How to Fit a Kitchen: Solid Wood Base Cabinets
At Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets, we’ve made our solid oak kitchen cabinets in such a way that they are very easy to put together with limited know-how, and just a handful of easily obtainable tools.
If you need a bit of extra assistance, or would like to get an idea of how to fit our cabinets before placing an order, then follow the simple steps bellow and you’ll be well on your way to achieving a beautiful, neat look.
Before you start, turn off water and power supplies before you remove all the old cabinets. Also consider painting walls and preparing floors and ceilings before fitting the new cabinets.
1. Firstly, use a spirit level to mark a horizontal line at the level on your wall that will line up with the top of the cabinets.
Remember to allow for a 150mm high plinth and a small gap for uneven floors when working out the height, and be sure to account for walls that may not be entirely straight.
2. Next, assemble the base cabinets using the relevant assembly guide to your size and design of cabinet, and move it in to position. It’s usually best to start with corner cabinets and work around them. Rotate the legs to adjust the height until the cabinet aligns with the pencil guideline and check they are straight with your spirit level.
3. The third step is to join together adjacent cabinets. You’ll need to drill a hole between the hinge holes on the inside edge of the cabinet, then join the cabinets together using the 25mm screws provided. We recommend screwing the rear edges of the cabinets together, too (you can make use of the service gap to mask). Be sure to use a clamp (as shown) to hold the cabinets together so that your cabinets do not move when you’re drilling from one through to the other.
4. When finishing any corner cabinets, a corner post will be required, otherwise there may be a visible gap between carcasses that will look unsightly.
Also consider our solid wood pilasters to make your cabinet doors look flush with one another, or even just to add extra detail to your kitchen frontals.
5. Use two brackets to fix each cabinet to the wall (unless installing multiple cabinets next to each other, in which case use the number of brackets that are sufficient for stability), and before drilling be sure to check for any hidden pipes or cables. On brick walls, use rawlplugs along with a hammer function drill and masonry bit. For plasterboard walls, be careful where you drill, and where possible drill in to the wooden battens. Drill a pilot hole into the cabinet and secure the bracket with the screws provided.
If you’ve followed these instructions along with our cabinet assembly instructions and are still in need of assistance in fitting your kitchen base cabinets, then feel free to speak to one our customer advisers by telephone or alternatively, send us an email with your query.
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Comment by Paula Siddall
July 4, 2014 @ 11:44 am
Really good to see you adding extra instructions. We have one of your kitchen – I love it! I think the more info you can add the better as I know friends of mine (who aren’t so handy as my husband) are put off having to plan & install it themselves. Best wishes, Paula.
Comment by admin
July 7, 2014 @ 8:52 am
Hi Paula,
Thanks for commenting on the article – we’re glad you’ve been so happy with our solid wood kitchens and have found our information guides so handy!
Keep an eye on our website for new information guides every week along with other interesting news and tips on our blog.
Kind Regards,
The Team @ SWKC.
Pingback by "Do your cabinets for solid wood kitchens come pre-built?" Question of the Week 21/06/2015 - Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets Information Guides
June 21, 2015 @ 8:05 am
[…] A wealth of extra help can also be found by reading our handy information guides; you may want to start with ‘How to Fit a Kitchen: Solid Wood Base Cabinets’. […]
Pingback by "Are the legs on your solid oak kitchen cabinets removable?" Question of the Week 11/10/2015 - Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets Information Guides
October 11, 2015 @ 9:10 am
[…] For further information about our oak kitchen units, please read our cabinet specification page. Additional fitting details can be found in our information guide: ‘How to Fit a Kitchen: Solid Wood Base Cabinets’. […]
Comment by Affordable Handy Man Service Ocean Pines
October 24, 2015 @ 7:14 pm
Everything is very open with a very clear explanation of the challenges.
It was really informative. Your website is very useful.
Many thanks for sharing!
Pingback by “What height should base cabinets be set at in oak kitchens?” Question of the Week 04/09/2016 - Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets Information Guides
September 4, 2016 @ 9:05 am
[…] may find our ‘How to Fit a Kitchen: Solid Wood Base Cabinets’ article to be useful for further guidance on installing your […]