Kitchen cabinets are handy when it comes to your garage’s organization and safety. Nothing is usually more satisfying than having a perfectly modeled kitchen cabinet in your garage. Most of the homeowners might not have come to the full realization of how kitchen cabinets are undoubtedly satisfying in a garage. Perhaps it’s because they don’t spend much of their time in the garage. That’s why they haven’t considered such a purchase worthwhile. This kind of indecision has made most of them pose the question, can a kitchen cabinet be used in a garage?
The kitchen cabinet plays a significant role in the garage when it comes to organization, storage space maximization, and clutter elimination. The kitchen cabinets will provide you with the ease and convenience of access to the tools and garage equipment. Also, the kitchen cabinets allow for the deep inner storage for the large items, particularly within their bases, fasteners, and small tools in the drawers, while providing a convenient flat working surface. The kitchen cabinet is thus a handy item that you will fancy having in your garage.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation Process in a Garage
The realization of the effectiveness of a kitchen cabinet in your garage will depend on how well you have installed it. However, this should not be a worry anymore as I have offered an elaborate process that will help you figure out how you can install a kitchen cabinet in your garage. The step-by-step installation process includes;
Locating and Marking the Highest Points of the Floor area for Leveling
Before you begin kitchen cabinet installation, you should measure and determine if your floor is leveled. This can be ensured by moving a straight board on the floor and determining the principal contact point of the board and the floor. You then find the floor’s highest point in the installation area since some floors are not leveled. You can mark the identified high points with a tape or a grease pencil and then prepare them for leveling. The leveling of the surfaces is vital as it will ensure the stability of the kitchen cabinet in your garage.
Draw a level line along the wall
After finding the highest spot on the floor, you then draw a horizontal line across the wall. This line drawn will act as a guide in cabinet hanging. During the process, you should use a level to assure that the line is horizontal. The lines are to indicate the top preference for your cabinet. It determines the highest point of your cabinet in the garage wall and with this, you must consider the average heights of the garage users.
Draw reference lines for upper cabinet
You then draw the reference lines for the upper cabinet. You draw them per the bottom cabinet line. The upper cabinet line should be about 49 inches slightly above the line of the base cabinet just in case the bottom cabinets are 34″ tall and equidistant. Measurements should again be done downwards while making sure the reference lines is marked.
Utilize a stud finder to determine the positions of the studs
After drawing the reference lines for the upper cabinet wall, stud locations are then distinctly marked on the wall. The wall should be spaced 16 inches on the center. Wall studs are then drawn along the level lines where the cabinets will be installed. After marking the wall stud location, a temporary ledger board is attached to offer support to the wall cabinet during installation. The wall studs offer proper weight support to the cabinets. Also, frame board locations are to be marked slightly above the top upper cabinet line.
Ledgers are attached to the Walls
The support board is attached to the wall to achieve temporary support for the upper cabinet during installation. You should then screw it into the indicated studs. The catalog used here is (1×4), and one should ensure that it touches the wall cabinet’s bottom line. The support board is then mounted using a wall screw then you finally transfer the location of the studs.
Confer first wall cabinet with 2.5 inches drywall screws
This is applicable only when there is an amounting strip at the top of the panel behind it. You begin by driving the screw directly into the ribbon at every location of the studs then finally, you attach every wall cabinet at their respective points.
Utilize the Pan Head Screws to clamp the cabinet walls
Before joining the wall cabinets, it’s necessary to push the cabinets close together to make sure that the fonts and the upper part stay flush. You then join wall cabinets by driving 1.25 inches pan head screws through a single cabinet side and then into the adjacent cabinet side.
Install the first cabinet right below the first wall cabinet
After you have joined the wall cabinets using a pan head screw, you position it and shim perfectly as required until it achieves a perfect level, perpendicular, and touches the reference line.
The remaining cabinets are then Installed
After you have installed the first base, the remaining base cabinets are then installed by leveling its sides, fixing them to the wall studs, and making sure they are fastened together. If one desires, the toe-kick trim board is then attached, and the upper support cabinet is removed.
Connect cabinet doors and drawers
In case you removed the door during installation, or if they weren’t attached, you should remember to attach them back to complete the process. Following the instructions of the manufacturers in the manual, especially when you are installing the cabinets for the first time, adjust the door hinge to facilitate smooth closing and opening.
Prepare the worktop
You can develop a solid, long-lasting worktop with plywood, and then cut the plywood into two pieces of ¾ inches. The pieces should then be secured with panel adhesive countersunk1. 25 inches screws. It’s advisable to use many screws and cover the forefront and the side edges with strips.
