Getting Started

Start with a straight, level ledger

To get started, locate all the wall studs. Then use a level to draw a continuous line on the wall marking the position of the lower edge of each cabinet. If you make this line perfectly straight and level, your cabinet and countertop installation will go quickly and smoothly. If your cabinets are 30 in. tall, place the line 4-1/2 in. from the floor to end up with a standard countertop height of 36 in. Keep in mind that many garage floors slope for drainage. To deal with the slope of our garage floor, we measured up 4-1/2 in. at the middle of the wall. That gave us a 3-1/2-in. height at the high end and 5-1/2 in. at the low end.

Next, screw 1x2s along the level line to create the ledger that supports the cabinets.

Reader's Digest Ledger that supports the cabinets

Fasten the ledger with 2-1/2-in. screws. You can make the ledger continuous, but the final project will look better if you place the ledger only where you’ll later place cabinets.

Set cabinets on the ledger

Reader's Digest Screwing the cabinets to the wall

Remove the cabinet doors to make installation easier. Also drill shelf support holes in those cabinets that will support open shelves. Then simply rest each cabinet on the ledger and screw them to the wall studs using special cabinet screws (available at home centers).

Drive at least two screws at the top and two at the bottom of each cabinet. With narrow cabinets that don’t span two studs, use toggle bolts. When a cabinet is screwed into place, hold a level upright against the front. Chances are, you’ll have to loosen screws and insert shims behind the top or bottom to make the cabinet plumb.

Our plan included cabinets with open shelf spaces between and a few cabinets that were joined together. Cabinet bolts (available at home centers) are the best way to join cabinets like ours. Screws would easily pull out of the thin particleboard sides. With face-frame cabinets, you can simply screw the face frames together.

Cut down and beef up the countertops

Cut your countertops to width. We cut ours 16 in. wide. The cut doesn’t have to be perfect since the backsplash will hide it. Next, cut the countertops to length (or adjust the spacing between cabinets, as we did). If the cut end will be exposed, this cut has to be straight and smooth, so clamp a straightedge to the countertop to guide your saw.

Reader's Digest Cutting the counterop

The countertop will bridge open spaces between cabinets, so strengthen it with a 3/4-in. plywood backing. The plywood also allows you to form strong “half-lap” joints at mitered corners. You can’t join miters as usual using draw bolts because the bolt slots aren’t accessible from inside the cabinets. Before you set the countertops in place, screw 1x2 ledgers between cabinets. To fasten the countertops, drive screws into the countertops from underneath at the front and back of each cabinet.