Lee Turner: The Underside of Wall Cabinets

When you are installing new kitchen cabinets, do not forget about the underside of the wall cabinets. In most cases, a piece of moulding is installed along the bottom edge of the cabinet frame, either for decoration or as a light rail to conceal the light fixtures, but this does not cover the seams and box construction of cabinets (see picture below).

However, if there is a seating area such as a table, island or peninsula, the underside of the wall cabinet box construction is visible and not attractive to view. Below are several solutions that may be used on both framed and frameless cabinets.

1. Place ¾ matching finished solid stock – the depth of the wall cabinet box (one face and edge finished) and attach to bottom of cabinet with blind nails.

2. Place a ¾ matching solid stock ¾ to 1 ½’ deeper than cabinet box (finished both faces and one long edge) with profiled edge of choice and attach to box as above.

3. A ¼ matching plywood panel and light rail moulding are applied to the bottom in either of the two methods as illustrated below.

All of the above could be used with under cabinet lighting, but the lighting would be completely or partially proud (beyond) of the bottom of the cabinet box. Or, if puck lighting is used, the electrician could recess the fixture in the panel if it is a framed cabinet installation.

To completely hide the under cabinet lighting from standing position in work area, the light rail would have to measure between 1 ½”- 2 +” and ¼” paneling attached to cabinet behind the light rail and to bottom of cabinet, as shown below:

For a complete diagram of the finished undersides available from Omega Cabinets, visit this PDF on our website. To learn more about the many different options for wall cabinets, contact your nearest Kitchen Views showroom.

Lee Turner
Kitchen Views at National Lumber
15 Needham St, Newton, MA 02461
617-244-8020
Email: lturner@kitchenviews.com
Web: www.kitchenviews.com