Major kitchen cabinet install gap problem? (w/pics)
 

"David F. Eisan" wrote in message
...
Hello everyone,

I made the mistake of installing all my cabinets level and true in a
kitchen that is anything but.

The old cabinets were pushed flush with the ceiling and had quarter round
between them and the ceiling. Things rolled around in the old cabinets.

I now have the dilemma of how to fix this random gap between the tops of
my cabinets and the ceiling. In some places the cabinets touch the ceiling
and in other places there is a 3/4" gap. The face frame exposure above the
doors is about 7/8".

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/cabprob1.jpg

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/cabprob2.jpg

Hindsight tells me I should have figured out the difference in level in
the ceiling and made the face frames and side panels large enough to allow
for scribing.

Any ideas how to fill the gap? Somehow I don't think caulk and paint is
the answer. Neither is fixing the ceiling an option.

I am trying to think of some sort of trim design/style that I can put up
there to fix things that won't look all stupid being made of various
widths. I was thinking of making some sort of trim starting with a min
height of 1/2" where the cabinets are flush, expanding to 1-1/4" at the
worst gap. Add to this the fact that I deliberately made the face frame
sides proud of the side panels, and that issue needs to be dealt with
(mitre, mitre, mitre, another mitre, mitre, mitre, another mitre....).

I am thinking 1/2" trim with maybe a 3/8" quarter round with bead on both
sides to mimic the doors. In order to do this with speed. I would prepaint
the trim, scribe it and hang it with 23g pins

To make matters worse, time is seriously of the essence. I take possession
of my new house in a little over three weeks and I really need to get this
done ASAP!

Finishing the kitchen is one of the many jobs that needed to be done last
month :(.

I think the cabs are out of square.. ;~)

Seriously, think about a "crown type" molding that attaches to the fir down
above the cabinets and extends down deep enough to cover the gaps. Then use
a smaller molding to close the "hopefully more consistent gap" between the
bottom of the crown and the cabinet face frame.
Basically, don't try to fill the gap, cover it up like a base board molding
covers the gap between the floor and the wall.

Major kitchen cabinet install gap problem? (w/pics)
 

"Leon" wrote in
et:


"David F. Eisan" wrote in message
...
snip
To make matters worse, time is seriously of the essence. I take
possession of my new house in a little over three weeks and I really
need to get this done ASAP!

Finishing the kitchen is one of the many jobs that needed to be done
last month :(.

I think the cabs are out of square.. ;~)

Seriously, think about a "crown type" molding that attaches to the fir
down above the cabinets and extends down deep enough to cover the
gaps. Then use a smaller molding to close the "hopefully more
consistent gap" between the bottom of the crown and the cabinet face
frame. Basically, don't try to fill the gap, cover it up like a base
board molding covers the gap between the floor and the wall.


I think Leon's right. Finish carpentry has to deal with this all of the
time. The trick is to get it done effectively and quickly.

Don't you have a customer at the shop you can sub this to? Seems like 2
hours to a pro, and two Saturdays to a guy in your shoes.

Houses may start out square and plumb, maybe, but they almost never stay
that way.

Patriarch

Major kitchen cabinet install gap problem? (w/pics)
 

"Patriarch" wrote in message
. 136...

Houses may start out square and plumb, maybe,


Seldom, really.

Major kitchen cabinet install gap problem? (w/pics)
 

David F. Eisan wrote:
Hello everyone,

I made the mistake of installing all my cabinets level and true in a kitchen
that is anything but.

The old cabinets were pushed flush with the ceiling and had quarter round
between them and the ceiling. Things rolled around in the old cabinets.

I now have the dilemma of how to fix this random gap between the tops of my
cabinets and the ceiling. In some places the cabinets touch the ceiling and
in other places there is a 3/4" gap. The face frame exposure above the doors
is about 7/8".

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/cabprob1.jpg

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/cabprob2.jpg

Hindsight tells me I should have figured out the difference in level in the
ceiling and made the face frames and side panels large enough to allow for
scribing.

Any ideas how to fill the gap? Somehow I don't think caulk and paint is the
answer. Neither is fixing the ceiling an option.

I am trying to think of some sort of trim design/style that I can put up
there to fix things that won't look all stupid being made of various widths.
I was thinking of making some sort of trim starting with a min height of
1/2" where the cabinets are flush, expanding to 1-1/4" at the worst gap. Add
to this the fact that I deliberately made the face frame sides proud of the
side panels, and that issue needs to be dealt with (mitre, mitre, mitre,
another mitre, mitre, mitre, another mitre....).

I am thinking 1/2" trim with maybe a 3/8" quarter round with bead on both
sides to mimic the doors. In order to do this with speed. I would prepaint
the trim, scribe it and hang it with 23g pins

To make matters worse, time is seriously of the essence. I take possession
of my new house in a little over three weeks and I really need to get this
done ASAP!

Finishing the kitchen is one of the many jobs that needed to be done last
month :(.

Taking down the cabinets and building the soffit down to a level line,
and then reinstalling the cabinets, would take at most a day. That's
using setting type joint compound and taking the requisite number of
breaks to step back and admire your work. This would be the slowest
(by a couple or three hours) but most factory solution.

Your trim option seems workable, but not having a real idea of the
size of the discrepancies, I can't tell for sure. This, of course,
would probably be the fastest and easiest option. Also probably the
least likely to look factory. You're working with small trim and fair
sized gaps - something will look off.

