How Not To Install A Kitchen Cabinet

Every home inspector has seen this.

New construction. Kitchen cabinets. Installed wrong.

Same old, same old.

At least they used the ring!

The ring doesn't really improve the strength, just makes the whole thing look a little more "professional."

But it is still incorrect. That is a drywall screw. At least it isn't a 1" drywall screw!

That is the other problem. Often the installers have a box of 1" drywall screws nearby and use them!

These screws were 2 1/2" long. They might hold. And while they might hold, perhaps not for long. Under long-term weight drywall screws have been known to sheer right off.

That is why cabinet manufacturers usually do one of two things. The installation guide they include with EACH cabinet either says not to use drywall screws or they include the screws they want used.

I had another new construction inspection this week and that builder used the screws included by the manufacturer: stainless steel with a square head, and little rings.

The cabinet manufacturer included those because they are strong, they look better, and they know they will get fewer call backs because their cabinets "failed."

Interestingly, when I pointed this out to my clients, they said that in a previous house their cabinets came off the wall! They knew just what I meant.

Will the builder replace them? I don't know. I doubt it. But the comment is made. It is not as professional an installation as it should be.

My recommendation: Look for the little things that set a great builder off from a good or mediocre one. And a great home inspector looks for the small and simple, the little things that make all the difference.

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Jay performs inspections Monday through Saturday, throughout Northern Virginia, from his office in Bristow to Leesburg and Centreville, to Great Falls and Vienna and everywhere in between!

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