Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - Cabinet Replacement Plans
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Timinindy
11-11-06, 11:09 PM
I purchased new cabinets and a counter nearly a year ago, and I'm finally about ready to put them in now that I have completed some other projects. I bought standard unfinished oak cabinets and a prefab laminate counter from the big box store. I'm reviewing my drawings from a year ago and I have a few design questions I thought you folks could help me with.
The main wall is a fairly simple design: a 96" counter, with a 36" sink base, a 30" lower cabinet on the left, a new dishwasher on the right, two 30" x 30" upper cabinets, and a 36" x 15" in between over the sink. I will need to build an L-shaped piece to the right of the dishwasher to support the end of the cabinet. I'm leaning towards 4" tiles on the wall above the counter backsplash.
Questions I have at this stage:
1) After I tear out the existing cabinets, I was planning on putting up some drywall (greenboard) on the entire wall to square things up a little. The house is 58 years old and I have found that nothing is completely plumb, square, or level. The existing wall is a framed wall that has 1 x 10 wood planks. I figured I would leave the planks in place and drywall over them, as removing them will likely cause some movement here or there. Most of the planks have been cut out under the counter, and I can cut out more if I need to to get the drywall flat. The question is, if I am installing the cabinets and counter flush to my new wall, should I install my new tiles on that new wall and have them protrude above the counter backsplash? If it would look better or be easier to have them behind the backsplash and the upper cabinets, I have some leftover 1/4" Hardibacker I could use instead of the 1/2 drywall for this area. Which way do the pros do it?
2) What's the standard height between the counter top and the bottom of the upper cabinets?
3) My L-shaped support on the end needs to be roughly 6" x 24". I was planning to use 3/4" plywood on the end and a piece of 1" x 6" dimensional oak for the front, with the 1/8" oak veneer over the plywood; with a 2 x 4 frame. However, I was told that plywood will warp less than dimensional lumber and this is right next to the dishwasher. Will I be better off making both sides of the L out of plywood with veneer over all of it? This would call for a trickier corner, whereas the 1 x 6 could stick out like the corners on the cabinets do. I'm finishing all the wood with stain and polyurethane.
The main wall is a fairly simple design: a 96" counter, with a 36" sink base, a 30" lower cabinet on the left, a new dishwasher on the right, two 30" x 30" upper cabinets, and a 36" x 15" in between over the sink. I will need to build an L-shaped piece to the right of the dishwasher to support the end of the cabinet. I'm leaning towards 4" tiles on the wall above the counter backsplash.
Questions I have at this stage:
1) After I tear out the existing cabinets, I was planning on putting up some drywall (greenboard) on the entire wall to square things up a little. The house is 58 years old and I have found that nothing is completely plumb, square, or level. The existing wall is a framed wall that has 1 x 10 wood planks. I figured I would leave the planks in place and drywall over them, as removing them will likely cause some movement here or there. Most of the planks have been cut out under the counter, and I can cut out more if I need to to get the drywall flat. The question is, if I am installing the cabinets and counter flush to my new wall, should I install my new tiles on that new wall and have them protrude above the counter backsplash? If it would look better or be easier to have them behind the backsplash and the upper cabinets, I have some leftover 1/4" Hardibacker I could use instead of the 1/2 drywall for this area. Which way do the pros do it?
2) What's the standard height between the counter top and the bottom of the upper cabinets?
3) My L-shaped support on the end needs to be roughly 6" x 24". I was planning to use 3/4" plywood on the end and a piece of 1" x 6" dimensional oak for the front, with the 1/8" oak veneer over the plywood; with a 2 x 4 frame. However, I was told that plywood will warp less than dimensional lumber and this is right next to the dishwasher. Will I be better off making both sides of the L out of plywood with veneer over all of it? This would call for a trickier corner, whereas the 1 x 6 could stick out like the corners on the cabinets do. I'm finishing all the wood with stain and polyurethane.
cobradude1965
11-13-06, 05:27 AM
upper cabinets are 54 from the floor and drywall from the floor up to the ceiling.
twelvepole
11-13-06, 09:08 PM
Tile is usually installed above the backsplash in the backsplash area.
Draw a level line across the wall where base cabinets are to be installed at 34 1/2 inches above the finished floor. This will put the top of your countertop at a standard 36 inches. The distance between the counter and the bottom of the upper cabinets is typically 18 inches. With a 4" backsplash that leaves 14" backsplash area. Install wall cabinets first at 84" at top from the floor if installing 30" tall walls. You can draw a level line to mark the 84" for the top of the wall cabinets.
Depending upon manufacturer a 6" dishwasher end panel can be purchased for the 6" gap to support the counter. Or a 3" end panel for both sides. The stile on the end panel can be scribed and sanded or trimmed to meet the wall.
In kitchens where walls are not plumb or out of square or wavy, shims are often used as is scribing of drywall or belt sanding. If floors are not flat, shims may have to be used beneath base cabinets to maintain levelness. When installing countertops, again walls may have to be scribed, backsplash belt sanded to rest flat against wall.
Plywood is more dimensionally stable than solid wood. There is typically no warpage of adjacent cabinetry near dishwasher. If using plastic laminate top, it is recommended that you seal with a couple coats of polyurethane the exposed particleboard on the underside in areas that will be exposed to moisture, especially under the lip in front of sink and dishwasher.
Draw a level line across the wall where base cabinets are to be installed at 34 1/2 inches above the finished floor. This will put the top of your countertop at a standard 36 inches. The distance between the counter and the bottom of the upper cabinets is typically 18 inches. With a 4" backsplash that leaves 14" backsplash area. Install wall cabinets first at 84" at top from the floor if installing 30" tall walls. You can draw a level line to mark the 84" for the top of the wall cabinets.
Depending upon manufacturer a 6" dishwasher end panel can be purchased for the 6" gap to support the counter. Or a 3" end panel for both sides. The stile on the end panel can be scribed and sanded or trimmed to meet the wall.
In kitchens where walls are not plumb or out of square or wavy, shims are often used as is scribing of drywall or belt sanding. If floors are not flat, shims may have to be used beneath base cabinets to maintain levelness. When installing countertops, again walls may have to be scribed, backsplash belt sanded to rest flat against wall.
Plywood is more dimensionally stable than solid wood. There is typically no warpage of adjacent cabinetry near dishwasher. If using plastic laminate top, it is recommended that you seal with a couple coats of polyurethane the exposed particleboard on the underside in areas that will be exposed to moisture, especially under the lip in front of sink and dishwasher.