On Saturday, December 5, 2015 at 2:16:24 PM UTC-6, -MIKE- wrote:
Makes perfect sense and more sense than sticking to level by the letter
of the law.
I think I've done similarly in past without thinking about it in such
great depth. I always called it splitting the difference.
To me, that's the difference between a pro and a handyman. A handyman will bust his butt trying to hang/set cabinets that are perfectly level and plumb, and if the walls and ceilings aren't, they get a poor install. When I see an install (from "professionals" too, have no doubt) that have gaps, non symmetric details, poor margin controls, etc. it bothers me a lot for them to explain to me that "the walls were out of plumb" so their poor work couldn't be helped. All they know is the level/plumb.
You won't notice an entire structure being 1/2" off level over
15', but you'll *definitely* see the crown sloping down the cabinets
headers.
In most of these old houses or buildings is is all about splitting the difference. If I hung some really nice cabinets and my clients saw ugly trim details and gaps, they absolutely would not care about me proving to them that MY installation was plumb and level.
Clarification: when you say "valance" is that what I call a soffit?
The framed up box on the ceiling, covered with drywall, used to fill the
space between the top of your cabinets and the ceiling?
Yes. Soffits are usually outside. In most cases, these are actually blocked out areas used as a chase to hold pipes, wires, maybe down lights, etc. In the old days, these were the square framed up box that grandma hung her plates on above the cabinets.
So these 12" strips running the length of the wall, at the top and
bottom of the cabinets, are essentially acting as exterior blocking.
That's where you would normally run 2x's on the inside of the wall,
notched into the studs. Do you glue these also?
We misfired. Probably my poor writing skills.
Let's call the bottom blocks or solid wood boards what they are in framing vernacular, ledgers. These ledgers are not permanent, but they hold the cabinets in place until they are lined straight, then attached one another and secured to the wall. They are removed after that. There are no top blocks/ledgers, even temporary.
Sometimes I hang cabs by myself, sometimes with someone else helping. Regardless, I do it the same way. Mounting a 12" 2X4 block where the center of a cabinet will fall allows me to pick the cabinet up, set it on the block, climb the ladder and shoot a screw in the top to hold the cabinet in place.. Two screws (not fully driven up) holds the cabinet in place until I can get all of them up on the wall. So the cabinet is being held by a couple of screws at the top, and sitting on a temp block that was screwed to a stud..
I get the cabinets straight, but not perfect by applying the long wedges. I screw the stiles together, one screw under the top hinge, one screw above the bottom hinge. Colored caps are used to cover the screw heads later at the end of the install.
Once I have the faces secured, I use the wedges as needed to get the cabinets to string line straight, then secure them to the wall by driving all screws up, shooting a brad in the wedges, then cutting them off. I remove the temp ledger blocks, the fill them with a wedge if needed, brad the wedges, then cut them off.
So when finished, the cabinets are screwed to the wall, to the backing whatever that might be, whether is it a plywood backing, solid 2x blocking under sheet rock (preferred).
I took a few minutes at lunch today to scribble off a couple of drawings to clarify:
http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/...psob1i2uvv.jpg
http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/...psue6ndmcg.jpg
They are down and dirty, but hopefully good enough to get the point across.
Just curious why you're happy with this for taller cabs.
A longer wedge provides greater bearing surface, and then reduces movement.
So you also use trim screws to join adjacent stiles. I've seem some who
will use screws just behind the face frame through the box into the
adjoining box. I think I like going stile-to-stile (even if it means
some putty in the hole) because it won't warp the cabinet sides.
I put a screw under the tops hinge and over the bottom hinge to pull the stiles tight. Sometimes I cap the screws with plastic caps, sometimes I paint the heads, and sometimes I color them with marker. I use large (Deckmate) 3" screws. I countersink them carefully, and since they are right next to the hinges, they look like they are part of the mechanical system. Unless you have heavy carcass cabs, screwing through the sides is of little value..
That being said, I also use longer screws if I need to, and have been known more than once to screw a large upper to a valance or ceiling through the stiles to keep them from sagging. Nothing is safe from me when I have my drill, countersinks, the correct bit and a pile of screws.
snipped
I love the idea of those wider shims.
This floor is already finished hardwood, which covers the entire floor
so I guess any adhesive will do.
Stick with PL400. It is a proven winner, and it has enough solvents in it to bite into finished materials (like your floor) and will work when the surfaces aren't perfectly clean. When I do a kitchen, I always think I should have bought stock in that company!
One other thing!! Are there any newer techniques for securing
peninsulas to the floor?
Not that I know of. You might see if you can get Karl to chime in on this one as he has done a couple or three projects lately IIRC, that have peninsulas. I do them the way I always have, and that is to trace the base of the unit out on the floor when it is in position. I mark back the thickness of the kicks and strike a line. I use 1/4"X3" or 1/4"X 3 1/2" metal tap ins to secure cleats to the concrete floor. Yes, I put PL400 underneath the cleats as it waterproofs my fasteners. Then put the cabinet in place and screw it through the kicks into the cleats. If the kicks aren't sturdy enough, I add 2X4 behind them and adjust the position of my cleats accordingly, and screw the whole shebang together.
Robert