How tall should upper cabinets be

If you have 8-foot-tall ceilings and want cabinets that run to the ceiling, inch-tall wall cabinets will fit perfectly. If you have 9-foot-tall ceilings, you can choose to fill the available 54 inches of wall space with one row of inch-tall cabinets, with a row of inch cabinets above them.

Another option would be inch cabinets atop a row of inch cabinets. If there are small gaps above the wall cabinets, this can usually be easily filled with crown moldings or other decorative trim work.

If you have unusual ceiling heights, a custom cabinetry specialist can build cabinets to fit any space—which may be the most practical solution if you have foot-high ceilings. Alternately, you could fill the space above a single row of standard cabinets with false cabinet panels that give the appearance, but not the function or cost , of cabinets running all the way to the ceiling.

If you have the unusual circumstance of ceilings higher than 10 feet, as is sometimes the case in loft condos, it's best not to attempt to run cabinets all the way up.

It is neither practical nor attractive to install such a mass of cabinets. You should be aware that you'll face a substantially higher remodeling cost if you choose to install to-the-ceiling wall cabinets. The cabinetry is already the most expensive component of a kitchen remodel, and buying extra-tall cabinets or adding a second row of cabinets will greatly increase your costs.

If you are set on the look but the cost seems prohibitive, then false cabinets panels extending to the ceiling is probably the best option. Another option is to extend the ceiling down—by framing and finishing soffits that drop the ceiling height above the cabinets to meet the tops of the cabinets. Beams and other architectural details can add another layer of confusion to the topic of cabinet heights.

With ceiling beams, whether they offer genuine structural support or are merely decorative which is often the case , it is usually best to keep the tops of the cabinets well below the ceiling. If you are intent on having full-rise cabinets, then it's probably best to have the carpenters remove any decorative beams, as they will look awkward butted up against cabinetry. Other architectural features can also complicate things. The two primary upper cabinet choices are 36 inch and inch cabinets.

If you are dealing with a ceiling height of 36 inches it is quite a safe bet to go for the inch ones. They will not touch the roof of the ceiling so the option of adding a crown molding can be left for later on. Or if you choose not to place a crown at all and would still like the cabinets to go all the way to the top, you can simply add a dummy cabinet on the top to provide an illusion of taller cabinets.

If you require a larger amount of space in your upper kitchen cabinets, the inch ones are what you need. But these come with some added hassle which one must be prepared for. For example, no ceiling is absolutely even from end to end and thus to install inch cabinets. Some amount of construction work will be required from a professional to make the top of the cabinets meet the ceiling evenly.

Besides, this also means the loss of the options to add any sort of crown molding to the top. So, if you aim to go for a inch cabinet and utilize the extra space, be prepared for the extra amount of effort you need to put in. Ensuring that a proper height has been decided for the upper cabinets in the kitchen is no easy task. While some people can afford to simply pick a cabinet with the general height, all true homemakers know that the cabinets need to be installed perfectly and must look even from all angles.

Follow the instruction in this article carefully and you should be able to decide what height your upper cabinets should hang and also remember to take the help of a professional whenever the need be.

But it is downright essential for upper cabinets. When you install your kitchen cabinets affixed to the wall, you have to secure them to the studs. Wall studs are the vertical beams inside your walls that keep everything stable. This makes studs a reliable way to keep your upper cabinets secured to the wall.

Click here to find this stud finder on Amazon. This allows you to fasten your upper cabinets directly into the wall studs. Naturally, making your cabinets flush with the wall studs is the only way to transfer the best structural stability of your walls to your cabinets. Otherwise, you could end up attaching your cabinets to something as weak as pure drywall. Generally speaking, kitchen cabinets are usually attached directly to the subfloor.

Then, the flooring is installed around the cabinets and cut into shape. The subfloor is often made of concrete and is the primary source of stability for the entire home.

This durability is usually necessary to support the weight of base cabinets and any additional fixtures or appliances. You can read this post to learn how much space you should have between your stove and the cabinets. However, it is sometimes possible to place a kitchen cabinet on top of a flooring material. This part of the floor is the surface level, which sits on top of the subfloor and protective underlayment. This can determine whether or not your cabinets can touch the floor.

For example, it is never a good idea to install base cabinets directly on top of a floating floor. A floating floor is typically laminate and has a unique method of installation.

A floating floor is simply a series of interlocking pieces, and it is not nailed or glued down to the underlay and subfloor. Placing your base cabinets directly on this kind of flooring will result in warped, broken pieces. Also, cabinets typically need to be nailed down, which weakens laminate flooring.

There are, of course, some exceptions to these standards. The specialty wall cabinets that fit above a refrigerator or range will be installed higher than other upper cabinets, and may also be deeper than the standard 12 inches. These installation standards can be varied slightly to match the needs of users, although this is limited by the dimensions of stock cabinets.

A family with members 5 ft. A family with very tall members might install cabinets slightly higher for convenience. These small variations are within the accepted range, and will not dramatically affect sale potential of your home. However, you should be cautious about more glaring variations to normal design standards when customizing a kitchen, as it may make your house hard to sell in the future.

More dramatic variation in height standards can be necessary for homes or apartments used by those with physical disabilities, such as people confined to wheelchairs. Special base cabinets may be purchased or built that are 34 inches or lower in height, and upper cabinets can be installed on the wall much lower than normal in order to allow wheelchair users to reach them easily A newer innovation is electrically operated cabinetry that raises and lowers the upper wall cabinets, making them easy to use for both physically challenged and physically able family members.

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