[marcella610]

Does anyone have tips for installing Ikea's molding to upper kitchen cabinets that come almost to the ceiling?

I understand how to do it if you had around 6" to get a screwdriver between the top of the cabinet and the ceiling, but I only have 2" or so.

I don't want to cut the molding into individual pieces for each upper cab and attach them before hanging them because it would show so many seams, but I can't put the molding across a whole row of them before hanging because I can't lift four cabinets at one time.

Help!

[C.B]

You could put a cleat on the top of the cabinets, to set the depth that the molding can go to make it easier when it's time to install them, and then use a 2" brad nailer to tack them in place from underneath.

[marcella610]

That is perfect, thank you for solving my problem!

[reefer]

I had the same question, I decided to use Liquid Nails because I didn't want to go through the top inside of the cabinet. The molding just sits on top of the cabinet and is flush against the ceiling (er, with a little caulk), so adhesive works perfectly.

Just another option.

[stacylu]

We did it by screwing the molding directly to the ceiling and then putting the cabinets in place. We used the tightness of the screws to account for the waviness of the ceiling.

Re: How to install crown molding to upper cabinets that touch ceiling? 

[marcella610]

Yeah, I was told by someone at the store that gluing in place might work too. I am not sure if installing the molding straight in to the ceiling would work well since our walls seem to be pretty crumbly. Otherwise I would do it. Plus, the suspension rail got hung up before we thought about the moldings (there's that good hindsight again) and I'm not sure that the rail is installed so that the spacing would be perfect between the top of the cabinets and ceiling to fit the molding without space. ARrghh...

Basically, I am getting the idea that I should hang the upper cabs first, with cleats attached for accuracy, then either screw or nail the molding on from inside the cabs, or glue and caulk to the molding to the top of the cabinets/ceiling.

Thank you guys for your good solutions. They are so much better than my boyfriend's "Well we just won't do crown molding then." Imagine my response to that!

I feel a lot better about this now; will post more pics when I am further along. (check out my in-progress ones if you like)

[kingjosiah]

Originally Posted by marcella610

Basically, I am getting the idea that I should hang the upper cabs first, with cleats attached for accuracy, then either screw or nail the molding on from inside the cabs, or glue and caulk to the molding to the top of the cabinets/ceiling.

Please forgive for me butting in since it sounds like your issue was resolved.....but after i read your response a few times, I was a bit confused.

Unless I'm missing something here, the point of the "cleat" on top of the cabinet is to provide something to nail the molding into. There is nowhere on the cabinet to attach the molding -- this is what you need to provide. You attach this nailer with constructive adhesive or screws. Then your molding gets attached to the nailer. At least that's how i would do it. I sketched up a detail which should help.

If that's how you understood it in the first place, then nevermind....

[marcella610]

Oh, sorry to be confusing; I understood the post differently.

I am using the Ikea molding, which seems to be designed so that most of it sits right on top of the cabinet and attaches right down on to the top of the upper cabinets.

So, I was thinking, I'd put the metal cleat/bracket on top of the cabinet to set the distance back from the face correctly, then hang the cabinets, then put the molding in place and finally attach from the inside of the top piece of the cabinet. So the the nail/screw would attach the cabinet box to the molding, and the cleat/bracket would only function to keep the molding from moving too far in.

So even though I understood the cleat solution differently, it still made some version of sense to me that works out. The way you drew it works well too, but I think that Ikea molding is a little long to try to nail all the way through if I can do it from the bottom. Thanks for your solution too; this would work especially well with traditional crown molding.

[kingjosiah]

Aha...now i get it. My bad. I completely missed this one. Guess i never thought of deco strip as crown molding, but then again what else would it be called. The cleat set back for alignment purposes is a great tip.

Marcella, you said the gap to the ceiling is 2"? Have you considered multiple layers of deco strips to get a custom look? Would probably look better with the cornice molding than the rounded edge molding. It might get you close enough to the ceiling that you only need a bead of caulking. Just a thought....

[kirsty]

Just wanted to say thanks for the diagram kingjosiah-- it may not have related to the OP's question, but I found it very helpful (and am filing it away for future reference for when we get to the finish work...someday!)