How Do I Install Under Cabinet Lighting?
Have you asked yourself “How do I install under cabinet lighting?” It’s a lot easier than you might think. Just take a trip to a home improvement store and you’ll find a plethora of under cabinet lighting options. Under cabinet lights have come a long way from the hardwired custom built units of a few years ago. Today you can find small compact xenon lights that just tack into place and plug into a wall outlet.
The great thing about the under cabinet lighting kits is you can fit kits to expand the number of lights on a circuit to fit any sized cabinet. All you have to do is add more lights to the string. Since the xenon lights are low voltage you’ll run out of cabinet before you reach the electrical capacity of the wall socket.
Measure out how many lights you need. You want to shoot for about a 2 foot space between lights.
Next measure the depth of the cabinets as you will want to center the lights.
To keep the lights from wandering during the install use a straight edge and mark the centerline of the cabinet with a pencil. At the same time you can mark out exactly where the lights will be placed.
Grab a hammer and some nails. Be sure you’re using a nail that won’t poke through into the cabinet. A few taps of the hammer is all it takes and your lighting bases are up in no time.
Now it’s time to run the wire between the lights. Some of the easier kits will let you just run the cable between each light in series. They have a small blade built in that will cut into the wire completing the circuit.
After the last light continue running the cable back to the wall socket. Use a staple gun to tack up the cable and prevent drooping.
You want to staple the cable as far back towards the wall as possible so you have a nice clean line running down to the outlet.
Now it’s time to make up the electrical plug. Wire up the hot, neutral, and ground wires then screw the plug together.
Now you can go back and snap in the light covers on all the lights.
Next install the xenon bulbs. Be careful not to touch the bulbs with your bare hands. Your skin oil can damage the bulbs. Use a paper towel instead when holding the bulb.
Now place the lens cover over the lights.
Staple up any of the wires that are sagging, you’re shooting for nice clean lines that aren’t visible when looking directly at the cabinet.
Plug in the lights and turn on the switch. Hopefully everything turns on! If not check each bulb for proper seating.
All that’s left is clean up of any construction trash and to put up your tools.
When asking “How do I install under cabinet lighting?” Just keep a few things in mind. The kits are easy to use. They come with great direction and once finished you’ll have a great set of lights that will set off any counter top.
Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of a wide variety of online specialty shops including that offer both items and information on how you can easily furnish and decorate your space. Whether it is knobs for your bathroom or cabinet hardware for your kitchen there are many tips you can use to make those spots both functional and beautiful. Click today and indulge your senses.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Akre
How to Install Cabinet Door Pulls
Once you finish a cabinet remodel you still need to install the new cabinet pulls. There are a few simple tricks to use to ensure the job goes quickly, smoothly and will look great. So here’s a quick guide on how to install cabinet door pulls.
The first thing you’ll need to do is figure out just where you want to put up the new door pulls. Use a little bit of paste to tack the first cabinet pull up onto the cabinet door. You can adjust the pull up, down, left or right until it looks just right.
Now go to the furthest cabinet and stick up another knob in the same general location. Adjust it until it’s in line with the first handle you stuck into place.
Grab a chalk line and a buddy.
Snap the chalk line across the row of cabinets above and below the two knobs you stuck up with the paste. This gives you a reference point for the height of the door pulls. You won’t have to worry about them sitting uneven on the door fronts.
Now you can just measure how deep the door pull is from the edge of the cabinet and you have the measurements you need to install all of the cabinet door pulls.
Now you’ll want to construct a quick template so that all the pulls go up in the same location.
Grab a piece of wood and mark off the offset you just measured.
Drill holes through the wood that line up with the cabinet door pull and attach bolts.
Now you can take the template and hold it up to cabinet door. Stick a pencil through the door and mark the front of the cabinet.
Next use a cordless drill to put holes in all the cabinet doors at the same time. This will save you time from having to switch out between screwdriver and drill after each cabinet.
