How to Install Kitchen Island Cabinets

Installing kitchen island cabinets can be an easy way to add both counter and additional storage space to a kitchen. This type of kitchen island often comes in one large unit that can easily be installed by most homeowners and looks like a large section of cabinets that are finished on all sides.

When you buy kitchen island cabinets you may be tempted not to install them, instead allowing it to sit on top of your flooring like a piece of furniture. This is not a good idea for safety concerns, but it is particularly important to make sure that the kitchen island cabinets are firmly affixed to the floor if you are installing a range top or additional sink. Even if you are not planning to add anything to your kitchen island, installing it properly so it will not shift takes less than an hour and a few hand tools.

To begin you should decide exactly where you want to place your island in the kitchen. Place the unit in the correct location and check to make sure that your can still move easily around the space and none of your work triangles are obstructed. When you are sure that the island is in the correct location for your kitchen, trace around the base of the cabinets with a pencil so that the outline remains on the floor. Then remove the kitchen island cabinets.

In order to have something to attach the kitchen island to, you should create to cleats to nail the bottom of the cabinets to. These L shaped pieces can be made out of 2″x4″ and should be placed in opposite corners of the cabinets, offset ¾” to the interior to allow for the thickness of the cabinet island base. To create these cleats, just cut two sections of 2″x4″ that are at least 10″ long. Create an L shape using the pieces in one of the corners of your outline. Screw the pieces into the floor with 3″ wallboard screws. If your floor is made of masonry or hardwood you should drill pilot holes prior to attaching the cleats with screws.
With a pair of cleats attached to the floor, get a partner and lift the unit so it covers the cleats and fits neatly in the outline for the cabinets. Make sure that the kitchen island is perfectly straight, then using long finishing nails, nail through the kitchen island cabinets and into the cleats. Keep in mind that the nails should hit the center of the cleats, so aim for about ¾” above the ground. Drive at least two nails on each side of the cleat that meets the kitchen island.

Using a nail set you should then recess the nail heads and fill in the resulting holes with wood putty. Paint or stain to hide the patch. Although a perfect match is desirable, the area with the wood putty will hardly be noticed as long as the color is close the color of the kitchen island.

Installing the kitchen island cabinets properly is an easy project for the do it yourselfer with even limited home improvement experience and is a great way to get some experience working with basic hand tools. Of course, if you don’t have the time or inclination for this project, a professional can do it for you.