Starting at the high point and shimming - if the low point in the floor happens to be where the dishwasher is located, jacking up the dishwasher can result in some weird/ugly space-hiding strategies between the floor and the DW toe kick panel. I agree that 1 inch out is not a *flat* floor, an important thing to make sure the homeowner and general both recognize. Here's my take on this issue.įirst, I assuming we're talking about an out-of-level condition approaching an inch or more (if it's less then 1/2 an inch, count your blessings and start from the high point). Starting from a low point and scribing has its own set of problems (and more of them, in my opinion). There are a number of potential problems, though. I think it's safe to say that the first approach to consider when setting base cabinets is to start at the high point and shim up. This issue has always been a tough one for me to define. We do cut cabs down if the job requires the extra time. It adds a nice touch, but you still may have the problem of the cab side not meeting the floor. We normally cut the toe board 7/8' short in length, then cut a piece of 1/4' x 7/8' scribe mold to fit the floor to cab vertically to cap the toe board. That said, 3/4' or 1' variance is not a 'flat' floor. Is the practice in your area to put down the finished floor before or after the cabinets are installed? Is 1/4 round an accepted scribe molding? I believe in setting the bottoms based on the high point, just as I believe in shimming wall cabinets to the framer's high spot. Are any of you starting at the low point and cutting the bottoms? This is especially noticeable on the end cabinets. The toe kick covers are not adequate to reach the floor. We are sometimes installing on floors that are 3/4, 1' out or more.

When we install cabinets we find the high point on the floor and level from there, thus avoiding cutting the cabinet bottoms, thus forcing us to shim bases off the floor. Many of the stock cabinets we are sometimes asked to install come with toekick covers that are the exact height of the toekick cutout. I'm curious how you guys handle your base cabinet installations.

Umber cabinet scribe molding