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Difficulty: Intermediate
Flat pack cabinets are a convenient and cost-effective way to upgrade your home.
Our simple, step-by-step guide shows you how to assemble and install laundry cabinets in a European-style laundry.
The same techniques can be used for cabinetry in your kitchen, bathroom or a full-sized laundry room.
Video Tutorial
Steps
Step 1
Locate the base panel.
Unpack the base cabinet. All required parts (legs and screws) will be in the packaging so locate and put aside. Find the base panel with the trimmed front edge and screw holes for the legs on the underside.
Step 2
Join the back panel and base.
Find the back panel. It will be the same width as the rear of the base panel and have three predrilled holes. The side with the countersunk holes goes on the outside. Run a bead of glue on the inside face of the rear panel in line with the screw holes.
Align the back panel with the rear of base panel. With drill driver set to slow and on screw mode, use the supplied screws to secure. Do not over-drive the screws.
Step 3
Join the side panels to base.
Run glue along the base and rear edges of the side panels. The holes for shelf mounts go on the inside. Align with the base and rear panel, and secure with screws.
The top front of the cabinet is connected with a bridging section. Attach the bridging section with glue and screws, wiping off excess glue.
Repeat steps 1 to 3 to assemble all cabinets.
Step 4
Create access for plumbing.
Use a cardboard template to mark plumbing points for the base cabinet (and back wall panel if needed). Transfer marks onto the base cabinet (and rear if needed) and cut holes for plumbing with your hole saw.
Step 5
Fit the legs.
Attach leg bases with screws. Assemble and push legs into base holes, adjusting to the same height with a combination square.
Step 6
Position and secure the base cabinet.
Position base cabinet. Using the short level positioned on top as your guide, adjust screw-out legs to achieve desired height and level. Remember to check level side-to-side and front-to-back.
On the side and rear, locate a wall stud and then use your pre-drill and counter-sink bit to create holes in line with stud. Secure cabinet to stud with 50 or 75mm screws at a minimum of one point on the side and rear panels.
Step 7
Position and attach the side panel.
Some panels and doors will be covered with protective film to prevent scratching. Leave this in place until work is finished.
Position the cabinet side panel, cutting down if required. Use combination square to align the side panel 18mm (door thickness) proud of the cabinet edge. Clamp in place.
Set pre-drill bit to not exceed 25mm and pre-dill and counter-sink from inside cabinet at 6 points – towards front and back at top, middle and bottom. Secure the panel with 25mm screws.
Step 8
Measure for the kickboard.
Measure for the kickboard ensuring that you take height measurements at both ends as wet area tiles often have fall. Cut board accordingly.
Step 9
Fix the kickboard in place
Use a combination square to determine distance from front edge of cabinet base to front of leg mount. Reduce this by 8 to 10mm and then mark along top of cabinet base towards each end and middle.
Pre-drill and counter-sink at marked points. Position kickboard, pushing hard up against the leg bases and then secure with 25mm screws. Conceal screw heads with the supplied sticky dots.
Step 10
Add a hose hole.
Towards the top rear of the base cabinet on the side closest to where the washing machine will be, use your hole saw to make a 60mm hole for hoses. Fit cable ducts (ring only, not shutter) to the inside and the outside of the cabinet. This will protect hoses and provide a more professional finish.
Step 11
Cut the shelf to allow for plumbing.
Once the plumbing is connected, measure and cut the shelf to fit around it. Support the cut shelf with 65 x 18mm offcuts fixed to the rear of the cabinet with 25mm screws.
Step 12
Mark for the handles.
Use a combination square to mark for the handles. It is critical that when doing multiple doors the measurements are kept accurate between doors otherwise the handles will not align. Drill holes through doors from the front.
Step 13
Peel back film and tighten screws.
Peel back the protective film in the area the handle will go. With snips, cut the supplied handle screw to the required length. Push through from the back of door while positioning the handle.
Turn the screws with your fingers until they grab in handle and then flip the door to tighten. Only ever hand-tighten handles with a screwdriver to avoid damaging the door face.
Step 14
Install hinges.
Disassemble the hinges into their two parts. The section with the long arm fits into the door with the arm extending outwards and the small plate mounts in the cupboard.
The small plate is fitted to the pre-drilled holes in the cupboard through the larger oval-shaped holes with the other pair of holes towards the front of the cabinet.
Step 15
Fix hinges in place.
Bring the doors with the hinge part fitted to the cabinet and click the hinges back together. Check the door alignment and position, adjusting if required. Tighten the first screws and add the final screws.
Add any remaining shelves to cupboards and you are finished.
Materials
- Base cabinets, doors, hinge sets and handles to suit your project. We used Kaboodle Modern in Buttermilk with a Hevea wood benchtop.
- 50mm chipboard screws
- 75mm white star-head cabinet screws
- PVA wood glue (exterior grade)
- One 5.4m length of 66 x 18mm Moulding White Pine FJ Primed DAR.
Tools
- Tape measure
- Spirit levels (ideally a long level, 1200mm plus pocket-sized torpedo level)
- Combination square
- Drill driver with screw head bits
- Hole saw kit
- P&N Drill Countersink TCT Cut-Smart For 8g.
