How to hang cabinets on the wall

When decorating a kitchen, placing wall cabinets is one of the most important jobs. The process itself is not difficult, but requires a competent approach. Here it is important not only to create the most functional space, but also to ensure safety. Indeed, these modules store dishes, products, which together exert a significant weight load on the fasteners. Therefore, it is important to know exactly how to hang kitchen cabinets on the wall correctly. To create reliable fasteners, it is necessary to take into account the thickness of the walls, choose the appropriate fittings, working tools, furniture materials, and observe all technological stages.

Required materials and tools

Having determined how to hang cabinets in the kitchen, you need to prepare all the accessories you need to work. You won't need a lot of tools. But to install a reliable fastening, to ensure an even arrangement of the cabinets, you should use all the necessary devices for accurate marking and installation of fasteners.

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You will need the following set:

• the most important detail is the electric drill;
• screwdriver;
• several types of attachments for drills and screwdrivers;
• water (or laser) level;
• roulette;
• square;
• a pencil for marking;
• knife;
• hammer;
• hacksaw for metal;
• screwdrivers;
• clamps;
• fastening accessories;
• screws, nails;
• additional devices for drilling walls;
• intersection screeds;
• open-end keys.

Requirements for kitchen furniture

The placement of the kitchen unit should provide the most functional organization of the space. The following requirements are imposed on wall cabinets:

• the accessibility of the level of the upper shelf, therefore, the cabinets are placed at such a height that they can freely reach the objects on it;
• a good location from an aesthetic point of view and the absence of interference with the functioning of household appliances (gas equipment, ventilation, etc.);
• fasteners must be strong enough to withstand heavy loads.

Selection of fittings for fastening and preparation of walls

Most manufacturers do not include fasteners in the furniture set. It is believed that the specialists performing the installation should know the best option, who themselves determine on the spot how to properly hang kitchen cabinets on the wall. Because the choice of fixing accessories largely depends on the type of walls. Some of them are more durable, while others have a porous structure that requires additional reinforcement.

Optimal fasteners for various types of walls

• For mounting furniture on wooden bases, hardened self-tapping screws are suitable. If such a wall can withstand a small shelf, then for heavy cabinets, special profiles with bars should be placed under the casing, and then fasteners should be mounted in these places.
• For brick or concrete bases, dowels, plastic fasteners, metal bolts are suitable. To make the structure more reliable, planks are placed on the wall - then the loads will be more uniform.
• Walls made of foam concrete are not strong enough because they have a porous structure. For them, you need to choose special long dowels, install the rails on several self-tapping screws, and make 3-4 fasteners on the cabinets in order to distribute the load more evenly. Chemical anchors with special capsules are also used. When the capsules break during installation, the substance in them is absorbed into the wall and reinforces this area.

There is a wide choice of hinged fittings produced now - from types that have been used for decades to the latest inventions. All are divided into 2 main methods of installation: one with the help of fasteners and hinges, the other with the use of hinges and metal rails.

Types of fasteners

• Furniture hinge. The method was widely used back in Soviet times. This is a solid metal plate with a loop (round, rectangular, etc.) and 2-3 holes for screwing it to furniture. The hinge clings to the anchor in the wall. An almost snug fit of the cabinet to the base is ensured. In this case, the markings on the wall must be made especially accurate. You can move the cabinets a little horizontally if the hinges are with rectangular ears.
• Hanging corner. Similar to the previous type of fastening, only the shape is in the form of a corner. Also the old time-tested method. The corner is attached through a drilled hole in the top cover of the cabinet using a bolt and nut.
• Rack with hinge. New, but quite common way. This option is especially helpful where the walls are made of soft materials (plasterboard, foam blocks, etc.), because it provides an even distribution of the load along the entire length of the rail. The hardware consists of the main element - a perforated rail made of durable metal, on which the hinges cling. The rail is attached to the wall with dowels. She has a heavy load. Therefore, in order to avoid its deformation, it is necessary to choose the most durable type. The hooks of the sample should protrude slightly from the rear wall. The method allows you to move the lockers horizontally in the future.
• Fastening from IKEA is a new type, mainly used in furniture products of the company of the same name. Inside the cabinet there are special fasteners with holes, through which the points of the anchors are marked on the wall, on which hinges are then hung and clamps are put on. Thus, the cabinets fit snugly against the wall.

The initial stage is the preparation of the walls

The installation of cabinets is carried out only after all the finishing work has been completed, when the kitchen apron is installed, communications have been carried out. Ideally, even before the renovation, it is better to have a ready-made kitchen set project and place all communications in advance so that there is no interference with the further installation of furniture. Places for sockets, lighting fixtures, gas equipment, pipes, ventilation system and other equipment should be chosen with the greatest convenience and functionality.

