I am in a four year old house. Las year I noticed the kitchen cabinet was separating a little from the wall. Now it's about half an inch out from the wall at the top. What should I do to push it back in? Nailing through the back panel into the wall I'd guess is pointless.
Paul
The cabinet may have been screwed into sheetrock only, or somehow missed the stud in that area. You may be able to locate the studs using a stud finder, then drill tiny test holes to check if the wood is really where indicated. Then pilot holes and something like 3 inch screws driven with a power drill. Attach screws to strong parts (e.g. framing) of the inside of the cabinet.
This is usually a problem with the cabinet. The failure is in the nailing strip that is used to attach the cabinet to the wall. Look at the top of the cabinet on the inside. Is there a space between the shelves/top and the back of the cabinet? I have been seeing this more and more in cheaper cabinets.
I have been adding a new cleat on the inside of the cabinet at the top. A 1" x 2" solid wood strip works well. The trick is to glue and screw the 1x2 to the top and sides of the cabinet flush with the back of the cabinet box (this places it out and away from the back of the cabinet). When the glue has set well, screw through the new nailing strip into the studs while pushing the cabinet back against the wall.
I can do this by myself, but another hand to help push or supports to hold pressure on the cabinets would be handy.
Paul:
D > I am in a four year old house. Las year I noticed the kitchen cabinet was D > separating a little from the wall. Now it's about half an inch out from th
D > wall at the top. What should I do to push it back in? Nailing through the D > back panel into the wall I'd guess is pointless.
Might be a good idea to remove the contents of the cabinet before doing the repair. As another respondant stated, screw the cabinet into the studs. Pilot holes might make it easier to drive the screws; I would also use Robertson (Robinson?) screws -- it's the type with the small square. They don't slip like Phillips.
- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®
robert is exactly right here....and usually it is a cabinet that is mounted by itself and has no support from adjacent cabinets...
Robert is dead on again...this is the *only* fix that actually "fixes" the problem with cheaper cabinets that are made on a production line where the workers don't care if they actually glue the mortise or not....his procedure is what i use myself
(BTW i subcontract cabinet installs on a daily basis.)
------------------- Chris Perdue
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