Attach the top
The final step is to tighten the L- brackets all over the inside part of each cabinet just in case the bottom cabinet missed pre attached mounting. A bead of panel adhesive is applied to all cabinet top surfaces for a better bond and reduced clattering.
The video below shows a step by step installation of cabinets in a garage
Factors to consider when purchasing a cabinet material for a garage
Quality of the material
This is the most crucial part when it comes to getting material for your cabinet. Plywood is considered to be way better in producing reputable cabinet tops. Even though it’s a little bit expensive than the other materials, it’s still the recommended material for one to use especially for its longevity. It’s better to pay higher prices for high-quality items than having to spend more cash continually on maintenance services. Without considering this aspect, you will end up paying more than the initial prices.
Durability
Consistently replacing cabinets is a daunting and expensive task. When choosing a material for your cabinet, you should know that it pays to spend a little more to get higher quality products that last longer than getting the cheaper ones that will cost you a lot on maintenance. The type of material used will be the determinant of how long your cabinets last. For the garage cabinets, most mechanics or garage owners consider MDF and Plywood as these materials have the longest longevity. However, the plywood is more water resistance than the MDF, hence effective for the cabinet tops or work surfaces.
Garage cabinet usage
Knowing what you will use your cabinet for within your garage is a significant factor in the kind of cabinet you end up purchasing. The type of materials you’ll be storing in your wardrobe too will play a bigger role in your buying decision. The weight of the items you will hold in there is also a factor since some materials cannot withstand heavy weight.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best material for a garage cabinet?
Choosing the type of material for use in building your garage cabinet is quite a challenge. It usually takes a lot of knowledge to carefully consider the kind of material one is to use when making their cabinet. However, research has shown that plywood has the best reputation for cabinets of high quality. Its durability and aesthetic qualities are often unmatched in the comparison of kitchen cabinet materials. It has a higher resistance to moisture and more excellent stability compared to MDF and other materials.
What is the amount of weight to be put in a kitchen cabinet?
The average weight a kitchen cabinet can hold is 600pounds. Guarantees and standards usually vary between different manufactures depending on the material used. However, not every garage item will cause your cabinets to be overloaded as long as they have been installed correctly and safely. However, weight is not always the only reason why most cabinets fall off. There are several factors behind their falling. One of the reasons is: compromised wall studs. To avoid this, you should ensure that the cabinets are attached to uncompromising and robust wall studs. And in cases where the wall studs are damaged or rotten over time, one should consider replacing them.
How high should a garage cabinet be hanged?
This is another vital question that most DIYs seek to establish when installing the cabinets in a garage. The standard height for mounting a garage cabinet is 8 feet, always measured from the garage floor to the top of the cabinet. However, for most garage owners, the height for the attachment of a garage cabinet depends on an individual’s personal preference. I would say the average height of the users. Also, the hanging height should be depended on the height and layout of your garage.
How do I get rid of the old cabinets?
Indeed, your installed garage cabinets would not last as long as your garage. At some point in time, you will be forced to replace the cabinets, and most individuals find it a challenge to get rid of the cabinets effectively. However, this should not be a problem. If you have a cabinet made from untreated wood, you may consider taking it to a local recycling center. Alternatively, you may contact the eco-friendly removal service such as LoadUpin, your local recycling facility, to come to pick it up so that they can put it to a different use for environmental sustainability.
Can I burn old cabinets?
Most garage owners make significant mistakes burning the old garage as a way to dispose of them. Some of the garage cabinets are made from treated wood. When burned, the chemicals used in treating the wood are released into the atmosphere, causing pollution. These fumes escaping in the atmosphere when inhaled by human may cause significant various respiratory problems, and hence it is not advisable to burn the old cabinets.
Final Thoughts
Kitchen cabinets play a significant role in a garage. Anyone struggling with untidiness or disorganization should at least try them out. It’s affordable, roomy, and offers no difficulty during the building process. To achieve organization, space maximization, and clutter elimination, one should consider having a kitchen cabinet in their garage.
Moreover, when building the garage cabinet, it’s advisable to make doors for the sake of potentially dangerous items such as chemicals or sharp garden tools that might cause harm to the young ones. Cabinets being the focal point in a home, it’s therefore important to keep them in good shape so that they may withstand the daily tear and wear they are likely to endure over time. So, Can a Kitchen Cabinet be used in a Garage? You should not even thing twice about this, the kitchen cabinet should be part of your garage.
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