Hanging furniture can hide many flaws on the wall, but not the curvature of the surface. If the wall is uneven, then it will not work perfectly to arrange the cabinets - the fit will be incomplete. In such cases, alignment of the walls is required. It is necessary to identify and eliminate defects even before finishing work.

If the curvatures are small and are observed on an already plastered surface, then it will be enough to level them using a finishing putty. And if the irregularities are large, then you will have to putty the walls according to all the rules - with the installation of beacons that are attached to the wall and checked for evenness vertically with a plumb line, and horizontally with a level. After that, it is necessary to carry out plastering, followed by putty, priming of the surface. And then complete the finishing work.

ADVICE: If it is not possible to carry out repairs to align the walls, then their curvature can be hidden when placing hinged furniture on the timber. Two rows of slats are mounted in areas where the upper and lower levels of the lockers will adjoin. If there are hollows on the walls, then additional gaskets are made, everything is controlled by the level. Fasteners are placed on the top rails. The disadvantages of this method include a decrease in the rigidity of fasteners due to their removal to the thickness of the timber, as well as the fact that the slats can be viewed from the side.

Hanging of cabinets and its main stages

The installation of the upper cabinets begins after all the lower ones are placed. To determine the distance from tables to the bases of wall cabinets, the recommended standards are applied or these dimensions are calculated individually. The way how to hang the kitchen cabinet on the wall is chosen from 2 options.

The sequence of work when using hinge fasteners:

• the contours of the cabinets are marked on the wall with a marker or pencil;
• then they are applied to the wall and the points for placing the suspensions are drawn through the ears;
• holes are drilled at the designated points and dowels with self-tapping screws are hammered;
• cabinets with hinged fittings attached to them are hung with hinges on self-tapping screws.

The sequence of work when using hinges and rails:

• shelves and front doors are removed;
• behind the cabinets in fiberboard, fragments are cut with a hacksaw according to the size of the hinges;
• attachment of hinges to furniture cases is done;
• then the cabinet is attached to the wall at the selected level, the upper line is marked with a pencil, which or continues along the entire length of the placement of hanging furniture, or is marked for each module individually;
• the slats cling to the hooks as they will be located in the future and the distance to the top of the case is measured from the top line of the rail;
• the resulting distance is marked on the wall;
• according to the markings, the slats are fixed with self-tapping screws to the wall;
• lockers are hung on the installed rails;
• shelves are placed and front doors are attached.

Choosing the height when hanging the cabinet

The distance from the table to the bottom of the cabinet is made in the range of 45-60 cm or calculated individually. Also, to determine the height of the placement of lockers, the average height of the owners is taken into account. They should be able to freely reach items from the topmost shelves. The distance from the floor to the top shelf can be from 1.75 to 2 m.

IMPORTANT: If a ventilation system is installed, the lockers should not be located above the level of the central ventilation window.

Wall marking

The general principles for marking for different types of fasteners are similar. This requires a tape measure, hydro level, ruler and pencil. A mark is made at the desired height, and then a second point is marked next to the hydro level. Then, using a ruler, a line is drawn along the entire length, where the hinged furniture will be installed. With the use of a laser level, such work can be done much faster than with a hydro level, and with almost perfect accuracy. The only question is the high cost of the laser level.

There are special rules on how to hang kitchen cabinets on drywall, because this material does not have sufficient strength. If the drywall fits tightly to the wall, then the markings can be done as usual, only use long self-tapping screws for fasteners, which will be attached to a solid base. But if the wall is only made of plasterboard or the distance to the base is large, then it is necessary to mark the location of the strips of the metal frame and fasten the slats to them with screws.

Drilling a wall

Rotary hammers are usually purchased for professional use. And for home use, they choose electric drills from 700 W, with a hammer drilling function. It is better if the drill is equipped with a keyless chuck. Certain types of attachments are required for different surfaces.

If it is easy to drill wood, foam concrete, drywall with an ordinary drill, then for more durable walls (brick, concrete) special nozzles are required. In case of hitting the location of the reinforcement in the wall, it is necessary to install a drill for metal. And it is better to purchase at least a budget puncher, because working with a drill on a reinforced concrete wall is too tedious and can damage the tool.

IMPORTANT: Before drilling, familiarize yourself with the wiring diagram so as not to damage it.

Useful aids for drilling

Due to the unevenness of the surface, craftsmen are often faced with such problems as drill misalignment. At the same time, during drilling, the attachment point is displaced and the cabinet cannot be hung evenly. To avoid this, you can make a plywood template with holes, and so that it does not slip during work, glue sandpaper on its lower part.