How To Hang Cabinets from a Sloped Ceiling

Plan the arrangement by drawing cabinets on a piece of paper in the desired order. Measure the width of each cabinet and note the measurements next to the drawings.

Use your plans to draw a series of lines onto the wall where you want to place the top of each cabinet. Use a straightedge and a pencil to position the line so that the full cabinet fits beneath the sloped ceiling, with one of the upper corners touching the lowest sloping point of the ceiling. Position each cabinet to create the impression of a staircase following the slope of the ceiling downward. Place the cabinets adjacent to each other and perpendicular to the floor. Use a carpenter’s level to ensure that your straightedge is even before drawing your lines.

Run a stud finder over the cabinet placement area to determine where each wall stud is. Watch the stud finder for an indicator light or listen for an indicator tone when it passes over a stud. Place a strip of masking tape vertically down the wall at each stud location. Make certain the strip of tape is long enough to extend beneath the cabinets so you can find the studs when fitting the cabinets to the wall.

Place each open cabinet onto the wall in the proper position according to your plan, using the drawn guideline to position the cabinet top beneath the sloped ceiling. Place the cabinet jack beneath the cabinet to hold it in place against the wall, and place a mark on the rear of the cabinet where the studs run through the wall. Place two marks per stud in the four corners of the cabinet.

Place the cabinet onto a work surface and use a 3/16-inch drill bit to drill holes through the rear of the cabinet at each marked location. Return the cabinet to the jack, and use the drilled holes as a guide to place pilot holes into the wall studs about 2 inches deep. Remove the masking tape from the walls.

Level the cabinet against the wall, if needed, by placing wood shims between the cabinet and the wall surface. Drive 2-1/2-inch deck screws through the cabinet and into the wall, placing a washer between the screw heads and the cabinet rear. Use the drill with a screw set attachment to screw the cabinet into place. Repeat the process with each cabinet.