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Installing kitchen cabinets is time consuming, but you can do it yourself if you follow the manufacturer’s instructions correctly. These are some directions that will help you as well:

1. Draw a line that is perfectly parallel across the wall 3 inches from the floor, using a pencil and level. The floor may have a high point and you can find it by measuring down to the floor from the line you drew. You should mark a line at the high point. To identify the top of the base cabinets, measure up 34 ½ inches from the line you marked.

2. Draw a level line across the wall to designate the bottom of the wall cabinets by measuring up another 19 ½ inches from the 34 ½ line you marked. Using a pencil, mark the cabinets’ measurements and placement lightly on the wall in order to double check your intended layout.

3. Using a stud finder, locate the wall studs and using a pencil, indicate their locations above and 6 inches below the line you drew for the bottom of the wall cabinets. To identify the center of the studs, draw straight vertical lines between the top and bottom marks you made.

4. Using screws, attach a temporary 1-by-3 support rail to the wall. Then align the top edge of the rail with the line you drew to indicate the bottom edge of the wall cabinets.

5. Using someone to help you, first install the corner wall cabinet. Through the back of the cabinet or its support rail, drill pilot holes into the wall studs. Use two screws that are long enough to penetrate through the cabinet back into the studs by 1 ½ inches to screw the cabinet to the wall. Make sure the top is level and front edge is plumb. If you have to adjust the cabinets, unscrew the screws part way and tap shims behind the cabinet at the location of the studs. After you have made the adjustment, drive the screws completely in and put several more into each stud to make sure the cabinet is attached securely.

6. The adjacent cabinets are installed next. Secure one cabinet to the one next to it with a clamp and make sure it is plumb. When cabinets have face frames, it is better to drill two 1/8 inch pilot holes all the way through the sides of the face frame, using screws. If the cabinets have no frames, you can drill holes for bolts through the shelf-peg holes and fasten the two together. You will need shelf-pegs for shelves, so be careful you do not fasten through the ones you will need for that purpose.

7. When you are finished installing the wall cabinets, you can install the corner or end base cabinet. Utilize shims to level the cabinet and lift it up to the high point of the floor that you marked and make sure the upper cabinet edge lines up with the line on the wall. After you make sure the cabinet is level from front to back and from side to side, you can use screws to fasten it to the wall studs.

8. When you have to turn a corner with base cabinets, clamp the base cabinet and the cabinet next to it together. If you need to allow drawers and doors clearance, you can use a filler strip. If you have to adjust for level and plumb, you can tap shims under and behind the cabinet.

9. After you have the shims in place, secure screws through the shims and the cabinet back into the wall studs, keeping in mind the screws should be at least 1 ½ inches into the wall studs. You can trim excess material from the shims, using a knife or sharp chisel. The adjoining cabinets should be installed using the previous directions.