you must locate the studs inside the wall which you will secure the cabinets to. In most homes, studs are placed every 16 inches on center. There are electronic stud finders that you can use to find the studs or you can use a nail and tap into the wall until you find one. Once you locate a single stud, you can measure and mark every 16 inches so you know where the others are. There is one more piece of prep work that needs to be done before you begin I hanging the cabinets. Make a T-brace out of a couple of 2×4′s to use to prop up the wall cabinets while you are fastening the screws.

Now that you are ready to hang your cabinets, take off the doors and remove any shelves or drawers before putting them into place. Lift the first cabinet into place and use your brace to prop it up. When the cabinet is lined up with the plumb line, use a power driver to install one screw on top and one on bottom. Make sure the cabinet is level with the wall and use shims behind it to make any necessary adjustments. Now lift the next wall cabinet into place along side the one you just secured to the wall and fasten it with a screw on top and bottom. Make sure the two seams meet perfectly and then screw the one cabinet into the other. Now go back and put another screw through the back of the cabinet into the wall on the top and bottom into a different stud in the wall and repeat the process with the rest of the wall cabinets.

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