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Author Topic: How-To ... Ladder Base / Plinth?  (Read 722 times)

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Offline Bugsysiegals

  • Posts: 706
How-To ... Ladder Base / Plinth?
« on: January 12, 2021, 10:30 AM »
I can't seem to find any information on standard technique of building a ladder base / plinth for base cabinets to rest upon and best way to affix the cabinets to the base ... do you all just wing it and build something from 2x4' and screw the base to it or is there some method to be followed here?
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Offline DynaGlide

  • Posts: 819
Re: How-To ... Ladder Base / Plinth?
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2021, 10:47 AM »
I think the idea is to build the base however you like but have cross members supporting each cabinet side. If the base is flat the cabinets just rest on it. Screw the cabinets to each other through their sides and the entire bank of cabinets through their backs hitting studs. You could attach the base to the substrate of your floor after shimming it level using L brackets.

The base is just there to provide a flat, level surface for the cabinets to rest on. If your floor was flat and level across the room, you wouldn't set the cabinets on the floor and screw them to the floor would you?

Find your high spot in the room from the floor. That's your target to bring the low spot of the base up to level using shims as necessary.
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Offline Sparktrician

  • Posts: 4079
Re: How-To ... Ladder Base / Plinth?
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2021, 11:27 AM »
I build a ladder base using the straightest Douglas fir members I can find, sizing each base to be 1" shorter on each end than the run of the cabinets (to allow for toekicks custom cut to cover and protect the end fir pieces), and 6" narrower (front-to-back) to accommodate irregularities in the wall run as well as to allow for a solid 5" deep toekick area (to accommodate a custom-cut toekick).  I cut the width of the ladder base to make the finished countertops 36" AFF.  If the cabinets are to be in an area where the floor is frequently wet, I cut the toekicks to sit 1/8" up off the finished floor to prevent water from soaking into the finished toekicks, and in some cases, I'll use Azek (vinyl) trim boards to be non-absorbent toekicks.  All ladder bases are leveled using shims before being screwed down (I use pocket screws inside the base frame).  Cabinets are screwed down to the ladder base crossmembers, and to wall studs and shimmed as needed to accommodate wandering walls, as @DynaGlide mentioned. 
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- Willy -

  "Show us a man who never makes a mistake and we will show a man who never makes anything. 
  The capacity for occasional blundering is inseparable from the capacity to bring things to pass."

 - Herman Lincoln Wayland (1830-1898)

Offline SRSemenza

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Re: How-To ... Ladder Base / Plinth?
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2021, 11:33 AM »
    I use plywood for the ladder base. I find that  2x lumber is just not straight enough. Especially when the goal is to make something flat, level, and square.  Depending on the size of the unit and install situation some or all of the ladder members might be double thick.  I always double the plywood at points where cabinet boxes meet so that I have a more forgiving attachment point.

    I screw the boxes to the base, and to each other. Attachment points of the base and cabinets to the wall and or floor just depends on the situation.

     Plus what sparktrician said.  In general I make the base a little shorter and narrower than needed. That allows wiggle room.  I also use pocket holes to attach to the floor. I drill a whole bunch of them even if I am not sure I need them. That way they are available wherever a screw may be needed all along the frame.

    Seth
« Last Edit: January 12, 2021, 11:37 AM by SRSemenza »
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Offline Bugsysiegals

  • Posts: 706
Re: How-To ... Ladder Base / Plinth?
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2021, 01:39 PM »
Thanks guys, much appreciated. 

With regards to fastening the cabinets to the ladder base, I assume you just screw through the bottom of the cabinet into the base?  Will a drywall screw do or are you using some other screw/washer combo?
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Offline SRSemenza

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  • Finger Lakes Region, NY State , USA
Re: How-To ... Ladder Base / Plinth?
« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2021, 01:51 PM »
Quote from: Bugsysiegals on January 12, 2021, 01:39 PM
Thanks guys, much appreciated. 

With regards to fastening the cabinets to the ladder base, I assume you just screw through the bottom of the cabinet into the base?  Will a drywall screw do or are you using some other screw/washer combo?

Yup, I just screw through the bottom into the base. I try to place them out of sight as much as possible and then cover or fill the holes.

Seth
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Offline Sparktrician

  • Posts: 4079
Re: How-To ... Ladder Base / Plinth?
« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2021, 03:32 PM »
Quote from: Bugsysiegals on January 12, 2021, 01:39 PM
Thanks guys, much appreciated. 

With regards to fastening the cabinets to the ladder base, I assume you just screw through the bottom of the cabinet into the base?  Will a drywall screw do or are you using some other screw/washer combo?


I use GRK R4 screws or pocket screws.  Drywall screws are too brittle.  YMMV... 
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- Willy -

  "Show us a man who never makes a mistake and we will show a man who never makes anything. 
  The capacity for occasional blundering is inseparable from the capacity to bring things to pass."

 - Herman Lincoln Wayland (1830-1898)

Offline Bugsysiegals

  • Posts: 706
Re: How-To ... Ladder Base / Plinth?
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2021, 04:57 PM »
Quote from: Sparktrician on January 12, 2021, 03:32 PM
Quote from: Bugsysiegals on January 12, 2021, 01:39 PM
Thanks guys, much appreciated. 

With regards to fastening the cabinets to the ladder base, I assume you just screw through the bottom of the cabinet into the base?  Will a drywall screw do or are you using some other screw/washer combo?


I use GRK R4 screws or pocket screws.  Drywall screws are too brittle.  YMMV...

Perfect, thanks!
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