How to Install American Woodmark Cabinets

Prepare the area for the cabinets by cleaning the floor with sweeping and vacuuming. Cap off the water pipes and any gas lines after turning off any water, gas or electrical power to the area. Open the boxes in which the cabinets were shipped, and check to make sure your order is complete and matches your kitchen plan.

Transfer the cabinet plan to the walls by tracing the basic outlines of the cabinets in the appropriate areas. For instance, if you plan to install a short cabinet between two tall cabinets, mark the cabinets’ positions on the wall with a pencil. Use a tape measure to determine the position of each cabinet.

Leave a space of 19 1/2 inches between the lower cabinets and the upper cabinets. Draw a bottom positioning line across the wall for the top cabinets. Use a level to make sure the line is straight. Don’t measure from the floor because floors tend to sag over the years. Measure from the ceiling instead. Mark the position of the studs by using a stud finder. Install a temporary scrap board to hold the base of the top cabinets even until you install them.

Install the top cabinets by starting in a corner and working across the kitchen. Screw through the supports in the back of the cabinet into the studs behind the wall, using 2-inch cabinet screws and an electric drill. Clamp each cabinet to its neighbor temporarily and use shims to level the cabinets in place. Remove the scrap board and clamps after you install all the upper cabinets.

Install the bottom cabinets also starting in the corner of the room. Use shims if necessary to straighten the cabinets along the floor and back wall, checking with a level before sinking screws into the wall studs. Drill holes in the backs or bottoms of the cabinets to make room for the water, gas and electric lines as needed.

Screw cabinets together if there are no studs behind them. Use clamps to hold the sides together evenly, and drill pilot holes for the wood screws. After screwing the cabinets together, remove the clamps.

Wait until you have your countertop and sink installed before reattaching the cabinet doors. This will make it easier for the technicians to gain access inside the cabinets.