Full IKEA Kitchen Installation from Start to Finish

Ikea kitchen cabinets are a popular alternative to custom-made cabinets, but the costs can still add up depending on the design, size, and whether or not your pay to have them installed. In this video we show you a full Ikea kitchen installation from unboxing the materials, building the cabinets, and getting them onto the wall. Hopefully this video will give you the confidence to try it yourself and save some money on your next kitchen remodel!
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Tips to help your installation go smoothly:
- pre-mark stud locations on your wall prior to installing the rails
- take your time installing the rails as these are critical and not adjustable once installed
- use a laser to project lines and assist with leveling
- use clamps to hold things securely while fastening components together
- double-check appliance openings
- establish layout from a fixed point such as centerline of faucet/sink
00:00 Intro
00:12 Assembly
06:34 Layout & Upper Rail Installation
13:25 Mounting Upper Cabinets
14:21 Lower Rail Installation
15:10 Mounting Lower Cabinets
15:39 Talking about Doors & Cover Panels
16:15 Leveling & Securing Cabinets
19:08 Cover Panels
24:04 Installing Hinges & Doors
25:30 Building & Installing Drawers
27:24 Finished Kitchen & Outro
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[@mylesbridger9611]

Wow, great explanation.

[@DIYDudes]

Thank you!

[@momon52094]

So helpful. Thanks.

[@DIYDudes]

Awesome! Thanks for watching!

[@benzun9600]

thanks very helpful

[@DIYDudes]

Thanks for watching!

[@tonyp9609]

Great video, think you should square cabinet before you nail back panel. Question, Should the finish floor be installed before or after with these cabinets?

[@DIYDudes]

Thank you. You could install it before or after, just make sure you account for the height of the floor when installing the rail if you are installing the floor afterwards Also if it’s a floating floor I like to install the floor afterwards so it’s not pinned in place by the weight of the cabinet legs.

[@aminortuneup8408]

Thanks! Last thing... it's been a year since I put it together and don't know where the rest of hardware is. What kind/length screws would you recommend so they grab deep enough but don't pierce the other side?

[@DIYDudes]

I believe it’s 1 1/4”. Measure the wall of the cabinet and the thickness of the cover panel and subtract 1/4” of inch,… just don’t bury the screw in the wood when your screwing it! Good luck

[@iluvtorace4786]

When you installed the cover panels it looks like you had them sticking out about a half inch on the front side. Is there a specific distance for that in the instructions or is the distance supposed to be however thick the doors are?

[@DIYDudes]

On the standard cabinets the cover panels are design to conceal the entire side of the cabinet and extend to match the face of the door. The cover panels must sit flush against the back wall for this to work. Good luck!

[@4threich]

This was a very helpful video. What kind of screws did you use to mount the rail for the upper cabinets?

[@DIYDudes]

Just regular 3” construction screws. Thicker gauge. They should hold over 250lbs. Each and at the tight spacing it’s much more than enough

[@4threich]

Thanks for the reply and info. It helped me decide on the SPAX #10 x 3in cabinet screws.

[@aminortuneup8408]

Do the screws really hold the heavy side panels on these things well over time considering they're just laminated pressboard? I have one I'm dreading installing on our ikea microwave cabinet. It's on the outer end so fully exposed. Wondering if I should add glue for good measure.

[@DIYDudes]

The screw’s definitely hold but glue would not hurt if your worried about it. Good luck!

[@fenrisvargen]

I'm looking for a used kitchen. Has the wall rails been common for quite a while and or is this usually something you get on Ikea kitchens? If the cabinets come preassembled since its used, I would believe the rails would save me a lot of time

[@DIYDudes]

I would be hesitant about buying a used kitchen. But yes the ikea system must have the rails.

[@reconone3574]

Did you paint the front edge of the cabinet between where the dwarers meet? Mine are white with the navy fronts so I see the gap.

[@DIYDudes]

If you have the doors adjusted just right you shouldn’t see the gaps. You could paint it though if you wanted. Good luck !

[@anthonyhusband8779]

Don't forget your kick rail that will determine the height of your hanger rail

[@DIYDudes]

For sure thank you

[@anthonyhusband8779]

No prob

[@user-id3yj4cy7e]

I'm working on my Ikea kitchen now. Could I install the cover panels first, before hanging the cabinets?

[@DIYDudes]

I wouldn’t it’s better to line them up after to get the best against walls etc.

[@SDW2000]

Is there a reason why you can't cut the side panels to simply cover only the visible side area, instead of extending it between the cabinets (see 19:30)? It would be a cleaner look to keep the cabs directly attached to each other (as well as lining up with the bottom cabs).

[@DIYDudes]

It’s really a personal preference, I think it looks cleaner when the cabinet doors but up to the finished panel rather than cabinet door to cabinet door Thanks for watching!

