[Indydil]

Hi - I have been taken around the block regarding contractors. I have been left to do much of the finish work myself.

Toe Kicks. I can't find much information on actually how to cut them. My questions are:

Do you have to miter corners?

What do you do at the end of a run - meeting up with the range for instance?

What is the best tool for cutting?

Filler Strips:

I plan on using plinth for filler as the gaps are over 3" wide. Is there any way to cut these myslelf without a table saw?

Where do they get installed betwen the wall and a cabinet? Behind the door front or even with it?

How do they get installed? Screwed from inside the cabinet only?

Thanks for any help. Linda

[Chuck]

The best tool for this is a power miter/chop saw. It's pretty easy to use, but can be scary if you've never used one. Another alternate would be to use a "manual" miter box and back saw, which is more work, but less scary.

You do not miter the corners - they get cut straight and butted into each other, in a "chase the tail" fashion, so that you have finished edges facing out.

The ends of your plinths are finished, so you leave these on the exposed ends, and "bury" the cuts against walls, etc. Whether you leave a cut or finished end against the range is up to you - only you will know, and it won't be seen once the range is in place. I'd use a cut end next to a dishwasher, though, because they tend to be shallower along the floor than a range.

If you have more cut ends than finished ends, the plinths come with a heat sensitive tape that you use to cover some of those ends. It is cut to length and then applied using an iron. You should see the looks on my customers' faces when I ask to borrow their iron!



As for your filler strips, you can use a circular saw to cut them, but you need a good saw horse set up to support the material.

While it is possible to install them flush with your doors, it's not advisable, if for no other reason than you're dealing with a raw edge and no good way of finishing it (short of buying edge banding and gluing that on). The better way to install them is flush with the edge of the cabinet, and screw them in place through the inside of the cabinet. You can use "L" brackets, but that requires that the filler strips be installed first, then the cabinets.

PM me if you have any questions.

[Indydil]

Thanks very much Chuck. Those are exactly the answers I wanted to hear. Hopefully the guy I got to come back will complete the fillers. He has done just about everything else wrong. He's not fond of the Ikea system so he is fighting it. I don't think I'll have any cover panels because he has run the floor molding right up to the cabinet sides. At this point I want him to finish and go away. Thanks again. Now i know how things "should" be installed. Have a great day. Linda