Hanging Cabinets on a Bowed Wall

Inset Back Panel

• If cabinets are properly made with the back inset into the frame it is still possible to hang them evenly. Because a cabinetmaker does not know the circumstances of the wall, the cabinets' back cover cannot be on the outside of the frame, which leaves no room for a wall that is out of correct alignment. Careful measurement of the wall before the new cabinets are purchased will show how much, if any, of an inset back is needed to keep the cabinets straight.

Lining Cabinets Up

• Measure the horizontal and vertical lines for where the cabinets are to be installed as normal, temporarily ignoring any wall bows. Note afterward with penciled circles around the bows where you anticipate problems. An inward bow is not a problem unless it falls on a stud you are planning to use as a cabinet support. Line the cabinets up to find out whether the bow falls along the edge or the middle of a cabinet.

Outward Bulges

• If the outward bulge falls along the side of a cabinet, then you will have to shave the back edge with a wood plane to match the bulge. The distance the back panel is inset gives the tolerance that you can shave. For example, if the bulge measures 1/4 inch and the back panel is inset 1/2 inch, then you can shave 1/4 inch from the back edge and still have a complete side to the cabinet. If the bulge is in the middle of where the cabinet is to go, then the inset itself will allow the cabinet to be placed over it and cover the flaw.

Inward Bow

• An inward bow that falls on a support stud will need a shim to bring the wall to level so that the supporting screws will not disform the cabinet as the screws are tightened. A shim is a small piece of wood, usually made from scrap wood that a carpenter uses to fill in missing space. A shim is made that corresponds to the depth of the bow and glued over the drywall at the point where the screw will enter. The shim prevents the screw from forcing that part of the cabinet into the bow as the screw connects to the stud.