Library builder

Cabinet installers wrangle about whether it’s easier to install base or wall cabinets first. If you hang the wall units first, you won’t need to lean over the base cabinets as you work. Whereas if you install the bases first, you can brace the bottom of the wall cabinets off the bases and thereby install […]

Using a long level atop a straightedge, locate the high point of the floor. It’s easier to set a base cabinet (or rough toekick) at the floor’s high point and shim up the other cabinets to that level than it is to cut down cabinet bases and toekicks. From the floor’s high point, measure up […]

Cabinets today are basically boxes of plywood, particleboard, or medium-density fiberboard (MDF) panels that are glued and screwed together. Side panels, bottoms, and partitions are typically 3/ in. thick; back panels are usually in. thick. Cabinet faces are either frameless (the edges of the panels are the frame, although they may be veneered or edge-banded) […]

at the sink, position it at the base of the U, with the refrigerator on one side and the stove on the other. If one person preps food or washes while the other cooks, their paths won’t cross too often. If possible, place the sink beneath a window so the eye and the mind can […]

Letter refers to "Figuring Dimensions" at left. The arched valance over the farmhouse sink picks up curves in other rooms, including the double doors to the dining room, at right. In between, is a quiet alcove with enough room for cookbooks, a chair, and a computer.   Recommended Counter Space and Clearances   Minimum Kitchen […]

No other rooms are renovated as often as kitchens and bathrooms, in part, because we’ve changed the way we live. In the old days, home­owners regarded kitchens and bathrooms as drab utility rooms, best situated at the back of the house, away from guests. Times change. These days, if you throw a party, everybody hangs […]

Most municipalities require a permit to replace a water heater, primarily because they want to ensure that the heater’s TPR valve is correctly installed. Even though most local codes allow homeowners to replace water heaters, unless you have a lot of plumbing experience, hire a licensed plumber for this job. Plumbers know which brands and […]

After framing the three-walled alcove around the tub, attaching 2×4 ledgers to support the tub lip, and cutting an opening in the subfloor for the drain assembly, dry-fit the tub and check for level in two directions. If the tub rocks after its lip is supported by the ledgers, remove the tub, apply 30-lb. building […]

When you’re ready to install the toilet, remove the plastic bag you inserted earlier in the closet bend to block sewage gases. Place closet bolts in the closet flange if you haven’t already done so. Set the bowl first. Then attach the tank to the bowl. If you’re re-installing an old toilet, as shown in […]

Installing a pedestal sink takes planning, a lot of adjusting, and two people. For starters, determine well in advance the height of the 2x blocking needed to anchor the sink, so you can cut that board into stud walls well before the drywall goes up. Preattach the sink’s hardware before mount­ing it on the pedestal. […]