[@coreychristenson6500]

Could you use an 18g Brad nailer to secure the back panels versus nailing all those nails by hand?

[@DIYDudes]

You could try as long as the nail doesn’t blow through it would be fine. Just do a test and don’t miss

[@bdog0720]

You’ll need something with a larger head than an 18 ga brad nail. Use 18 ga 1/4” crown staples instead. Don’t drive them in too deep though.

[@davidnicholson5034]

It looks like the base cabinets are suspended off the floor. Are there legs that go under? Can floating laminate floors be installed under the cabinets, as there is little or no weight on the floor?

[@DIYDudes]

Yes exactly the weight is taken by the hanger but the leveling legs do take weight if they are used to level. The flooring can go under but you run the risk of the floating floors popping joints if it’s pinned by the legs. I always do a small cut out around the legs so the floating floor doesn’t separate at the joints

[@markdriggs3611]

Have you installed the wine rack on an upper cabinet. What is the trick

[@DIYDudes]

I’ve actually never done that sorry… good luck though!

[@AntoniPaquet]

So... it's alright to put the cabinet straight against the wall? The door has enough room to open at 90? It won't scratch the wall? (That cabinet on the right).

[@DIYDudes]

Yes it’s good. The hinges step in slightly as they open so it is able to open fully at a 90 even when obstructed. Thanks for watching

[@philippmaqs8799]

Where's part 2? Countertop installation?

[@euci3207]

What did you use for the legs on the pantry?

[@DIYDudes]

Just the ikea legs. The majority of the weight is taken up by the rail but if your really worried about weight you could build a simple 2x4 base.

[@elivalentine452]

Did you fill in the gap between the base cabinets and the floor? Didn’t see that. That’s actually the reason why I was watching the video cuz I can’t find that peace in the online store

[@DIYDudes]

The gap at the Bottom is filled with the Ike’s kick plate… it goes in once the flooring is done It’s easy to install and literally snaps in place

[@HOkilla805]

What did u do about the gap at the top are u going to get crown molding?

[@DIYDudes]

No I just left it open. If you wanted to you could get the taller cabinets and run them right to the ceiling.

[@LjLaValle]

I just finished an ikea pantry with 2 bottoms and 2 tops and installed a kick plate with a wrap around corner. I would aim for the recommended 4 1/2” height for the clearance between the floor and bottom of cabinet so you don’t have to trim the whole kick plate all the way along the top. Side note: Keep in mind that there are 2 different ways to position the legs on the ends in addition to sharing a leg between 2 cabinets. Moving on, there are black clips that twist on the inner part of the kick plate- just line them up with the legs and push on. There should also be end caps and connectors on a piece of plastic mold that you twist the pieces off of. For an outside corner, use an end cap on both pieces where they meet and they should snap together to form the corner. I trimmed the kick panel pieces little by little until they met perfectly. For cutting them, I used a Ridgid 3” cutting tool with a plastic cutting wheel with the shoe on and a side jig clamped for a guide. You might also be able to use shears, or maybe even a chop saw, but cut a test piece first. The corner leg was “shared” where the kick plates meet, so you put one clip on the high side and then flip the clip on the other piece on the low side so they can both use the same leg without hitting each other. I’m not sure about inside corners, but probably a bit easier. If you have a long run, there is a small while piece of plastic used to connect kick plates for long runs. There were 2 other weird arrow looking pieces on the twist off mold, but don’t know what they are for.

[@gal766]

What happened to the wood at 26:40? It looks like it got eaten by a wood monster (at the intersection between the cabinets)!

[@DIYDudes]

Based on my kitchens tight size the typical spacer that comes with the corner unit wouldn’t work. That piece was just the right width and it got covered by the covered panel in the finished product. Thanks for watching!

[@anicebyrd7467]

What blade did you use to cut the cover panels and did it have any tear out?

[@DIYDudes]

Use a fine tooth blade and cut finish side up, I didn’t have any tear out cutting like that. Good luck

[@SarahAvi]

Which door fronts are those?

[@DIYDudes]

They are the auxstad grey. Some times they call it forterba They look great.

[@bikinggal1]

where are the legs???? And how would you even attach them if you have already secured the bases?

[@DIYDudes]

The legs screw up and down to make them bigger or smaller…. Make them small pop them on the cabinet, hang the cabinet on the rail with out breaking the leg, unscrew the leg to fine level cabinet

[@GLASSFILM]

Why didn’t you do the flooring first?

[@DIYDudes]

I was doing a floating laminate floor so i didn’t want it to be pinned down by the cabinets…. U just butted the floor up to the legs afterward. Good luck!

