Design help - finish built ins to ceiling

[Matt Day]

I’m building mudroom built ins for our mudroom, frameless out of melamine. Storage is a priority.

I’m looking for advice on how to terminate the lockers to the ceiling, which is stiple textured. I was planning on building the cabinets 1/2” shy of the ceiling (to maximize storage) and closing that gap somehow. I know I could install could lower the upper doors and have more room for a bigger cove molding (my wife doesn’t like the “old fashioned” looking typical crown) but I’d rather not make it a focus. I’d prefer to have a clean look.

Make them as tall as possible and caulk the gap? Any other ideas?

[Mark Bolton]

Just drop your cabs a hair further and put a scribe up there. Whether or not you need the scribe is what it is but just leave yourself an inch or so at the top to attach a scribe to the cabs.

[Mark Bolton]

Like this:
Untitled - SketchUp Pro 2020 1_28_2022 1_47_34 PM (2).jpg

[Paul F Franklin]

Use a scribe strip like Mark suggests. Trying to scribe to a heavily textured ceiling is a thankless task, but if it's really a stipple texture on the ceiling, you can use a carbide scraper to remove a thin swath (or at least knock down the highest parts) and then caulk any remaining gap. It's a bit messy to scrape off the texture, but it's not a hard job for the thin area you need to remove.

[Matt Day]

Thanks Mark, I had thought of doing something like that. And I just return it on the side face that has no cabinet doors for continuity? And yes, I thought about using the corner stock as a place called ceiling back for that 3/4”, and caulk as needed. I will run it by the boss. Thx

[Mark Bolton]

Pauls advice is spot on. Set the scribe up there or a straight edge and light razor knife score the stipple and scrape it off behind the face of the cabs if you really want to be fussy. Then caulk it in.

[Patrick Kane]

You could also top it off with a simple moulding. Your design is so unadorned, you could use something like quarter round shoe. Otherwise, you could go with a small crown moulding.

[Matt Day]

Sounds good guys, thank you for the advice.

[Tom Bain]

Matt — I’m sure you have already thought through this, but tall cabinets in a tight space can be a real challenge to maneuver into place for install. Don’t ask me I know this

[Mark Bolton]

Matt — I’m sure you have already thought through this, but tall cabinets in a tight space can be a real challenge to maneuver into place for install. Don’t ask me I know this

If you had taken the time to look at his drawing he has a small base below. Putting cabs tight to the ceiling in his proposed situation is gravy.

[Lee Schierer]

Remember that you are not going to be able to build the complete the cabinet in your shop and move it to the finish destination and stand it up with that close clearance to the ceiling. The diagonal measurement of the cabinet has to be less than the overall height of the ceiling in order to stand the cabinet up in a room. You could build the side panels to the exact ceiling height so they physically touch the ceiling if you stand them up and then assemble the rest of the cabinet between the two side panels after the side panels are in place.

[Matt Day]

I’ll be okay. I’m just going to lift it straight up and slide it back in ther vertical position. The bottom portion and the walnut too are already in place. See below. There are 5 lockers and I’m basically going to build 3 in the shop (left, middle and right) then connect the middle portions of the remaining lockers while the other 3 are in place.

First time using Rubio Monocoat.

[Dave Sabo]

If you (wife ) want the opposite of "old fashioned", then omit molding, scribe , etc.. all together.

The trend out of Europe a few years ago is to have a heavy shadow line above the tops.

makes install a lot easier.




arclinea-principia-native.jpeg

[Matt Day]

Good call! I’ll ask my wife. She just wants it done, lol. “What we is quicker”

[Mark Bolton]

Remember that you are not going to be able to build the complete the cabinet in your shop and move it to the finish destination and stand it up with that close clearance to the ceiling. The diagonal measurement of the cabinet has to be less than the overall height of the ceiling in order to stand the cabinet up in a room. You could build the side panels to the exact ceiling height so they physically touch the ceiling if you stand them up and then assemble the rest of the cabinet between the two side panels after the side panels are in place.

Did you even look at his drawings? There is no diagonal tipping the cabinets up into the space?