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So you have decided that installing your new kitchen is the way to go. Since you spent your entire budget on the cabinets, countertops and appliances there is none left for the installers ;-) Now that may not be the case but is does happen. Or you can just be a handy person and want to do-it-yourself. Either way there is a few things you should know before you begin so you don’t get yourself into trouble.
If you purchased your cabinets from a box store like Lowe's or Home Depot, they usually have an installation guide available free of charge. The one I like the best is offered by Kraftmaid™. Now you didn’t need to buy Kraftmaid™ to use their guide, as the guide is generic to all kitchen installations, but if you did purchase Kraftmaid™ the guide came with your owner’s package when the cabinets were delivered.
The most important thing about tackling a kitchen install is to work both safe and smart. If it’s at all possible get yourself a helper, having someone working with you is just the best way to work. If for some reason you can’t or don’t have the ability to get a helper, you still can do it, but you will need to be extra careful!
The 4 keys to a good install are:
I really can’t separate these into a “priority order” as they are all equally important, so I’ll just explain them the best I can. Planning will consist of making sure your design included all the components to make your install go as smooth as possible. The all time installation stoppers are the “missing” pieces, the backordered ones or the pieces you forgot to order. If you ordered your kitchen from a box store make sure you order an extra filler or two, a sheet of ¾” x24” x 96” finished plywood and a touch up kit. You might even want to take this a bit further and order a pint or quart of matching stain and finish as well. Having a sheet with the applied finish as well as any additional components on hand at the time of the installation can be an indispensable asset.
Preparation is making sure you have all of the setup work done before you being the installation. In most cases if you are doing a direct swap out this would be limited to making minor sheet rook repairs. On major remodels this could include relocating walls, electrical lines, water supply lines, gas line and or plumbing lines. Having all this done before the time of installation is a must. There’s nothing like starting and realizing you forgot to move the electrical outlet or didn’t run the water line for your ice maker.
Tooling is making sure you have all the tools and equipment needed to do the job on hand at the time of the installation. You might need to rent, borrow or buy some tools, so you’d need to get that done as well. Tools you will need are levels (either manual, digital or laser), drill drivers straight and angled, clamps, chalk line, countersink and bore, hammer (pneumatic would be best), nail sets, ladders, saws (compound miter, circular, jig), caulking gun, utility knife, pry bar, shims and safety glasses just to name a few.
Execution refers to the entire process. How well you do each part will reflect in the jobs overall quality and effectiveness. Execution also touches on how well you actual do the work of installing the cabinetry. If you take your time, being deliberate and use the proper tools and techniques, the finished results will be stellar, if you don’t the finish product will reflect as much. Also make sure you set aside ample time to do the job. It’s better to estimate more time then less.
So assuming you’ve done your job with planning and preparation you should be ready to execute. All the prep work is completed and all the tools you will require are on the job. You have checked the cabinet delivery (twice) to make sure all the components to your kitchen have indeed been delivered and they were. Now you begin to unpack your cabinets to check for any damage. If everything is in good condition than you’re ready to install. If not, you’re going to need to contact the supplier and inform them of what is damaged.
Now don’t let yourself go crazy with every little nick or ding you find (you did order the touchup kit right?). Take a good look at where the damage is in relation to the other cabinets and the kitchen on a whole. Many times you’d be able to still use a damaged part because it’s concealed by another piece or it sits in a low visibility area.
The reason for having a bit of leeway with this is because it can take up to 4 weeks to get replacements for the damaged parts. That can really put a kink in your plans as I’m sure you’d guess. If things are really bad, like having broken cabinets, cracked doors or busted drawers than you’d just have no choice in replacing them, so the sooner you check, the sooner you can order them.
One note to keep in mind is that if the doors or drawer fronts of a cabinet are damaged and needs to be replaced, you can still install the cabinet. Doing so will not stop the progress of the installation as these components are always independent of the cabinet.
Best of luck with your projects and if you have any questions feel free to ask them here.
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