[@CinHalCedHerChance]

I got a bit confused as to why you just jumped to 33" for the height of the rail and didn't mention measuring from the highest point of the floor, which you're supposed to do, right? 32 1/16th I'll keep watching a few of the rail installation videos before I do any of this. lol

[@DIYDudes]

Check the instructions… ikea is pretty detailed on the rail height and what to do to get there. Thanks for watching!

[@thedesigner65]

My handy man never install a kitchen from Ikea, should I take a chance with him or should I have an experience Ikea man do it?

[@DIYDudes]

If he’s a competent handyman I’m sure he can figure it out. They’re meant to be simple. Good luck!

[@thedesigner65]

@@DIYDudes thank for your advance.Have a great day

[@johntrimble7876]

Questions :in one kitchen video, I didn't see cabinet legs? Is the wall rail needed for base cabinets? Do door hinges come with the cabinet combo or are they purchased separately? Thx.

[@DIYDudes]

The cabinet legs just snap on.but are just used to level the cabinets if needed. The rail is needed 100% for the bases. The hinges are purchase from IKEA with the doors. Thanks for watching.

[@eduardobolivar587]

Den mörka bredda är fel placerade. Du kunde ställa i hörna och täcka med en snygg lister.

[@steff6682]

How lonf it take xx

[@DIYDudes]

This took about 9 hours total. Good luck!

[@Mkgheith]

No legs for the lower cabinets ?

[@DIYDudes]

Yes there are. Thanks for watching

[@dpompian]

It's advisable to use 4 legs on each base cabinet. Once you have the base frames leveled using the rail/front legs lower the rear legs to the subfloor so they take the load of the counter top. Sharing legs or using only 2 on the front is not worth the money you save by buying fewer leg packs. Great vid BTW

[@DIYDudes]

Good explanation thank you!

[@darthmal]

Never again! We placed a $5,000 order at the Ikea in New Haven CT and they screwed it all up. As soon as we paid we were told half the cabinets and other parts were not available. A month later and we received 3 deliveries (which we had to pay each time). The last one came today and we were missing 15 items out of over 100. Driver would not take responsibility. Ikea customer service crated a list for us to go to another state (NJ) to pick them up. Got their (2.5 hours away) and they said they did not know what we were talking about. Tried calling the service number and they put us on hold several times, then hung up. NEVER AGAIN!

[@DIYDudes]

Yeah they are having lots of supply issues. It took like 5 months to get all the parts I needed! To bad. Hopefully they figure out their logistic issues soon

[@begumakbari9324]

When you do it looks easy, I am sure me and my husband will damage all the walls and the cabinets and still not finish

[@DIYDudes]

Lol u might surprise yourselves… good luck!

[@AbeTenenbaum-ci2vn]

😅

[@DIYDudes]

Good luck!

[@eliaspereirapereira6038]

good night friend do you have a contact to talk to you?

[@DIYDudes]

Thanks for watching

[@edgar9651]

I am not sure if I should trust a guy who rips open a box when it has a convenient opening built in...

[@DIYDudes]

Lol.. I’m not sure it’s so convenient

[@linasburn]

DO NOT SCREW THE CABINETS LIKE HE DID AT time: 17:30 There's need to be a gap for the drawers to open as you can see he added later at 26:34 with white scratched up board which he didn't mentioned. Also, instead of that white scratched board there should be a cover panel like the one he used on side of the high cabinet and other top cabinet. At the final shots you don't see any white color at that corner, don't know if he painted it or finally installed it the correct way. Terrible instructional video.

[@DIYDudes]

The corner cabinets come with a small strip about 1.5” that extend out at 90 degrees from the face. It was left out of the initial install because I was extremely tight on space and I added a small 3/4 filler which is capped with a cover panel later I left this out of the video because if you follow your instructions when building the cabinets you will have the correct extension in place to create the needed gap needed… my site specific requirements should not be discussed in detail to confuse everyone else. Thanks for watching in such detail.

[@linasburn]

@@DIYDudes I still think you should at least mention in the video for the viewers that this is not the correct way of installing cabinets and you do it like that because of lack of space. People are usually watching instructional video like this for this kind of tricky installation steps. Anyway, something to consider for the next video :)

[@nmsgoncalves]

Totally agree on this. One can see it's not his kitchen... those cabinets will be completly scratched. You're suppose to work on a clean as possible environment. Also why didn't he fix the upper cabinets to the wall? He just left them hanging by gravity. Not the best video do learn how to do it.

[@DIYDudes]

No they actually turned out great! The tops are meant to hang on the rail by gravity and then locked in place using the locking hardware which secures them to the rail. I show these in the video.

[@chubbyBunny94]

chill dude, it wasn't 'terrible' - it was a super helpful video for total noobs (like myself) and you've been helpful too. But how does one mistake render an entire video terrible? Why can't we build on knowledge without tearing each other down??