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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Hard Core Remodeling but Were Afraid to Ask Part 33!

Getting my hot little hands on the IKEA kitchen has been a nightmare
There was a reason I chose it over all the other systems though,
and it wasn't just to see Mark's face when he found out nothing was assembled.
Beyond the huge savings and disability-friendly features,
there was something else, and here it is:
 The cabinets go up on a rail, making this a DIY that a beginner could tackle.
 Why is that important for seasoned home repair aficionados like us?
Well here at Life in Rehab, during the series
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Hard Core Remodeling but Were Afraid to Ask!
we're tackling a lot of this for the first time completely blind.
So here's how easy this is...
First, determine your positioning, marking the height of your cabinets on the wall.
Draw another line for the bottom of the cabinets.
Use a level and check to make sure your lines are completely horizontal.
 Measure from the top of the cabinet to the hanging holes.
Measure from the top line on the wall and draw a new line for the hanging rail.
Screw the rail into the studs.
 These are the hanging holes inside the cabinet boxes,
nicely reinforced with steel.
 Note the lip on the back that will keep the cabinets just off the wall.
 This is the hanger.
 Remove the nut and washer.
 Slide it into the rail.
Spread them apart.
Put the cabinet on the hangers.
Screw the nut and washer back on.
How easy was that???
Grab another cabinet.
Use a clamp the pull your side-by-side cabinets tightly together.
We're going to use these fun little pieces to attach the bank of boxes to each other.
Note that the bolt screws into a housing, which will give you just a bolt
head visible in the neighboring shells.
 Align the cabinets as you clamp.
Try to get them as straight as possible.
The bolts go in the holes in the adjoining walls.
This will make the bottoms of the boxes line up perfectly.
Cool, huh?
All the hard parts do themselves!
 Staggering the tops of the cabinets is just as easy.
The next one will get hung the same way 6 inches higher for visual interest.
 Just draw new lines!
Next we'll be adding the hinges.
Yes, I did go through and put all of the parts we had laying around
in individual ziplock bags.
It's a sickness, I know.
 So we'll see you tomorrow when we add...
...THESE!
Aren't they beautiful?
Beach cottage cool?
All the uppers will have these pretty, sparkly doors to display formal
glassware and seldom used items in style.
So after this bite-sized tutorial, do you feel like you could add cabinets all by yourself?
It really is a simple system.
We had 4 cabinets up in under 2 hours.
We'll have the whole kitchen in within 3 days.
And then, we'll have the skills to do our own at Chateau Inferno!
Won't that be fun, Minions?
Um, Minions?
Kids?
Savannah???
Speak to me...

5 comments:

Melody :-) said...

Wow - I have seen these Ikea kitchens but never the nitty gritty of how they're put together. I stand in awe of your efforts but can't wait to see the finished product!

Michelle L. said...

That system looks amazing, seriously!

Susan said...

It does look simple, amazingly so but is it at the expense of quality? Do they feel strong enough to endure the banging and chaos generated by husbands seeking things right in front of their faces and the less-than-delicate closings of younglings?

Life in Rehab said...

With a 25 year warranty, I feel good about this choice. Everything seems very solid. Heck, I sat on one of the base cabinets. But really, is anything safe from spousal use? Be reasonable. They aren't cast iron.

Chef Michael R. said...

You are both absolutely right on the spousal abuse of kitchens.

It's why I keep my wife out of mine..........

...just smiles warmly and walks off to prepare the next gourmet meal.