How to Replace Kitchen Cupboards
Replacing kitchen cupboards requires patience, careful planning and measuring to ensure proper placement of the new cupboards. Working out the placement of the cupboards on paper allows for changes in design and perhaps even relocating some of the components to streamline the work flow in your kitchen. Work with a vision of the way you want the kitchen to look when the cupboards are in place. Allow a few days to remove and replace the cupboards and to avoid feeling rushed to complete the job. The result will be a source of pride and accomplishment. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Adjustable wrench
- Bucket
- Screwdriver
- Tape measure
- Level
- Stud finder
- 1-by-3 lumber
- Screws
- Shims
- Clamps
- Drill
- Drill bits
Instructions
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1
Turn off the water to the kitchen sink. Remove the faucet assembly from the sink with an adjustable wrench. Disconnect the drain from the sink.
Set a bucket beneath the drain before loosening the trap to catch any drips. Use a screwdriver to loosen the retaining clips holding the sink in place and then remove the sink.
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2
Remove the doors, drawers and removable shelving from the old cupboards. Have a helper hold the upper cabinets while you remove the screws holding the cupboard to the wall. Remove any screws that hold the cupboards together through the sides. Check for screws through the front facing panels. Remove the cupboards one section at a time. Work carefully to avoid damage to the walls behind the cabinets.
Remove the counter top by removing the screws underneath that hold the counter top to the base cabinets, and then remove the base cabinets, one section at a time.
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3
Measure 34½-inches up from the floor and place a pencil mark on the wall. Measure in several places, floors are sometimes uneven. Use a level to mark a straight line across the wall. This line will be the top of the base cabinets. Measure from the 34½-inch line upward 19½ inches to mark the bottom line for the upper cupboards. Use a level to draw a straight line across the wall.
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4
Use a stud finder to locate the studs in the wall. Mark each stud with a pencil line drawn downward the length of the studs. Extend the line 6-inches below the line drawn for the upper cupboards. Screw a 1-by-3-inch board horizontally to the wall aligning the top edge with the 19½-inch line. Use screws long enough to reach into the studs. This board will serve as a temporary support for the upper cabinets while they are installed.
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5
Install the upper corner cupboard first. Rest the bottom of the cupboard on the 1-by-3-inch piece of lumber. Have a helper hold the cupboard in place and drive screws through the support bar that is at the inside top of the cupboard. Use screws that will penetrate into the wall studs 1½-inches, Check the top of the cabinet for level, and lay the level along the perpendicular edge of the cupboard to check for plumb.
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6
Adjust out-of-plumb cupboards by loosening the screws and adding shims behind the cupboard against the studs and re-tightening the screws. Add additional screws through the bottom support bar into the studs, use additional shims if needed to maintain plumb.
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7
Install adjacent upper cupboards by clamping them to the previously installed unit. Check for level and plumb. Run screws into the studs through the top and bottom support frames. Drill pilot holes through the sides of the face frame of the cupboard using a 1/8-inch drill. The face frames are 3/4-pieces of wood that frame the front opening of the cabinet. Use screws to attach the face frames together. Continue until all the upper cupboards are installed.
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8
Install the end base cabinet first, aligning with the 34½-inch mark on the wall. Use shims between the base of the cabinet and the floor to achieve level. Use shims at the back of the cabinet base against the studs until the cabinet base is plumb. Run screws into the studs through the support bars in the back of the base cabinet. Drill pilot holes into the sides of the face frames in the same manner as used for the upper cupboards.
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Tips & Warnings
Have help available to lift kitchen cupboard components into place.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit modern kitchen with cabinets image by redking from Fotolia.com
