Interior cabinet hanging

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Nov 23, 2021
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I am getting ready to install 3 36" wood wall cabinets on a sheetrock wall in our laundry room. My plan was to run a 2x4 horizontally along the wall as my helper and then screw the back of the cabinets to the wall studs best I can. Any install hints? I have the correct cabinet screws but have no idea how many to use or when to drill through on the cabinets. I was going to use my kitchen cabinets as a source of reference.
 
Sometimes cabinets are hung on metal cleats along the wall. In those cases a small screw is often used to keep the cabinet from flopping.
Are the back of your new ones flush or do the sides protrude?
You don't want the back of the cabinet to bow outward, towards the wall. Be ready to place a shim at each fastener.

Also, are you going to the ceiling or leaving a gap?
 
The people that hung the cabinets in my kitchen used drywall anchors to attach the 1x4 hanger to the wall. Then the cabinets to that. Scary!

There were no studs in the wall. Just a piece of drywall screwed to the top plate and that was it. I discovered that while working on the bathroom wall on the other side. That was a surprise! Removed the cabinets, blew out the wall that night and reframed the next morning.
 
Ideally 2 studs per cabinet, 2 screws into each stud for 4 total screws per cabinet. There should be at a minimum a flush portion top and bottom on the back of the cabinet for the screws. Also make sure to screw the face places together assuming you're mounting them in a row...must predrill for these.
 
there are prolly some you tube how to's, there is usually a thicker "board" at the top of cabinet so predrill it + scru into studding + depending on how heavy contents + cabinets are should be a guide + screwing the styles-front sides together is good + if fussy screw under the hinges after removal. of course keep them level
 
My cabinets have plywood boxes and I mounted them with screws through the plaster, directly into the wall studs. No horizontal cleats. Shims are a carpenters best friend.

Be careful about any plumbing or electrical in the wall.
 
Ideally 2 studs per cabinet, 2 screws into each stud for 4 total screws per cabinet. There should be at a minimum a flush portion top and bottom on the back of the cabinet for the screws. Also make sure to screw the face places together assuming you're mounting them in a row...must predrill for these.
The only way I have ever seen cabinets installed. Never heard of them being installed any other way.
 
Buy a good stud finder if you don't have one.
I have Franklin Sensors M50 recommended in this forum.
I bought mine at HF when they still have the 20% off coupon but it is available in a lot of places including Amazon.
 
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Some times you can only put one screw into a cabinet due to stud location. Use smaller screws to attach each cabinet to each other (on the sides) and use clamps to hold the front of the cabinets together. I use 3 to 3 1/2 inch screws to attach the back of the cabinets to the studs.
 
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Funny we just put up new cabinets in a house my brothers and I inherited. As noted sometimes you can only hit a single stud, so we put 3x screws in there (full plywood backs, no particular hanging boards). 2.5" is sufficient and reduces likelihood of hitting a wire that's routed through the middle of a stud. GRK torx drive cabinet screws.

And yes connecting the faces is also proper practice. Clamp them together, pre-drill as long as you can, and run those same cabinet screws from one to the other. Carefully shim in the back and you can get them nice and flush.

The other trick (I'm not sure it's really a trick, just good practice) is to locate the studs and then pre-drill your holes in the back of the cabinet to match. Turn the screws in a wee bit, get the cabinet up, and then run a couple of them in not quite tight. If you did it right they'll be in the studs and now it'll hang safely while you get it level. Then tighten 'em up.

And I'll throw in a recommendation for small tools - been using my Makita 12v driver for this job, a larger tool simply would not fit in many instances, and in every instance would be bigger and heavier than necessary. Smaller is better for this sort of job

jeff
 
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