H7

Al & Kelly Carrell

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Ready-made cabinets are fairly inexpensive and an easy way to get the storage space you need without hiring a carpenter. After measuring and purchasing your cabinets, you need to install them in the space. This usually is a simple job, but some things need to be considered, and we have some tips that might make the job a little easier.

First of all, don't assume that your floors and walls are plumb and level. Check them at several points and have shims on hand to make sure the cabinets are set plumb and level, even if your room is not. You may even want to snap a chalk line along the wall where the top of the cabinets should be and along the floor where the front should sit.

If your cabinets are unfinished, you might consider painting them before you install them. You can always go back with some touch-up paint to cover any marks you made during the installation. If the cabinets are pre-finished, make sure to work with clean hands and protect surfaces from damage while you work. If the doors are attached, you may want to remove them to make installing the cabinets easier. Mark each door to the cabinet it came off of, just to be sure you get them back in the right place.

Set the cabinets in place and use shims behind or under the feet of the cabinets to level and plumb them. Use screws to attach them to the walls inside the back of the cabinets at the top, right through the shims. Get the screw started, and then re-check the plumb and level before driving it all the way in.

When installing more than one cabinet, use screws to attach each cabinet to the previously installed one.

Once the cabinets are installed, use a small saw to cut any exposed shims off. Then install the toe kick or cover trim to hide the spaces.

It's as easy as it sounds!

Q: When I was making a repair to the kitchen, I had trouble cutting off the water supply outside the house. The L-shaped metal rod broke off. How do you fix this?

-- J.R.

A: You will have to dig up the area around the valve. Once you expose the valve, you can remove the stub left behind and replace it with a new handle. Of course, you might check to see if there is another valve you can get to at the meter.

Q: My bathroom cabinet has a hinge that won't stay in any longer. The screw has come out, and the hole is now too large to keep it in. What can I do?

-- T.A.

A: You could use a larger screw or remove the hinge, fill the hole with wood glue and allow it to set up before installing the screw and hinge again. If you need a filler with the glue, use wooden toothpicks.

* Got a question or a handy tip? Visit our Web site at www.thesuperhandyman.com. Those of general interest will be used in future columns.