new bulkheads for above kitchen cabinets


  #1  
Old 03-01-17, 12:16 PM
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Talking new bulkheads for above kitchen cabinets

I'm going to be installing new kitchen cabinets in about 3 weeks and was thinking of installing a bulkhead above the cabinets where we currently do not have one. I was wondering whether i should do them ahead of time, going by the current upper cabinet layout, but I'm not sure how I could do that with the cabinets in place unless I pre-build them, then slide them in above the cabinets and screw them into the ceiling and wall. I guess what I'm afraid of is the new cabinets not getting installed exactly as the current ones are for some reason and the end cabinets sticking out a 1/2" or something from the bulkhead on the ends. The new cabinets should be the same except for the other side of the kitchen where we'll have a pantry instead of upper and lower cabinets. I know the exact sizes of the cabinets from the drawing I got from Lowes, but still I'm a bit apprehensive that there may be some slight difference in either size or installation. I'm doing the installation so that's a very real possibility.
Any advice?
 
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Old 03-01-17, 12:42 PM
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It's best to build the bulkhead first. For the most part cabinet sizes are pretty standard. Not sure I've ever seen a standard upper cabinet that wasn't 12" deep. They might stick out a hair more if the wall behind them isn't straight [you'd shim the cabinets so they all line up]
 
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Old 03-01-17, 12:54 PM
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The soffits or bulkheads I've seen are built an inch or two larger than the cabinets front to back and side to side so minor variations in the cabinet placement due to shimming to deal with out of square walls, etc., won't matter. It's worth taking time to ensure the bottom of the soffit is flat and level; it will make cabinet installation easier and neater.

Sometimes the soffit is oversized even more and crown molding added around the tops of the cabinets. You would have to take that into account when planning the soffit size.
 

Last edited by CarbideTipped; 03-01-17 at 05:17 PM.
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Old 03-01-17, 01:50 PM
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Thanks. That pretty much answers my questions.
 
 

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