| In This
Article:
A tall divider panel is connected to a
run of wall cabinets. An over-the-fridge cabinet is attached to the
divider and the adjacent cabinet.
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Related
Articles:
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| Skill Level: 3 (Moderate) |
Time Taken: A While |
By Bruce W.
Maki, Editor
Installing A Tall Divider Panel:
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This kitchen had a divider panel on one side of the refrigerator.
I clamped the panel to the wall cabinet and the base cabinet
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I located the point opposite the wall cabinet face frame,
and drove in a few screws.
Down below, I pre-drilled a couple of holes in the cabinet
face frame and drove screws into the face frame of the divider
panel.
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A small 12" deep cabinet was installed above the refrigerator, between
the divider and a tall, full 24" depth pantry.
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(Looking up, towards the ceiling)
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I used a block of wood as a cleat, to connect the back of
the cabinet to the divider panel. The front face frames were
connected in the usual manner.
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(Looking up, towards the ceiling)
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At the other end, I slid a block of wood (ripped to width
on a table saw) into the gap between the cabinets.
Another view of the over-the-refrigerator cabinet.
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This cabinet is a little unusual because it is not mounted
against the wall. Wall cabinets are 12" deep and base cabinets
are 24" deep. This cabinet had to be securely attached to
the cabinets on each side.
A Tight Squeeze:
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There were 3-unit cabinet assemblies installed
in two corners of this kitchen. In between, above the stove,
was a short wall cabinet. This is where the kitchen designer's
assumptions caused our biggest headaches. He (or she) assumed
that the room would be built to the exact dimensions on the blue
print, and specified an arrangement of cabinets that fit precisely
into the 108" dimension between walls. |
But that is a very unsafe assumption. The room was the right
size at the floor level, but not at the wall cabinet level. The
plan specified a 30" cabinet above the stove. After installing
the two sets of corner cabinets, I had a space 29-1/2" wide.
So I did the obvious. Using a table saw I removed the 1/4"
face frame overhang, so the face frame was flush with the side
of the cabinet. It took only a few minutes and then the cabinet
fit perfectly. Brilliant, I thought.
A few weeks later the homeowner called me. The range hood would
not fit under the modified 30" cabinet. So I had to cut away
a little wood from the taller cabinets on each side. Aaaugh!
Did I mention that Nothing Ever Goes As Planned.
Attention Kitchen Designers... Read This Rant !
You cannot assume a room will end up exactly at the
dimension on the blue print. So if a wall has corner-to-corner
cabinets, and the blue print dimension just happens to to allow
a nice series of cabinets to fit with no filler strips, DON'T
DO IT. You may not like filler strips, but finish carpenters
need them, because the framing carpenters are not likely
to care enough to ensure that the kitchen dimensions are exactly
to plan. You and your customer are better off specifying a run
of cabinets that includes one or two small filler strips, strips
that give the cabinet installer some leeway, because nobody in
the new home construction business can possibly keep dimensional
tolerances as accurate as the cabinet manufacturers do.
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When It Was All Done...
In spite of the minor but annoying problems, the kitchen turned
out well. The homeowners are happy. Once the kitchen was loaded
with appliances and all the things that occupy counters, the little
flaws were hard to notice.
Photos of the final cabinet and counter installation
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Tools Used:
- Cordless Drill/Driver
- Drill Bits
- Table Saw
- 4' Level, 2' Level
- Stud Finder
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Materials Used:
- Wall Cabinet
- Cabinet Screws
- Shims
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