# installing kitchen cabinets



## troubleseeker (Sep 25, 2006)

ncoppola09 said:


> We are in the process of gutting our entire house. In the kitchen, my father-in-law placed plywood on the 2 walls that will have upper and base cabinets instead of sheetrock. he claims it will be easier to nail the cabinets to. The remaining part of the wall will have the backsplash, he said he will put hardibacker/hardiboard for that. Does this sound like something he should do?? Plywood and no sheetrock??? there will obviously be sheetrock on the remaining walls that will have no cabinets. I have no clue about carpentry or home improvement and neither does my boyfriend, I am basically trusting his father to do this whole entire project and I just want to make sure he is not screwing anything up.


Just a lot of trouble for no reason in my opinion. You will still need to locate the studs, as the cabinets need to be fastened to more than 1/2"plywood. And I hope you are using the term "nail" as a generic word for fastening in your post. Cabinets are always hung with screws, never nailed in place, that will instantly void the factory warranty (as if it is worth much anyway). As for the tile backer board, it will not hurt anything for sure, but most kitchen backsplashes do not get wet enough to prevent using mastic and glueing the tile directly to moisture resistant sheetrock.


----------



## ncoppola09 (Dec 11, 2006)

Thanks trouble, I just knew he was doing something that sounded a little crazy with this plywood but unfortunately there's nothing I can do about this now, it's up there and no one is going to listen to me anyway. Now, last night he's looking at our blueprints for our kitchen. We got help from home depot to design the kitchen, they took the measurements and everything. Well, he has this stupid soffit so the range hood can be vented outside. So he puts up this soffit weeks ago b-4 we picked anything out for the kitchen its 15 1/2" deep and 12" long. Well we have crown molding on top of our wall cabinets so now he starts freaking out and saying we can't get it, he has to change the whole soffit blah, blah blah, well it's been paid for and ordered already. This guy has found something wrong with EVERYONE who has come to do work on our hous, we had new basement steps made, he made the guy come back b/c he said they were too steep (there was nothing wrong with them) he complains about the plumbers, he complains about the guy who put in our central air, he even tries to get digs in on my uncle who drives from connecticut to philadelphia on the saturdays to replace ALL of our electrical wires (they're 100 yrs old) and prun lines for us, put in all our fixtures-he thinks he's the only person who knows what he's doing. What the hell am I supposed to do? I NEVER wanted this house, he came with my boyfriend and i to look at it and told my boyfriend he'd be stupid not to buy it b/c it was sooo cheap b/c of all the work that had to be done. He knows my boyfriend can't do any of that work, he's not handy at all, the whole reason he came with us to look at the house is b/c he was the one that would be doing the work, I HATE this guy


----------



## Taurus2Va (Dec 20, 2006)

Tell your boyfriend either he goes or you do. A woman instinct is superior to any mans. Just ask my wife. She is always right and I HATE IT.


----------



## mikelombardy (Jan 3, 2007)

LOL! I agree fully with Taurusv2a !


----------



## KUIPORNG (Jan 11, 2006)

This is rather a interesting but true thing... I think you need to tell your husband to standup and give his opinion to his Dad... even he is not handy... he should be able to tell some of the things his Dad did or going to do is not right.... though for those other things may be his Dad is correct or doesn't matter ... let it go... but your husband really need to be do somthing here to show that he is the Boss of the house... although it is really you are the Boss....


----------



## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

troubleseeker said:


> Just a lot of trouble for no reason in my opinion. You will still need to locate the studs, as the cabinets need to be fastened to more than 1/2"plywood....


 
Absolutely right.

1/2" Plywood to support cabinets and the weight of items in them: :no: .... Won't do

If we have to fasten any kind of weight bearing shelves, cabinets, clothes rods, etc.....We always install 2x6's or wider, on the flat, between the studs....or make sure to solidly attach to the studs themselves.


----------



## rick32 (Aug 9, 2006)

*well hung*

sorry couldnt resist:thumbup: My wife and I are going to be hanging the upper cabnets today. Now ive never done this before. What type of screw should I use ? I was going to use 3" drywall screws but the guy we bought the cabnets from said I should use stainless because drywall screws are too brittle. I want them to be "well hung" so I dont care which way I do it. I want it to be done right the first time. Any thoughts from anyone on this matter?..............Rick


----------



## jbob (Nov 24, 2006)

Literally millions of cabinets have been installed with 3 inch
drywall screws. The only reason to use stainless is for the appearance.

If you use stainless, be sure to drill pilot holes in both the
cabinet and the backer behind it. Stainless aren't as brittle,
but the heads strip out ALOT easier then drywall screws.

Using square-drive stainless will minimize strip-out.


----------



## troubleseeker (Sep 25, 2006)

rick32 said:


> sorry couldnt resist:thumbup: My wife and I are going to be hanging the upper cabnets today. Now ive never done this before. What type of screw should I use ? I was going to use 3" drywall screws but the guy we bought the cabnets from said I should use stainless because drywall screws are too brittle. I want them to be "well hung" so I dont care which way I do it. I want it to be done right the first time. Any thoughts from anyone on this matter?..............Rick


And how much was he going to sell you the ss screws for ? :laughing: :laughing: He is technically correct that drywall screws are brittle, that is why the are not code approved for structural work, but I can't tell you how many thousands of them I've used in repairs and never been rejected by an inspector. And like previously said there are more cabinets hung with them that with anything else. The "cabinet " screws with large washer heads are nice because they are usually available with square drive heads; much nicer than phillips, and the better ones have an auger cut in the threads that make driving even easier. If drywalls are the best availability in your area, hang the cabs with no worries, unless you are using them to store your gold buillion :wink: .


----------

