Base cabinet toe kick

[joe milana]

When building base cabinets for an old house with wavy/sloping floors, would building one common toe kick spanning the length of the cabinets, shimming and leveling it, then simply setting cabinets constructed with no toe kick on the level "uni-toe-kick" be an acceptable approach?

PS. Not sure how I would approach the end panel on the exposed end cabinet.

[Paul Girouard]

Sure it can be done like that. The part about where you EXACTLY stop the toe space is the tricky part. This can be over come sometimes (as every situation can be different it will be hard to guess what your "differences" may be) But IF you can say find the dead center of say a sink cabinet and do your layout / calculations for that point to find that "end stopping point".


Generally I rather screw together a few cabinet which turns the three or so into one cabinet then I find it easier to find that exact spot shim it up level then scribe fit it to the floor. Yes that takes some planing but it does work out in the end.

I think a LOT of cabinet builders who set T/S first are NOT as fussy as to the set back's from the cabinet front to the toe space. In other words if one end is set back 2 1/4" from the cab. front and the other is 2 1/2 or more they don't sweat it out. I like mine exactly the same.



So the short answer is yes.

[Jamie Buxton]

Particularly for old homes with sloped floors, my preferred method is that loose toekick. I put it in first, shimming and leveling it carefully. (I usually add a molding to cover the gaps between the floor and the bottom of the loose toekick.) Then the cabinet boxes just drop on top of it without any hassle.

[Joe Chritz]

I do it all the time, even on flat floors since it has some serious advantages and not to many disadvantages.

Pick the high spot and go from there for level, snap a line on the wall and level the kicks out from there. Scribe for a finished kick before you install the cabs and you are in like flynn so to speak.

Joe

[Bruce Wrenn]

I always install a "ladder " first, and then set cabinets on it. We build cubbies for local YMCA's and often have a forty foot straight run. It's a whole lot easier to level the ladder than to level each cabinet. At the end of a run, I let my face frame hang over by a little over 3/4", then add a finished 3/4 panel. You can also use adjustable legs on each cabinet, with a snap on toe kick.

[Per Swenson]

My simple answer to your question, yes.

Per

[Ted Shrader]

Absolutely!!! I use that method whenever possible.

As for the end piece, leave it long enough to reach the floor. Will there be molding at the base on the end? Will tile (or other flooring) be installed after the cabinet install? You can trim the end panel for flush fit after you get the base set and leveled.

One advantage with this method is when you have tall cabinets - floor to ceiling - the toe-kick platform gives a few extra inches to play with.

Regards,
Ted

[Mark Boyette]

That's a lot more work and definately not needed. I build custom kitchens and found this to work well.
I cut my sides 24 x 34 1/2 and dado the bottom in at 3 1/2. I then cut in the toe kick space on the table saw. 3" in from front and 3 1/2 up off bottom. The 3/4" back is rabbeted in and screwed to the back edge of the bottom so there's plenty of support of the bottom.
When setting a cabinet you only have the two sides that touch the floor so it's easy to scrib them if needed. I generally scribe a 1/4" heavy and shim up unless it's a finish end. The finish end will be to be right on if your not changing the flooring. If your fitting between two walls you can just shim up.
Set all the cabinets then install one long toe kick board. I usually finish off a 16" x 96" sheet of whatever the material is I'm building with and edgeband one end. Then rip it on site for and desired toekick size.
hope this helps
Mark.

[frank shic]

use levelling feet and you can just cut the baseboard for the length required and just run it into the end panel. furthermore, you can come back at any time and remove the baseboard to deal with electrical or plumbing later.

[Jim Becker]

I prefer separate toe-kicks/platforms for lower cabinets for exactly the reason you state. Even in NEW construction, I find them easier to level. Moreover, the cabinets can then be simple boxes without the need to cut out and account for the toe kick area. Faster cutting for components and faster assembly in my experience.

But adjustable feet are also something I got to experience and they do have merit. Once leveled, it's pretty simple to make a snap-on toe kick face. (This is the Euro way, BTW)

[Paul Girouard]

#1: Moreover, the cabinets can then be simple boxes without the need to cut out and account for the toe kick area. Faster cutting for components and faster assembly in my experience.

#2: But adjustable feet are also something I got to experience and they do have merit. Once leveled, it's pretty simple to make a snap-on toe kick face. (This is the Euro way, BTW)

#1: I cut all my parts the same way you do , I make my toe-space as separate part , just like you do , but I screw mine on from underneath.

So there are no exposed screws or plastic capped screw covers inside the base cabinets. You know those pretty much all get knocked off thru use in the long run right?

#2: Those Blum legs are crap , well not the legs really but the clips that are suppose to hold the toe space covers on. We had to many , one is to many in many ways , where the people kept knocking the toe space covers off with a mop or vacuum. They do level the cabinets pretty well , but they are sort of wimpy IMO. And the clips are really crap. Nothing like just finishing up a high dollar job and then getting a call about "these toe space thingies keep falling off!" Can you come fix it?

They are a big compromise, IMO, to quality cabinets.

[Brian Ross]

an added advantage to having a separate toe kick is that you can get 6 gables out of a 4x8 sheet as opposed to 4 if your gables are 34 1/2 or 35 1/4.

Brian

[Bob Johnson2]

#1: I cut all my parts the same way you do , I make my toe-space as separate part , just like you do , but I screw mine on from underneath.

So there are no exposed screws or plastic capped screw covers inside the base cabinets. You know those pretty much all get knocked off thru use in the long run right?

#2: Those Blum legs are crap , well not the legs really but the clips that are suppose to hold the toe space covers on. We had to many , one is to many in many ways , where the people kept knocking the toe space covers off with a mop or vacuum. They do level the cabinets pretty well , but they are sort of wimpy IMO. And the clips are really crap. Nothing like just finishing up a high dollar job and then getting a call about "these toe space thingies keep falling off!" Can you come fix it?

They are a big compromise, IMO, to quality cabinets.

If I read this right, your attaching individual bases/toe kicks to each cabinet, doesn't this negate the leveling benefit of a single toe kick?

[Larry Edgerton]

I use adjustable feet and snap on toe kicks in this situation. A little more money but makes life simple. Sometimes I use them so there is access to the space under the cabinets for future plumbing and wiring issues.

[Jim Becker]

Paul, I've never had screws visible for the separate toe kick platform to cabinet box union...glue does the job and any fasteners go into the wall studs as you would have for any cabinets. When I do need to use screws, such as between cabinet boxes, I use #7 trim heads which don't stick out too much since they are pretty small and I locate them as best as I can to avoid visibility, such as behind a hinge location.

The only experience I have with adjustable legs and snap-on toe kicks is with the Ikea cabinets in my laundry room and they gave me no trouble at all. I probably wouldn't choose this method normally, but can understand its value when I consider that in Europe and other places, "cabinetry" isn't considered built-in and moves in and out as residents do.