Once you drilled out all the pilot holes grab one of the bolts from the cabinet and use it as a test fit. Increase the size of your drill bits until you reach the size of the bolt.
Go back and enlarge all the holes to the same size.
Now you can put down the drill and switch to the screwdriver for good.
Slide each bolt through the back of the cabinet doors. Use the screwdriver to tighten the cabinet pulls to the door facing. You don’t want to crank down too hard on the screws you’ll risk stripping the screws and warping the door pulls.
All that’s left to do is clean up all the saw dust from the drilling. Just vacuum it all up and you’re finished!
Hopefully this guide on how to install cabinet door pulls will make your remodeling job a little easier. These are but a few tips to make the job go smoothly. Just snap a few chalk lines make a template and you’ll have new cabinet pulls up in a few short hours.
Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of a wide variety of online specialty shops including that offer both items and information on how you can easily furnish and decorate your space. Whether it is knobs for your bathroom or cabinet hardware for your kitchen there are many tips you can use to make those spots both functional and beautiful. Click today and indulge your senses.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Akre
Kitchen Cabinet Trends For 2009
The U.S. Kitchen Cabinets & Countertops Manufacturing industry recently released its 2009 Trendology report, which conducts a trend analysis in kitchen cabinets and kitchen countertops. So what are some the trends home owners can expect to see in the kitchen cabinets and countertops manufacturing sphere this upcoming year? The answer depends on who you ask.
With spending down and Americans worrying so much about the state of the economy, frivolous is out and functionality seems to be in. It is, however, possible to get the best of both worlds. Home and Garden television (HGTV) predicts that kitchen cabinet trends will marry style with function. The producer of the show “The Best in Kitchens and Baths,” HGTV says, “Furniture-grade materials and custom add-ons create cabinets that perform beautifully without sacrificing style.”
Because kitchen cabinets are often the most prized component of the room, “their design and aesthetics can make or break the entire room’s overall appearance.” Therefore, it’s important not to sacrifice quality for the sake of price. At the same time, kitchen cabinets don’t have to break the bank. Indeed, quality, built-to-order cabinetry can be had for every budget.
Look for a kitchen cabinet manufacturer that offers a wide selection of door styles, optional storage solutions and decorative enhancements. That way you can customize the kitchen cabinets that fit within the needs of both your family and your budget. Wood species, finish, storage solutions and moldings will all factor into the overall cost of your kitchen cabinets, so selecting a kitchen cabinet manufacturer with a wide array of options is your best bet.
Another kitchen cabinet trend HGTV sees taking a firm hold in the marketplace is an overall one “toward furniture-grade cabinets.” This one is a direct offshoot of the function over style one. “Now consumers are turning their attention toward more particular aspects, such as pull-out waste cans, slide-out towel bars and pull-down shelves. This … points to an overall customization movement that puts as much emphasis on function as it does on form.”
A leading kitchen cabinet manufacturer will afford homeowners a unique and eclectic array of storage solutions. Sink base door storage units, Contempo floor mount wastebasket cabinets, stainless utensil trays, sliding towel bars, sink base door storage units, base wastebasket top mounts, paper towel holders, base wastebasket cabinets, sink base door storage units and top mount wastebaskets are just some of the kitchen cabinet add-on features that are appealing to today’s homeowners.
According to a 2002 survey conducted by the National Kitchen and Bath Association, “Wood-finished cabinets are still the style of choice,” representing about 80 percent of all cabinets purchased. But as a final trend, HGTV points out that homeowners “are opting for a more casual appearance overall. Many of these have multi-step finishes and glazes to make them look like antiques that have weathered generations of use.” If this trend describes you, look for a leading kitchen cabinet manufacturer that offers a wide range of kitchen cabinet wood species, kitchen cabinet door shapes and kitchen cabinet wood finishes. Standard and premium finishes and glazes complement any design style.
Carmen Fontana is a Web Services Manager for Western Reserve Internet Services. You can request a free kitchen planning Idea Book from Kraftmaid.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carmen_Fontana
Categories
