ArticlesArticlesThis page provides the viewers with articles which cover DIY projects and information to the home owner that wants to try their hands at some projects. Or maybe you are looking for information only. No matter what the reason is, chances are that you might find help to your problem. If you have any questions, click here. For a free e-zine that offers articles, information and DIY projects, click here. How To Install Kitchen Cabinets Installing kitchen cabinets does not require a great amount of carpentry knowledge. The project can be performed with basic do-it-yourself skills. You also need to have a basic knowledge of various manual and power tools. Now, you might think that you need several tools to perform such a project, but really, all you need is a few tools and you should get by. Here are the tools you need to install kitchen cabinets. Safety glasses Tape measure 4' carpenter’s level Hammer Chalk line (optional) Drill (for drilling pilot holes) Drill driver or screwdriver with #2 & #3 bits Drill bits: 1/8 and 7/32" (additional bits may be requireddepending on accessories installed) Utility knife (scoring wood shims) – optional Rubber padded furniture clamps (minimum of two) Step ladder Carpenter’s square Air nailer and brads (optional) Installing the kitchen cabinets (Read and study all of the following steps carefully before attempting to install the cabinets). Start by laying a carpenter’s level on the floor where the cabinets will be installed. If two adjacent walls are going to have cabinets, measure that side of the floor as well.Mark the highest corner. This is where the first base cabinet will be installed. (Usually a corner cabinet if two adjacent walls are being used). Installing the base cabinets If you don’t have help then I recommend to start with the bottom.Line up the corner cabinet flush with the marked line first and make sure it is square, level and plumb (check all sides). Shim the bottom as needed. Installing the wall cabinets To make life easier, screw a strait edge (¾’’ plywood or 2x4 by six feet long) to the wall and directly on the line that was marked for the wall cabinets. This method will give you something to rest the cabinets on. The wall units are fastened the same way as the bottom ones except that they are installed one at a time.When you install the second unit, clamp it to the first one (make sure that the edges of both units are flush to each other) then screw them together from the inside and then to the wall. Tips - Mark the width of each unit on the wall. This will show how and where the units will be placed. It also allow you to make any changes if needed (before it is too late) and how wide will the fillers be. Pre-drill the screw holes and start the screws onto the cabinet before you align it in place. If you are going to end up with fillers, try to have each filler the same size. They look more symmetrical. Use the diagrams and scetches provided with this guide. It is a good idea to measure and order the counter top right after the base cabinets are installed.
Navigating Your Way to Savings on Home Improvement MaterialsIn the current states of the economic and housing markets, homeowners and contractors alike are looking for more affordable products to be able to update their home or current project. Sifting through all of the mass marketing that is done by the big chain stores (like Home Depot or Lowe's) is part of the task of finding good products at a reasonable price, but also weeding through the countless online advertisements that will come your way when your looking for building products – is another task that you must face when looking for the best deals. Most of the big box stores are simply trying to lure you in with one or two good deals in order to get you to buy the higher priced items that you will pick up along the way .With a little bit of guidance and by learning a few quick steps, you will be able to navigate your way through the maze of building products and onto the bargains that are out there. The biggest misconception that you must over come is that you are always going to get the best deal at the big retail stores. Yes these stores are fine for certain building products like drywall or lumber, but they (the big chain stores) will lead you into the store with better pricing on these products and then while your there you buy other products at inflated prices. A good example of where you can save some money is on plumbing and lighting fixtures. You can easily save 20-35% on fixtures by simply doing a search online. Another example is RTA products such as RTA bathroom vanities or RTA kitchen cabinets. Online stores (the better online stores) will sell these type of cabinets and vanities at about thirty five (35%) less than a retail store. These big stores are there for your convience, you can get almost everything at one place, but unfortunately you will pay for this convenience. To sum it up, only buy certain items in the large home supply chain stores, buy your other products online or shop around and see what other deals are out there. It might take you a little more time, but you can literally save thousands of dollars. (I know we did when we bought our kitchen cabinets online, instead of from a retail store.) So now that your on line and shopping for home improvement products -- here are some quick tips that will help you save money and find quality products. Research and comparison shopping are going to be the two keys to finding a bargain. Say for example your buying light fixtures. Go to a few sites, compare prices, read about the company your buying from and then make a smarter decision. You should also consider EBay for certain building products. The site has millions of choices and some of them are very good deals. Again do some research and make an informed decision. You want to make sure that whoever you are buying from online, that they are a reputable company, have a physical address, and can provide customer service support in the event that something is wrong with the product. You also want to be aware of what an advertisement is and what a true search is. If you're doing a Google search, make sure you avoid the paid searches at the top and right side of the page, instead look at the "organic" searches that are right below the paid searches. These web sites are the real deal and are not paying to be there – instead these sites are here because they have the best product and the best prices. The paid searches are naturally going to charge you more, because they are paying to be there. So keep this in mind when you are looking for anything online. As I mentioned before and a good way to summarize everything is to again make the point of doing research. If you find a good site online, then go to a comparable site and match pricing. See how prices compare and make sure the quality is the same. (I.e. Apples to Apples). If you do these things and keep all of this in mind you should be able to find some great deals and some quality too. Source: Jason Delmar
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Dry fit the rest of the bottom cabinets. Now is the time to square, line up, level and plumb the cabinets.If they don’t line up square to each other, use shims under and behind the cabinets ( between the back and the wall. Make sure that they are on the horizontal line that was marked with the level along the walls.Once satisfied with the alignment you can clamp two cabinets together and fasten them, first to each other from the inside (one screw towards the front and one towards the back at both top and bottom of the cabinet) with 3/4” or 1” screws depending on the thickness of the cabinet walls. Repeat this step to all the cabinets.
Once all cabinets are fastened to each other, fasten them to the studs that were already marked.
