Major kitchen cabinet install gap problem? (w/pics)

[David Eisan]

Hello everyone,

I made the mistake of installing all my cabinets level and true in a kitchen that is anything but.

The old cabinets were pushed flush with the ceiling and had quarter round between them and the ceiling. Things rolled around in the old cabinets.

I now have the dilemma of how to fix this random gap between the tops of my cabinets and the ceiling. In some places the cabinets touch the ceiling and in other places there is a 3/4" gap. The face frame exposure above the doors is about 7/8".

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/cabprob1.jpg

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/cabprob2.jpg

Hindsight tells me I should have figured out the difference in level in the ceiling and made the face frames and side panels large enough to allow for scribing.

Any ideas how to fill the gap? Somehow I don't think caulk and paint is the answer. Neither is fixing the ceiling an option.

I am trying to think of some sort of trim design/style that I can put up there to fix things that won't look all stupid being made of various widths. I was thinking of making some sort of trim starting with a min height of 1/2" where the cabinets are flush, expanding to 1-1/4" at the worst gap. Add to this the fact that I deliberately made the face frame sides proud of the side panels, and that issue needs to be dealt with (mitre, mitre, mitre, another mitre, mitre, mitre, another mitre....).

I am thinking 1/2" trim with maybe a 3/8" quarter round with bead on both sides to mimic the doors. In order to do this with speed. I would prepaint the trim, scribe it and hang it with 23g pins

To make matters worse, time is seriously of the essence. I take possession of my new house in a little over three weeks and I really need to get this done ASAP!

Finishing the kitchen is one of the many jobs that needed to be done last month :(.

HELP!

David

[Jim Becker]

I'd use a flat strip of material, pre-finished and scribed to appear level on the cabinet above the doors as a filler and if you prefer a small quarter round to finish that off right at the ceiling line. You'll be best served by removing the doors so you can clamp the material for scribing.

[Todd Jensen]

The only other thing I could think of is to run a band of 1x3 or similar along the drywall above the cabinets, dropping it 3/4 or an inch below the drywall soffit to hide the gap, and change the above sink light to a can spotlight. A unique sub-crown detail, if you like. :)
With so little face frame at the top, any scribing is going to appear 'off' since you've got so little room to hide it. On the plus side, the cabinets are white and so in this case scribing as Jim suggested won't be very noticable at all. Ideally you would have floated the soffit level before cabinet install, but I definitely empathize with the 'post-ideal' situation, as I often find myself in a similar place. :) One of my favorite rules-of-thumb from an old mentor(if he's reading this, I've gotta emphasize OLD:D), is "If you can't hide it, highlight it."

Good luck, and congrats on the new house.

[Don Bullock]

When ever I do something like that (sometimes is seems to be often), I go to the molding store and figure out which one, or which combination of molding will cover the "mistake." My wife can vouch for my molding buying skills. She's been with me many times standing in front of the racks while I'm trying to figure out what I need (infact, we just did that on Monday morning). Most of the time the "mistake," as Todd explains becomes a "feature."

[Mark Rios]

Gaps around the tops and side of cabines aren't unusual (the amount of your gaps ARE a little big however). That's why scribe moulding was invented. :D

I've had the best luck ripping my scribe as opposed to trying to plane it to thickness. Running 1/8", thin (3/4" to about 2 1/2" wide) material through my DW735 hasn't worked very well.


hth

[Charles Bruno]

I'm with Mark,
our local wood supplier sells "scribe" molding. I've used it on a few projects.
I made my marks and used a belt sander clamped to a table and sanded to the line I marked.
Good luck!

[Art Mulder]

In some places the cabinets touch the ceiling and in other places there is a 3/4" gap.
...
Any ideas how to fill the gap? Somehow I don't think caulk and paint is the answer. Neither is fixing the ceiling an option.


Frankly, I don't see how caulk and paint are going to be any more noticeable than trim that is scribed from 3/4" to almost nothing. Just caulk it, and move on. I think your average person is just going to see the lovely cabinets and be totally satisfied.

Git-r-done and sell the place already! ;)

[Tim Lynch]

I would consider running a trim board between the cabinets over the sink, then topping the whole thing with crown molding. You'd end up with one outside miter and one inside cope -- an easy crown job if there ever was one!

[Phil Thien]

I would design a small shelf that hangs down from the soffit. The purpose of this shelf would be: (1) To hold a collection of neat stuff, like old kitchen gadgets or license plates from states you've visited, etc. (2) To hide the gap.

[Michael Schwartz]

I would trim the top out with a "Picture Rail" moulding, or 1x3 stock.

[Jason Boushard]

I install for a living Jim hit it on the head small piece of scribe/trim trimmed to appear level you might have to lower the cabinets a bit to get it to look right just remember 18" from the counter top to the bottom of the top cabinet is usually the min allowed for code in most areas. we call pieces like this scribe in the biz. call the place where you got the cabinets from and ask them if they have any. our scribe is usualy pretty flexible and might do the job without to much cutting.

[Art Mulder]

call the place where you got the cabinets from and ask them if they have any.

:eek: ... where he got the cabinets ?

:D:p:D:p:D:p

Jason, Jason, Jason... this is SMC. Where do you *think* he got those cabinets from?

Would (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=41917) You (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=43099) Like (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=43800) A (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=45877) Hint (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=45996) Or (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=46810) two? (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=59154)

;) :rolleyes:

[Jason Boushard]

lol sorry had my mind in work mode lol well the scribe we use is usualy maple if that helps. lol that was a pretty dumb comment wasn't it glad to entertain lol

[Steve Clardy]

Not sure what width top rail you used on your face frames David. 1" or 1.5"?

This is why I always use 2" top rail.

This leaves you a 1 1/2" rail space after a 1/2" overlay door covers part of the rail up.

This 1 1/2" lets you trim it out with 1/2x3/4 flat scribe, quarter round, etc.

What I would do is drop the cabinets a 1/2" or so, leaving some trimout room on top.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I'd use a flat strip of material, pre-finished and scribed to appear level on the cabinet above the doors as a filler and if you prefer a small quarter round to finish that off right at the ceiling line. You'll be best served by removing the doors so you can clamp the material for scribing.

What that guy said ( who ever he is ;-p) Or use a pretty trim that will fool the eye.

[Bill Wyko]

Maby a piece of 3/4 inch 1/4 round material. Looks like the drop ceiling was dropped on its head;) The cabinets sure look good though. There's always bondo and paint.:D

[J.R. Rutter]

Can you put a taller strip of trim right over the soffit face so that you can fudge the distance between the trim and the ceiling rather than try to fit a small QTR round between the bottom of the soffit? Make an L-shaped end view profile if you need to. I think that would tie everything together nicely. Over the window could be a dropped slightly and painted to match the cabinets.

[Steve Aiken]

I would consider adding a short 'shelf' above the junction of cabinet tops and the bulkhead. Run the shelf across to span the gap between cabinets. Add a decorative vertical spacer panel between the cabinets. Then add a large crown moulding starting just low enough to cover the largest gap. Paint the whole assembly to match the cabinets, and voila.

This pic is sorta what you're looking at.....just instead of transitioning between cabinet top and the bulkhead (in my case), you'll have a lovely little knickknack shelf.:D

Steve