How to Install a Kitchen Wall Cabinet at an Angle

When planning a kitchen, the aim is to make use of all the space and all the prefabricated cabinets you have available. If you have a corner in the kitchen, a corner cabinet is the ideal way to make use of what could be dead space. Even if you have no corner cabinets, you can still install a wall cabinet at an angle.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Prefab cabinet
• Three 8-foot 2x4 wood
• 3-inch wood screws
• Power drill
• Circular or mitre saw
• Tape measure
• Level
• Stud finder
• Plywood (optional)
• One or two assistants
• Pen

Preparation

1. Examine the backing of the cabinets. If it is a sturdy wood-backed cabinet, it may support the weight of the cabinet on its own. If it has flimsy cardboard and doesn't have a mounting strip, you may need to reinforce it with a 2-inch strip of plywood, glued and nailed to the top and bottom.

2. Mark where the bottom of the cabinets will be on the wall. This is usually 54 inches above the ground or 18 inches above the countertop. Measure the appropriate angle for the cabinet.

3. Measure the height of the cabinets, and note where the reinforcements or mounting strips from Step 1 are, if any. Mark these on the wall, or if there are none, mark 4 or 5 inches in from the top and bottom of the cabinet.

4. Using a stud finder, locate and mark the wall studs on both walls at the height marks you made.

5. Measure the width of the cabinet and cut four lengths of 2x4 to that length. These will become furring strips, or battens, and you need two each to attach an A-frame for the top and bottom of the cabinet.

6. Using the marks you made, hold the batten level at the height you marked earlier and into the corner. Using two 3-inch screws per stud, attach it to the wall. Do this for the other furring strips.

7. Using the bottom pair of battens as two legs of a right-angle triangle, measure the length for the cross-beams to make the angle from Step 2.

8. Measure and cut two pieces of wood to 2 inches wider than the cross beam measurement. Using the mitre saw or angle setting on a circular saw, trim angle cuts off of each cross-beam so that the shorter side is the correct length.

9. Hold one of these pieces of wood onto the battens in the triangular position and screw them on through the angle cuts. Repeat for the other furring strips.
   
   For additional support on this A-frame, you can take some offcuts, angle them, and screw them into the cross-beam and one of the furring strips.

Hanging

10. Inside the cabinet, mark the height of the A-frame on the back. Be sure to account for any crown molding or depression on the bottom.

11. Have your assistant(s) hold the cabinet on the wall in the cabinet's final position. Verify that it is level

12. Beginning at the top, sink four or five 3-inch screws into the cross beam through the back of the cabinet, mounting strip or reinforcement. For additional support, make sure these are not all in a straight line.
    
    Repeat for the lower furring strip.

Tips & Warnings

• If possible, assemble a makeshift scaffold to hold the cabinet at the right height. For best results, install cabinets on at least one of the walls.

References

• Hanging Kitchen Wall Cabinets: This Old House
• How to Install Wall and Kitchen Cabinets: Natural Handyman