Installing Cabinet Hardware
Some projects take a year to think about. You need to plan, design, price out your options, etc. Selecting and installing kitchen cabinet hardware should not be one of those projects. Sometimes I wonder why I have design commitment issues, especially for an item that can be changed out for under $50.00 when you grow tired of it and want a fresh updated look.
Our home renovation has been 75% complete for almost a year and I have been staring at my kitchen cabinets since then, wondering what direction I want to go in. Do I want to take a modern risk? Do I want to pick something more transitional that will balance my love for traditional looks with more trendy options? Or do I want to have no knobs at all and continue to struggle to open the drawers for the next 20 years?
The answer: I still don’t know. But that is the nice thing about kitchen cabinet hardware, I don’t have to know. I just have to pick where I want the holes, and then I can pick anything I want that meets those specs.
Tools Needed:
Cabinet Installation Template for Cabinet Doors
Cabinet Installation Template for Cabinet Drawers
Drill & Drill Bits
Screwdriver (Size will depend on hardware chosen)
Cabinet Hardware
Getting Started:
I will outline the process in this post, but there are two things you need to do before you get started.
1. Determine where you are going to place your hardware
I assumed that there was one placement where knobs went, and then pulls had a few different options depending on the size of them. Needless to say, there wouldn’t be a section on this if it were that simple. Cabinet hardware can go anywhere! Thankfully Studio McGee (an impressive design firm) created this easy to read design guide to help us less knowledgeable folks make design decisions.
I decided to go with a slightly higher placement that aligned with the top of the lower horizontal piece. This placement allows us some flexibility if we decide to drill another hole and install a vertical pull.
2. Level your cabinet doors
If you do not do this, your hardware will look uneven. Forever. Or at least until you go back and level the doors.
Installation Process:
Step One: Marking your Placement
This Installation Template is one of those indispensable tools that you have no excuse not to buy. Instead of taking a dozen measurements, re-measuring for accuracy, and then determining where the hole will go on each door, you can place this on the door, mark and go. I promise, this is the best $10 you will spend this week.
To Use: Take the guide and place it securely against the door. Using a pencil, mark where you want the hole to be.
- Make sure that the guide is flat against each surface, otherwise your markings will be off.
- DO NOT drill through the guide. This will make it difficult to reuse.
Tip: If you have a nail or pointed screw handy, use it to mark the spot as well. The small hole will act as a guide and keep the drill bit in place better than a flat smooth surface will.
Step Two: Drilling the Holes
We have the 106-piece Ryobi Drill and Driving Kit and you get a decent amount of pieces for only $20.00. It is perfect for random projects around the house.
- Using the smallest drill bit, drill a hole directly through your placement marker.
- Note: Our 1/16 drill bit broke on the last door, so you may want to consider sizing up depending on the strength of the wood you are drilling through.
Tip: Be careful and open the door if there is something behind it…you don’t want to drill through anything unintentionally.
- Increase to the 7/64 drill bit and drill half way in from the back of the door.
- Note: This process will ensure that the wood does not crack.
- Exhibit A:
- Using the same drill bit, drill from the front of the door through the entire hole.
- Exhibit B: Notice no cracking/chipping. Also notice….my husband hard at work 🙂
- Increase to the final size and drill from the front of the door through the entire hole
- Everything I read online suggested using the 3/16 drill bit, however, I found that the 11/64 was the perfect size. The screw was able to slide right through it, I think the 3/16 would have been too big.
- Slowly increasing the size of the hole gives you the flexibility to figure our which works best for the particular screws you have.
This may seem like a lot of swapping out drill bit sizes, but I promise it is the best approach! If you jump in and go straight for the 3/16 drill bit, you are bound to ruin your brand new cabinets!
Step 3: Installing the Hardware
We chose to install the South Hampton Knob by Liberty. Which is available at Home Depot, as well as, a number of other retailers.
Notes:
- Most hardware packets come with two sized screws. We used the shorter one, but if for some reason neither fits just take the hardware to your local hardware store and pick up the size you need.
- Simply place the screw through the back of the door and attach the hardware of choice.
- Tighten all knobs to ensure they do not rotate. This is especially important for anything that may not be round, otherwise you will constantly be looking at crooked hardware 🙂
