How to Mount a Kitchen Wall Cabinet

Until recently, it was simpler to construct kitchen cabinets when building the house, attaching them in a custom fashion. As manufacturing has become less and less difficult, however, it's now common to purchase prefab cabinets and install them to fit in the kitchen.

Things You'll Need

• Prefabricated cabinets
• Several lengths of 2x4 wood (depending on how many cabinets you are hanging)
• One long 1x1 wood
• 3-inch wood screws
• 1-1/2-inch wood screws (for multiple cabinets)
• Power drill
• Tape measure
• Level
• Stud finder
• Plywood (optional)
• One or two assistants
• Pen

Instructions

Preparation

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

2. Measure and place the 1x1 as a temporary ledger line at the base of where the cabinets will go. This is generally either 54 inches above the floor or 18 above the countertop. Ensure that the ledger is level before screwing it in.

3. Measure the cabinet height and note where to hang the cabinet---either on the mounting strips, your reinforcements or a solid piece of the backing. Mark these above the ledger on the wall.

4. Locate and mark the wall studs behind the cabinet at the height marks you made---you can use a stud finder or the less accurate knocking method, where you knock on the wall and listen for a solid sound instead of a hollow one. Measure the distance between two studs, which should be uniform, and use that to find as many studs as you can.

5. Measure the width of the cabinet (or cabinets you are mounting). Cut two lengths of 2x4 to 3 or 4 inches less than that length. You need two per cabinet---one for the top and one for the bottom---as these will become the battens, or furring strips.

6. Attach the furring strip to the wall so it is level, using the 3-inch screws. Do this for the other batten as well.

Hanging

1. Mark the locations of the furring strips on the reinforcements, mounting strips or backing. Sometimes there is a crown molding or a depression on the bottom of the cabinet, which can throw measurements off.

2. Have your assistant(s) hold the cabinet on the wall in the cabinet's final position. Use the ledger to verify that it is level.

3. Put four or five 3-inch screws into the top batten through the back of the cabinet. Be sure to spread them out and for additional support, make sure these are not all in a straight line.

   Repeat for the lower furring strip.

4. Remove the ledger and step back. If you have installed this cabinet next to another, attach the two cabinets to each other using the 1-1/2-inch wood screws.

Tips & Warnings

• You can install cabinets without furring strips, but they give you a larger area to install the cabinet, and you don't have to find studs through the cabinet back. If possible, assemble a makeshift scaffold to hold the cabinet at the right height.

References

• Installing Kitchen Wall Cabinets: The Creative Homeowner
• Hanging Kitchen Cabinets: This Old House