Alternative to french cleat?

[chopnhack]

Has anyone used a method such as I have posted below? I don't know if I originated it or not, but I was thinking about installing cabs solo and wanted to use the french cleat idea, but thought about how sometimes ceiling's hang low in places and at times you may want the cab to be flush to the ceiling. This is what I came up with:



I understand that its not a locking cleat, but it would be enough to be able to set the cabinet freeing hands to level and fasten to the wall. What are your thoughts?

[cabinetman]

I've had the same revelations. I come up with an idea, and later find out it's been already used by someone. At least we're thinkin'. The way you are configuring the attachment, still positions the cabinet to the possibility of a low area within the width of the cabinet. Hanging tight to the ceiling presents that possibility even when there are no obvious inordinate discrepancies in the ceiling's surface.

The idea though, does have merit in that a construction technique known as "grounds" get installed when the walls are fabricated. Grounds are a solid wood addition to the connection of the studs usually installed where cabinets or other items are intended to be hung. The finished wall covers it. Grounds usually are placed to the lowest point where a cabinet might be installed to provide a firm location for screws without figuring out where the studs are.

For your idea, a solid wood strip is added to the finished wall as it's easy to get to in finding and securing to studs. If the back of the cabinet has been let in to allow for the thickness of the wall piece, you could position the cabinet and put screws in any part of a hang rail that has been built into the cabinet. If using this method, it still makes it difficult for one person to jiggle the cabinet to level it or align it to a party cabinet. The last thing you would want is for it to slip off the edge and come crashing down. It might make installation easier in some cases, but it would use up some interior space, like a french cleat system would.

For solo installations, I bring "dead men", which are nothing more than a few boxes of different height to use as spacers to position cabinets. For upper cabinets, I may use a base cabinet and spacers, or a dead man, in conjunction with a small floor jack. I have a small floor jack that I removed the saddle, and replaced it with a piece of ¾" plywood about 6" x 12". I set the cabinet on the plywood and jack it up to where it goes. The jack having wheels/rollers, allows some movement, and generally by the time the cabinet gets up to being close, you can move it slightly to align it. As the cabinet sits on the plywood plate, I position it slightly off center to the rear of the plate, so as it get raised to position it's leaning against the wall. Sure beats trying to hold up a cabinet with one hand and screw it to the wall with the other.

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[LCHIEN]

not to be impertinent, but didn't you bring this subject up last year?
Here's the thread if you don't remember, some of the same issues were raised like raising and holding the cabinet into place... and you showed a nifty lifiting jack.

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=55817&highlight=cleat

[MBG]

A cabinet builder suggested that technique to me when I made kitchen cabinets for our house. This made it really simple to install the cabinets. You can see one of the cleats to the right of the corner cabinet:

[pelligrini]

The idea though, does have merit in that a construction technique known as "grounds" get installed when the walls are fabricated. Grounds are a solid wood addition to the connection of the studs usually installed where cabinets or other items are intended to be hung. The finished wall covers it. Grounds usually are placed to the lowest point where a cabinet might be installed to provide a firm location for screws without figuring out where the studs are.

Grounds? Is that what you call blocking in your area? A good builder will install 2x blocking toe-nailed between the studs for fastening things to the walls; cabinets, handrails, grab bars etc.

[cabinetman]

Grounds? Is that what you call blocking in your area? A good builder will install 2x blocking toe-nailed between the studs for fastening things to the walls; cabinets, handrails, grab bars etc.

Not just me. Maybe it's the area, but builders, carpenters and architects call it that, blocking is another term that could apply.

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[pelligrini]

OK, I didn't think it was just you. Different areas have different terms for the same materials or methods. That's the first time I heard grounds.

[gsmittle]

I always called 'em battens.

g.

[All Thumbs]

Around here they are dwangs, or noggins.

[chopnhack]

not to be impertinent, but didn't you bring this subject up last year?
Here's the thread if you don't remember, some of the same issues were raised like raising and holding the cabinet into place... and you showed a nifty lifiting jack.
http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...ighlight=cleat

Its not impertinent, I was cleaning out some sketchup files late last night and thought it would be interesting to post it. I didn't recall that I had already talked about it. I find myself revisiting this idea from different angles each time I install. Keeps in interesting ;-)