# Cabinet question.



## mics_54 (Oct 28, 2008)

OK here is the problem...looking for opinions

kitchen cabinets
uppers on two walls up to the cieling
the slab must have been unlevel
there is a gap at the cieling almost 1/2" on the end of the wall run
I can cover it with molding of some type but the top rail is 3 inches
the doors are 3/4 overlay
should I taper the molding? 
I think a 1/2 inch difference between the molding and the doors in 6 feet will be noticable. Ideas?


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Mics,
I am assuming that all your cabinets are hung level. Not that it matters now but what did you use to level the cabinets, level, laser? If your cabinets are level and your ceiling runs out, that is not uncommon. What kind of molding were you planning on using, scribe, small crown (1 1/4" height)? What style of doors do you have? You will notice the taper between the doors and the molding. But without leveling out the ceiling, something has to give. That's what the molding is for. Try setting a piece of molding in place temporarily and see what it looks like. Sometimes with a more detailed door like a miterer corner and beaded style, it draws your eye towards the door more and not the top edge. I would keep the cabinets level and the doors adjusted so their at the same level on the cabinets also. 
Mike Hawkins


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## mics_54 (Oct 28, 2008)

Yes I use a lazer to level.
The doors are shaker style with no center styles. 
Flat panels
3/4 overlay.
If I have a 3 inch top rail on the fronts and use 1 inch (minimum) molding and maintian the space between the molding and the doors at 1 1/4" I think it would look ok.

yeah the doors gotta be where the doors gotta be no matter what the cieling does. I just didnt know if I should taper the molding or not. If I just use 3/4 stock the gap between the top of the doors and the cieling would gradually get wider by 1/2". I think it would look better if the gap was consistant and the molding was tapered. 

what do you think?


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## Handyman (Jan 2, 2008)

I have 4 laser levels, and I don't like them for fine tune work. If you are the tinyest amount off in a room 12 x 12 it is easy to be off 1/2 from one side of the room to the other.

Oh yea molding is the way to go.


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## mics_54 (Oct 28, 2008)

the cabinets are level


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## BHOFM (Oct 14, 2008)

What is the finish on the cabinets?


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## mics_54 (Oct 28, 2008)

stained and poly


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## BHOFM (Oct 14, 2008)

Might work? 

I used the roll of veneer, I think it was 3/4" wide,
may have been wider, and covered the gap and painted.
If you could stain it to match it might work??

The thinner the material the better, the shadow
line is what will show the difference.


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## mics_54 (Oct 28, 2008)

i dont care THAT much!


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## BHOFM (Oct 14, 2008)

mics_54 said:


> i dont care THAT much!


I'm sorry, was it something I said?:boxing::boxing::boxing:


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## joesdad (Nov 1, 2007)

mics, is the 1/2" a graduated gap over six feet, or does it transition quickly? I usually take my block plane and take out the scribed material, as long as the gap is gone and you haven't visually screwed up your lines or your mating piece of crown, it should look fine. With painted material I've also run the crown out, then fastened and patch in a long tapered piece of scrap, wood filler, sand and prime, go home.

At least you care, a lot of guys will say it's not their fault your ceiling drops/raises and leave the gap, or bend the crown into place but leaving the ugly lines.

I did a really bad one just recently, black cabinets against a white ceiling. There was a huge difference on eight feet and it drove me nuts because the contrast revealed everything.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

MIcs,
Depending on what the shape of the molding is, maybe taper the molding to lose half the gap and let the other half run out between the molding and the top of the door. Might be a little less noticable. If the molding has a straight section at the top, the taper wouldn't show too much. If it has a little detail and you loose the detail over half the piece, it might look funny.
Mike Hawkins


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

It's difficult to make a "fix" so that the gap isn't noticeable. There are a few ways to accomplish this. One way is to use a spacer behind the FF (if you have FF's), or the leading edge of the cabinet, to fill the gap. From looking at it from standing on the floor you don't see a definite relationship from the tops of the doors to the ceiling , but the gap is filled. I would determine what to use before installing, and have it mountable to the top of the cabinet. I would allow enough space above the cabinet to install a trim that looks purposeful.

Or, use a moulding or crown that is full enough at the bottom edge that you can line up with the cabinet or the doors, and caulk the ceiling line. The differential (3/8" - 1/2") can usually be lost that way. What parts are level and what is out, are not as evident as what the eye can see or perceive.


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

Hi mics

Is it possible to raise the cabinets slightly to reduce the amount of gap?
If you could reduce the gap to say 1/4 inch, and then taper your molding slightly, the taper would probaly be undetectable to the average eyeball. What the eyes don't see the heart doesn't grieve.

Gerry


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

A reduction in the molding width is going to be much less noticeable than any difference between the gap between the molding and the top of the doors. Cut the molding so that there is a constant gap.

G


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## mics_54 (Oct 28, 2008)

> A reduction in the molding width is going to be much less noticeable than any difference between the gap between the molding and the top of the doors. Cut the molding so that there is a constant gap.
> 
> G


yeah I think so too. 

thanks everyone.



> I'm sorry, was it something I said?:boxing::boxing::boxing:


haha I just saw this one...no BHOFM 

I'm just tired of this job and it's draggin on.


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## woodman42 (Aug 6, 2007)

*Same Problem*

We had the same problem with a kitchen we did in a house that should have been torn down and started over. But the customer loved the house and wanted to spend the money. 

We were using oak cabinets, stained and finished and had dips and valleys the entire run of uppers. I grain matched the filler between the ceiling and cabinets and used oak crown. Once it was completed you really can't tell, except in a couple spots where the valleys were to bad to hide.


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