How to Install Cabinet Lighting

Install cabinet lighting to brighten a work area or contained storage area. Small lighting fixtures are made for placing inside cabinets or on the underside of a cabinet that's over a sink or stove. Fluorescent lighting, LED lighting and xenon under cabinet lights are available in kits with all necessary installation hardware.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Screw gun or Phillips screwdriver
• Pencil

1. Measure the cabinet bottom or interior cabinet wall where you plan to install a light. Some cabinet lights are no bigger than a baseball. Don't be discouraged by limited space.

2. Purchase a lighting fixture at your favorite hardware store, department store or grocery superstore. Choose from LED, xenon or fluorescent lighting for long lasting bulbs that produce little heat.

3. Mark the support screw locations. Most kits include a cardboard panel that marks the support screw locations from center to center. Poke through the screw location marks with a pencil. Place the panel against the wall or underside light fixture location and draw pencil marks on the wood to show screw placements. Use newspaper to mark the screw locations on the back side of the light if your kit does not include a screw locater.

4. Insert the screws. Place a screw against the cabinet wall you plan to drive it into to make sure the length will not poke through. Leave the screw heads sticking out 1/8 of an inch from the cabinet.

5. Hang the lighting fixture. Line up the holder slots in back of the light fixture with the screw heads. Push the screw heads into both slots; slide the fixture to enclose the heads under the tabs.

Tips & Warnings

• Smaller cabinet lights often use batteries and come with stick-on applicators. These only require removal of sticker covers before pressing the fixture onto the desired location.