Cabinet Install Trick Video

Hi, I'm Tim Carter and I'm here on a kitchen remodeling job. I want to show you something interesting. This is a little trick I doubt you will see unless you are working with a finish carpenter.

In this situation, we have a cabinet, a range and another cabinet that had to be installed in a cove. All the items would be recessed back into the offset. The problem was that if you want to get the cabinets tight up against the wall, the drywall corner beam sticks out slightly, making the opening at the very front narrower then in the back of the cove.

So when trying to install the last cabinet, there isn't enough room to slide it back into the opening. What I did was to take a very long 2x4 and cut it 5/8" longer then the distance between the two blocks I mounted on the side walls. I had a helper hold one end of the piece of lumber and I started tapping the other end down using a 4-pound hammer.

This stretched the wall about a quarter of a inch, allowing me to get the cabinet into the opening. Once the 2x4 is removed, the side walls will move back in and the gap will be gone between the wall and the cabinet.

There will be a little damage associated with doing this. Be prepared for it. The corners on the outside of the cove could crack or "bubble". Once the 2x4 is removed, that wall will have to be refinished. But that is a small price to pay to get the cabinet into the opening and having a nice fit. Give it a try on your next project where you need just a little more room and the walls can be stretched a little.