The Selection of the Cabinets

• The first step in installing your own DIY kitchen base cabinets is to select the right models. Consider your existing cabinets and match them if you are not going to replace the wall cabinets. Not all base cabinets have to match the wall cabinets; darker-colored base cabinets often offset hanging wall cabinets and provide contrast. Measure the cabinets using a measuring tape to ensure they fit in the space provided by your kitchen. Depth, width and length should be considered.
  
  

Pre-installation

• Before the installation, remove existing base cabinets from the kitchen. Clear all remaining debris and attachments from the walls or floor using a crowbar and nail pry if necessary. Next inspect the walls for damage or remaining nails and screws and repair if necessary. If the base cabinets will be placed in the exact location as the existing cabinets, there is little more to do. If not, make sure the flooring, moldings and appliances will accommodate the new installation. It may be necessary to remove moldings where new cabinets will now be installed. It is also necessary to repair flooring where it will now be exposed.
  
  

Installation

• The installation of base cabinets requires a full assembly of the cabinets. Place them into position right up against the walls, one next to the other. Work from the corners out when possible and use a carpenter level to make sure each cabinet is as flush and straight as it can be both vertically and horizontally. If not, shim the cabinets with wood shims in the back and along the sides. If the cabinets are freestanding, secure them to 2-by-4 boards mounted to the flooring. It is not necessary to mount the cabinets to the wall with screws, but it provides a more secure installation. Screw the cabinets to studs in the walls located every 1 -inches, shimming the cabinets before you fully tighten the screws. Again, make sure they are flush with the wall and use a level to ensure they are straight.
  
  

Completing the Installation

• To complete the installation, mount a toe-kick to the bottom of the cabinets. This is a length of wood what fits along the front bottom of the cabinets and it is often painted black with a scuff resistant interior paint. Darker colors are easier to keep clean. However, a white melamine toe-kick can also be used. After the final installation, you are ready to mount the counter top to your base cabinets. This is a separate installation and requires measuring and cutting of a counter top material before installing.