How to Build a Kitchen Island & L-Shaped Bar
- 1). Sketch out your island ideas on paper to analyze your needs for your island. Align the proposed cabinet arrangement on the floor and use a chalk line or pencil to trace around cabinet placement. Determine spacing and angles to decide if the L-shape is going to fit and decide which way it will face. Two or three base cabinets secured together to create an L-shape are ideal, but other options are available. Give at least 3 feet of clearance near surrounding walls, appliances and cabinets.
- 2). Turn the cabinets upside down and measure the inside perimeter for placement of wood blocks, also known as cleats, using a measuring tape. Estimate the thickness of your toekick. Transfer the measurements of the inside cabinet perimeter and toekick thickness by marking on the floor inside your chalk lines. You should now have your outside perimeter of cabinets marked on the floor and your inside perimeter (with toekick thickness) of cabinets marked on floor.
- 3). Cut 2-by-4-inch wood blocks with a saw, making them 8 to 12 inches long. Place blocks on the floor on the inside cabinet perimeter measurements, placing one block at both ends of the L of the island, and one or more at the front and back for support. Screw or nail the wood blocks to the floor (check with the floor manufacturer for recommended attachment for your floor type), using a drill or hammer. Place a thin strip of construction adhesive on the outside edge of each block.
- 4). Set the cabinets over the secured wood blocks. Squeeze them tightly together and shim (placing small, thin scraps of wood) as needed, from underneath the cabinets to make them level. Look for levelness from all sides, front to back and side to side. The front of the adjacent cabinets should be even with each other, other than with your cabinets that come together to make the L shape.
- 5). Clamp the cabinets together, placing clamps above the drawer slide and above the bottom hinge. Recheck levelness on the front of cabinets with the level, then tighten the clamps.
- 6). Pre-drill a pilot hole (without a screw) with a 1/8-inch drill bit, set at 2½ inches deep, making the hole from the side of the cabinet where the top hinge plate sets on the inside of the cabinet frame. Hold the drill against the top of the cabinet opening for drill steadiness and drill 2½ inches into the cabinet and slightly into the adjacent cabinet. Drill with a 7/32-inch bit to make the hole a little bigger to give a tighter connection and prevent wood from splitting.
- 7). Pre-drill another hole from the bottom of cabinet opening above the hinge plate area. Check levelness and reset, if necessary, and drill appropriate screws into the holes tightly. For the cabinets that come together to make the L shape, drill holes directly into the front of the adjacent cabinet.
- 8). Hammer small finish nails at the base of each cabinet every few inches through the cabinets into the wood block. Nail the toekick at the cabinet base with small finish nails. Screw the cabinet doors and drawers in place, adjusting as needed to level.
- 9). Build up the snack bar area, if using different heights, providing adequate support for the area.
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