Another option, and I'm not necessarily sold on this one, would be to
use low-expanding foam (protecting adjoining surfaces first of
course), slicing it back flush with the face of the cabinet, then
spackling and painting. That might be the fastest and look factory,
but I haven't experimented do such things to provide a smooth
transition to a wall surface while filling a substantial gap.

R

Major kitchen cabinet install gap problem? (w/pics)
 

Hello everyone,

I made the mistake of installing all my cabinets level and true in a kitchen
that is anything but.

The old cabinets were pushed flush with the ceiling and had quarter round
between them and the ceiling. Things rolled around in the old cabinets.

I now have the dilemma of how to fix this random gap between the tops of my
cabinets and the ceiling. In some places the cabinets touch the ceiling and
in other places there is a 3/4" gap. The face frame exposure above the doors
is about 7/8".

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/cabprob1.jpg

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/cabprob2.jpg

Hindsight tells me I should have figured out the difference in level in the
ceiling and made the face frames and side panels large enough to allow for
scribing.

Any ideas how to fill the gap? Somehow I don't think caulk and paint is the
answer. Neither is fixing the ceiling an option.

I am trying to think of some sort of trim design/style that I can put up
there to fix things that won't look all stupid being made of various widths.
I was thinking of making some sort of trim starting with a min height of
1/2" where the cabinets are flush, expanding to 1-1/4" at the worst gap. Add
to this the fact that I deliberately made the face frame sides proud of the
side panels, and that issue needs to be dealt with (mitre, mitre, mitre,
another mitre, mitre, mitre, another mitre....).

I am thinking 1/2" trim with maybe a 3/8" quarter round with bead on both
sides to mimic the doors. In order to do this with speed. I would prepaint
the trim, scribe it and hang it with 23g pins

To make matters worse, time is seriously of the essence. I take possession
of my new house in a little over three weeks and I really need to get this
done ASAP!

Finishing the kitchen is one of the many jobs that needed to be done last
month :(.

HELP!

David

Major kitchen cabinet install gap problem? (w/pics)
 

"David F. Eisan" wrote...
I made the mistake of installing all my cabinets level and true in a kitchen
that is anything but.
...
To make matters worse, time is seriously of the essence. I take possession
of my new house in a little over three weeks and I really need to get this
done ASAP!

IMO, the fastest & easiest fix that will still look good is:

Make a molding similar to a shoe molding - 1/4" thk X 1-1/2" high with a radius on one edge. Prepaint, scribe to fit, and nail with pins as you suggested. Should look fine, they'll never know, etc.

Making the molding as dainty as possible will help keep it from being noticable.

For the sides, make the molding thicker to compensate for the faceframe offset, and undercut it where it goes over the faceframe edge, so the thickness at the faceframe edge is the same as the thickness at the fronts of the cabinets.


--
Timothy Juvenal
www.tjwoodworking.com

Major kitchen cabinet install gap problem? (w/pics)
 

"David F. Eisan" wrote in message
...
Hello everyone,

I made the mistake of installing all my cabinets level and true in a
kitchen that is anything but.

The old cabinets were pushed flush with the ceiling and had quarter round
between them and the ceiling. Things rolled around in the old cabinets.

I now have the dilemma of how to fix this random gap between the tops of
my cabinets and the ceiling. In some places the cabinets touch the ceiling
and in other places there is a 3/4" gap. The face frame exposure above the
doors is about 7/8".

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/cabprob1.jpg

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/cabprob2.jpg

Hindsight tells me I should have figured out the difference in level in
the ceiling and made the face frames and side panels large enough to allow
for scribing.

Any ideas how to fill the gap? Somehow I don't think caulk and paint is
the answer. Neither is fixing the ceiling an option.

I am trying to think of some sort of trim design/style that I can put up
there to fix things that won't look all stupid being made of various
widths. I was thinking of making some sort of trim starting with a min
height of 1/2" where the cabinets are flush, expanding to 1-1/4" at the
worst gap. Add to this the fact that I deliberately made the face frame
sides proud of the side panels, and that issue needs to be dealt with
(mitre, mitre, mitre, another mitre, mitre, mitre, another mitre....).

I am thinking 1/2" trim with maybe a 3/8" quarter round with bead on both
sides to mimic the doors. In order to do this with speed. I would prepaint
the trim, scribe it and hang it with 23g pins

To make matters worse, time is seriously of the essence. I take possession
of my new house in a little over three weeks and I really need to get this
done ASAP!

Finishing the kitchen is one of the many jobs that needed to be done last
month :(.

HELP!

David


I would start with a flat piece of trim, like screen mold, and hold it up
there to see how it looks. Don't do anything that scars the fir downs (sp?)
until you settle on what you want. Try different moldings until you find
what looks right. A 1/4"X1" flat molding, painted to match the cabinets
probably won't be noticeable. A molding that attracts attention is not
something I would do.

Major kitchen cabinet install gap problem? (w/pics)
 

On Wed, 4 Jul 2007 22:10:01 -0700, "David F. Eisan"
wrote:

I now have the dilemma of how to fix this random gap between the tops of my
cabinets and the ceiling. In some places the cabinets touch the ceiling and
in other places there is a 3/4" gap. The face frame exposure above the doors
is about 7/8".

My suggestion would be to use a piece of molding (maybe base turned
upside down) or something from stock that you make to your own design.
Rip it to the width of your largest gap plus enough more to nail to
the cabinets. Scribe as you go maintaining the same reveal between
your molding and the cabinet doors. Paint and most people will never
notice.
I would not use one application on top of another to remedy this
problem. While that solution might look better on a fairly straight
soffit, more layers will accent your problem as the lines will move
closer to the soffit.

Mike O.