With help I have installed new kitchen cabinets. I have purchased undercabinet lighting and am ready to attach the molding to the bottom of the cabinets to hide the lighting. What is the best way to attach the molding? Seems like predrilling holes in the molding and then using screws from the bottom up into the cabinet would work best. Any words of caution?
If I screw from the cabinet downward into the molding, I’ll have screw heads showing on the bottom shelf of the cabinet.
Any other options/suggestions?
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I custom made some maple "wire-mold" to hide the wires for my undercabinet lighting. Predrilled and countersunk holes for #4x5/8" brass screws. Hardest part was making sure I didn't drill through the bottom of the cabinet when I was installing it. (I was using a push-drill.)
If possible, cut and fit all the perimeter light rail and assemble on a bench (in managable pcs if you can't to a whole run). Glue em up and fasten the mitres as you see fit. Take the whole assembled thing and with help, glue (if possible) and clamp to the bottoms of the rails and sides(to blocks here if you're only fastening to the thin sides of the boxes). When set, drill and screw up from the bottom.
On one job it worked well to line the backside of the rail and cab sides with an applied 3/8's by 2'' backer. Then we cut and assembled the light rail to fit that, screwing straight in from the back of the backer to the light rail.
Or cut and fasten to the bottoms of the cabs as you go along. Not real highly recommended because those damn pcs move all over the place. You fit one and screw up the last one.
A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Caution.
Depending on the lighting you use you'll never get the molding tight enough that light won't shine through the joint somewhere. Find a matching caulk and apply between molding and cabinet before installation.
I've screwed them from the bottom, scewed them from the top, nailed them , etc. All work for different cabs. are the cabs frame or frameless? of frameless then screw from the bottom with a bead of silicone or something to keep it stable and hide stray light. if they are frame cabs and the sides are 1/2" ply or less then you have to add a nailer block to the bottom. screw from inside the box and use the veneer cap you can buy at rockler or some other wood catalog. hides the screw head nicely. besides - when all the cabs get filled who cares? (unless it is an open cab or glass door I guess). glueing and pinning with the brad nailer is the las option I go for but it works too. except for the nail the curls out or doesn't set all the way then you can let loose with your explicatives! good luck.
"it aint the work I mind,
It's the feeling of falling further behind."
Bozini Latini