# Shelf help



## Bacchus13 (Feb 10, 2021)

Hi all, I am an amateur carpenter and have just installed my first kitchen cabinets. The build was near perfectly square before moving the cabinet into position. After moving the cabinet into position, I noticed that the bottom shelves were not fitting correctly anymore. A few of the shelves are misaligned in the front of the cupboard. Any advice as to how to cut and correct these shelves would be appreciated.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Your cabinet case was not constructed solid. When you moved the cabinet the case moved.

Not knowing your construction method it is difficult to tell you how to correct. Please give mofre details.

George


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## Bacchus13 (Feb 10, 2021)

Hi George,

Thanks for your response. I unfortunately suspect you are correct.. Had a bit of a tough time to get it into position as I think there may be slight variation in the wall and or floor.

The carcass was constructed using pocket hole screws to secure the pieces together. Do you need anymore information? (I'm still new to this )

Bacchus


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

installing (especially base cabinets) require some planning. typically the highest point of the floor is found with a level, then all cabinet bases are shimmed up to that level. the back walls are then checked (you can stretch a string across), and if there is any wavering in or out, they too are shimmed to the point that sticks out the most. if the cabinets is just screwed tight to the wall or floor, it can be pulled apart. 

it should just be a matter of pulling your cabinets back out and trying this method. you may have to beef up any joints that were pulled apart if any.


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## GSXRFanIM (Jan 16, 2019)

Did you secure your cabinet to the wall? If so, your screws may have drawn it into the wall and pulled it out of alignment.
I would place shims to get the cabinet square and level.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Bacchus13 said:


> Hi George,
> 
> Thanks for your response. I unfortunately suspect you are correct.. Had a bit of a tough time to get it into position as I think there may be slight variation in the wall and or floor.
> 
> ...


 Since you used screws you can take the case apart and this time ditch the screws and use glue. Make sure it is then square and it will probably stay square as you reinstall it.

George


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

Bacchus13 said:


> Hi George,
> 
> Thanks for your response. I unfortunately suspect you are correct.. Had a bit of a tough time to get it into position as I think there may be slight variation in the wall and or floor.
> 
> ...


The only time I've ever used pocket screws was making the face frames for cabinets. I just finished several base cabinets and used dados, glue and 2" screws so everything remained square even though the floor wasn't. I also put in bracing to hold it all together to move them and removed the bracing after I delivered them.


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## B Coll (Nov 2, 2019)

Bacchus13 said:


> Hi all, I am an amateur carpenter and have just installed my first kitchen cabinets. The build was near perfectly square before moving the cabinet into position. After moving the cabinet into position, I noticed that the bottom shelves were not fitting correctly anymore. A few of the shelves are misaligned in the front of the cupboard. Any advice as to how to cut and correct these shelves would be appreciated.
> 
> View attachment 423877
> View attachment 423878


The cabinets you are installing are European Cabinets, also called frameless. Simply, they are boxes without a face frame. The upside is they yield the greatest amount of useable room and are less expensive. The downside is they lack the structural integrity of framed cabinets. Face frames, to a reasonable degree, will keep the box square in most directions. With a frameless cabinet they can freely move out of square, plumb, or twist, which is what has happened here. Not that big a deal to fix. Loosen or remove the screws from the wall. Make sure all your level lines are set. Set the cabinet in place, the first cabinet set is the most critical. When setting, check for level side to side and front to back, that the sides are square to the bottom, and that the sides are square to the back. Ship appropriately so when you screw the cabinet in place you do not suck it out of square. Check all the above again when secured to the wall.


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